Bitterroot Star - October 5, 2022

Bitterroot Front Project analysis winding down

by Michael Howell

According to Bitterroot National

Public Information Ofcer Tod McKay, the latest public comment period on the Bitterroot Front Project produced over 400 comments, making it one of the most commented upon projects in the Forest’s recent history.

Two recent feld trips to the project area were also very well attended, ac cording to Stevensville District Ranger Steve Brown. He said 25 to 30 people attended each event and a lot of good comment was received.

“Most of the people were apprecia tive of the opportunity to get out on the ground and learn about the project,” said Brown. He said, “one woman said ‘I appreciate it because I feel like I have been lied to about what they have been planning up here.’”

Brown said that the comments had been parceled out to the appropriate specialists, sometimes multiple special ists depending upon the types of issues raised, who will consider the issues

raised and help provide appropriate responses to the comments.

“They will look at any newly refer enced literature and the issues raised, comment by com ment,” said Brown.

Brown said that the Forest has called on the services of a couple of forest specialists working nationally as well to come in and help the local teams in planning the project.

One is a fre behavior specialist from the Fire Modeling Institute which is part of the Rocky Mountain Fire Research Center in Missoula.

“Her mission is to take all that fre behavior research and apply it to land management planning,” said Brown. He said she was acting as a fuels man

MEDS: insurance companies curb access

and medication counseling that they won’t be able to get from the mail or a chain pharmacy.”

“It came out of the blue,” said Daniel Rothlisberger, of Hamilton. “Bitterroot Drug is my go-to pharmacy. Then we got this letter saying it is no longer going to be in-net work.”

Rothlisberger said he’d been receiving letters from Express Scripts encourag ing him to ditch his local pharmacy in favor of getting his prescriptions through the mail. But he said he didn’t realize “the clock was ticking” and soon the mail or a big box chain like Wal greens would be his only two options.

“Bitterroot Drug is a central part of our commu nity,” said Rothisberger. “As a customer I rely on them knowing me and me know

ing them and providing me with a service that I can’t get through the mail or with a chain pharmacy.”

Patients also fooded Florence Pharmacy. In a written correspondence, the pharmacy encouraged afect ed customers to reach out to their elected representatives, providing phone numbers for Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines and Represen tative Matt Rosendale.

“It is beyond unconscio nable for the federal govern ment to target community pharmacies in this severe restriction of provider ac cess,” according to the notice at Florence Pharmacy.

“Reducing access to prescription drugs for our troops, military retirees, and their families is totally unacceptable, and Senator Tester is working to address this issue,” said a spokesper

son from Sen. Tester’s ofce. “These folks, particularly those in rural communi ties, rely heavily upon local independent pharmacies to access needed medications and in-person pharmacist counseling, and that access must be preserved.”

agement and fre behavior specialist for the project.

“What we are basing it all on is expected fre behavior,” said Brown. “She’s done a ton of model ing all across the Front looking at fre behavior and highlighting the areas where the fre behavior would be abnormal for the habitat type. For example, Ponder osa Pine, Douglas fr, drier sites, where you would expect characteristically low intensity ground fres, but due to sup pression through the years or whatever, fuels have built up where you now have uncharacteristic fre behavior pre dicted. Crown fres where you want to have ground fres. So those will be our priority focus areas, where changing that fre behavior from being more likely to be ing a crown fre to being more likely a ground fre, so it wouldn’t be a stand replacing event.”

He said they are also identifying those areas where it is currently pre dicted to be a ground fre. Those would be “our maintenance areas, like Larry and Bass Creek drainages. There is not a whole lot to do there but maintain it and keep it in that status,” said Brown.

He said the fre modeling has most ly been done and ground crews are now going in and verifying the conditions on the ground “because some modeling comes out wrong but some are useful. So, we are trying to make this model as useful as possible.”

The long-term plan, he said, is to use fre as a maintenance tool.

A logging system specialist who works with forests around the country has also been called in to help design their plans with the intent of reducing any new road building by frst making full use of the existing system using new techniques for maximizing the safety and efciency of the current road system.

No timeline for the process has been set, according to Brow, and work on the project has been during the fre season when many of the personnel involved are called elsewhere to work.

“We are still in the sausage making phase,” said Brown. “We are still fgur ing things out.”

BASEBALL: frst season

continued from page one

“Montana has a rich legacy of service and it’s imperative our veterans get the quality of care they need when they return home, this includes access to a local pharmacy of their choos ing. I am deeply concerned that excluding small, family run pharmacies from the TRICARE network could limit access to essential care for veterans across the state, especially those in rural communities, and am working with my colleagues to address this issue,” Sen. Daines said.

community came together to support this. She gave a lot of the credit to Terri Larson. “She went everywhere,” said Montague, “and was the biggest cheerleader.” A fundraiser at the Tin Can Bar and Draft Room was a big success. “A lot of people came out,” said Montague. “There were also a surprising amount of anonymous donations.”

Tracy’s son Evan, a sophomore at Stevensville, is excited about the new program. He said he started playing baseball at 4 or 5 years old and played competitively from 9 years old until he was 14. He’s 16 now and hopes to make the team, perhaps play ing in the outfeld and maybe even doing some pitching. He said that lots of kids are interested, but he’s heard that for the frst year they might have a smaller team, maybe around 17 members.

Tracy Montague said they are hoping to make a big deal for the frst home game and thank the community for its support.

“I can’t believe we did that in such a short amount of time,” said Tracy. “I don’t know that any other town in the valley could have done that. When Stevensville people need to come together they do.”

“I love the community,” added Evan. “They have helped us so much. I’m really thankful to have a community like this. We couldn’t have done it without them.”

Small portion of the Bitterroot Front.

Now is a good time to recycle

by Victoria Howell

Ravalli County Recycling (RCR) will hold a glass recycling collection this coming Saturday, October 8th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the north end of the Ravalli County Fairgrounds in Hamilton. RCR will be accepting all colors of glass containers that were used for food and bever ages. The glass must be clean with lids removed, but it’s not necessary to remove the labels. RCR charges $1.00 per gallon of glass. As an example, fve upright wine bottles and fve upside down wine bottles will ft in a 5-gallon bucket. That would cost you $5.00.

“People are so happy to be able to recycle their glass that they don’t seem to mind pay ing,” says Janice Lee, president of RCR.

RCR, a private non-proft organization, has been around a long time, said Lee. “We have volunteers who have been vol unteering for 10 or 12 years.”

She said they used to have a recycling site across from Don’s Home Center north of Hamilton. However, they were forced to close it in 2018 be cause prices for recycling prod ucts were so low that they “were losing money every month.” As an ex ample, she said that when they opened the facility they were getting $50 a ton for cardboard. “When we closed it was less than $1 per ton, plus the trucking costs to take it to Missoula.”

A partner recycling group in Missoula, Recycling Works Montana, found a business in Salt Lake City that will buy the glass and recycle it so that it can be sold for various uses. The company is Momentum (utah.mo mentumrecycling.com).

According to the Momentum web site, all loads they receive are carefully inspected for contamination and haz ardous materials. Common contami nants include ceramics, Pyrex, alu minum cans, light bulbs, cardboard, window frames, and mirrors. Then the non-brown glass is sorted out for later processing. The glass is then broken into crude particles for future optical

sorting. A slight water mist is applied when necessary to control airborne particulates. Broken glass particles are passed through a trommel (a revolving screen) and sorted into 3/8” and 3/4” sizes. Fans propel the paper labels detached during breaking through the trommel and into a paper recycling

Glass particles that are too big to ft through the primary screen are sent through the pulverizer. The pulverizer uses 36 hammers inside a small en closure to aggressively reduce particle size. All particles recirculate until they fnally pass through the primary screen.

almost all donated back to Recycling Works Montana in Missoula, said Lee, because they bring down their equip ment, and they haul the glass back to Missoula and they also have to pay Momentum to accept it. “We also have to pay about $500 for a one-day event insurance,” said Lee. “But we really try to support Recycling Works Montana. We couldn’t do this without their help.”

Also on October 8th, cardboard can be dropped of for recycling through a local company. Lee said they are at the fairgrounds the second Saturday of every month. The cost to the public for cardboard recycling is $10 per cubic yard (3’x3’x3’). Lee said the card board collection is for residen tial households only on that day.

In addition, an e-cycling person will be on hand to ac cept computer towers and lap tops. The charge for that is $5 per item. Lee said the e-cycling person takes the computers apart and harvests the metals which she then sells.

bin.

Items that don’t shatter and cannot ft through the screens (corks, caps, lids, errant labels) are collected and recycled.

The glass is then dried in a fuid ized bed drier. A smooth ribbon of glass particles enters the drier in a 4-inch bed. Vibratory action moves the particles through the drier. Air is heated to 190 degrees F, using natu ral gas, and forced through the bed of the drier. Sugars and bacteria are burned and label glue is loosened. Residue foats to the top and is sucked away via a vacuum system. The dried and cleaned glass is screened to cull out specifc sizes. Screens are quick ly changed to produce diferent size grades for diferent customers. For example, fberglass manufacturing requires all particles to be 12 mesh or smaller.

Particles that are small enough to pass through the primary screen are then processed through the secondary screen and separated into four size grades: 12 mesh to 20 mesh; 20 mesh to 40 mesh; 40 mesh to 70 mesh; 70 mesh and smaller.

The glass particles are referred to as cullet. Glass cullet is classifed in sizes that can range from peb bles to sand and even powder. Each size grade is used for diferent end markets. Some of the uses are: glass container manufacturing; fberglass manufacturing; abrasives (sandblast media, etc); fux / binder in ceramics and bricks; fller in paint and plastic; hydroponic rooting medium; fltration medium for swimming pools and po tentially municipal water; frictionator in matches and ammunition; additive and fux in metal foundry.

The money that RCR raises is

Toward the end of Octo ber, RCR will have an annual meeting for all its members, a requirement to keep its non-proft status. “You’re automatically a member if you volun teered for one hour or donated more than $1.00 to us in the past year,” said Lee. “So any of those people are invited. Details will be posted on our website (ravallirecycling.com) and our facebook page. We get together and elect ofcers and we have a potluck and do some singing. We have some volunteers who have written new lyrics to songs that most people know, for example, ‘RCR does glass, glass, glass’ sung to the tune of ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash.’ It’s a lot of fun.”

Ravalli County Recycling holds a glass recycling event three times a year, spring, summer and fall. “It’s a great place to get rid of your glass,” said Lee. So if you miss this one, start saving up for the next one.

Anyone wanting more information can contact Lee by email at janicling@ gmail.com.

by Michael Howell & Greg Pape

RCR volunteers, June 2022: left to right: Pam Aikins, Janice Lee, Kim Carlson, Chip Britting, Nanji Cohran, Jef Hahn, Katie deGleria.

In

Michael Howell

Stream Access

Sula river property to be managed for public use

The Bitterroot National Forest

acquired a 12.5-acre parcel on the East Fork of the Bitterroot River in Sula from the Bitter Root Land Trust (BRLT), a local non-proft organiza tion working to conserve water, wild life and working farms and ranches throughout the Bitterroot Valley. The land will provide future public recre ational access in the Sula area.

Visible from Highway 93 and located just west of the Sula Store, the property is bordered by US Forest Ser vice land to the south, west and east. The East Fork of the Bitterroot River fows through the property, which holds native westslope cutthroat and bull trout as well as rainbow and brown trout. The upland portions of the property consist of wetlands, riparian areas and Ponderosa Pine for est, which provide habitat for moose, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and a variety of birds.

The property was originally gifted

to BRLT by landowners Kurt and Deb bie Thomas in 2017 for the purposes of open space conservation and public recreational access. BRLT acted as the interim landowner for the past fve years, while working to transfer it to public ownership. Purchased with funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Bitterroot National Forest will now serve as the public owner and steward of the property.

“The conservation value of this property makes it a great community asset for the future of the south val ley,” said Kyle Barber, BRLT Conser vation Director. “We’re grateful to Kurt and Debbie for their generous gift and excited to partner with the Bitterroot National Forest to honor their vision for public use and enjoy ment of this special property.”

“We are excited to have this parcel in the forest system to provide public access for recreation and conserva

Great Glass Pumpkin Patch

tion,” said Matt Anderson, Forest Supervisor. “While it is now public land, future actions will be considered to maintain the integrity of the site, refne and implement recreational use, and to provide the public with safe access. We look forward to continued

work with the Bitter Root Land Trust.”

To learn more about the Bitter Root Land Trust, visit www.bitterroot landtrust.org. To learn more about the Bitterroot National Forest, visit www. fs.usda.gov/bitterroot.

Glass Pumpkin Patch scheduled

The Third Annual Great Glass Pumpkin Patch will be held Oct. 8 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lisa Tate Glass Studio, 21718 Kesa Lane, Flor ence, benefting local artists. Admis sion is free.

Artists Lisa Tate and Mark Gantt take months to hand-blow and handcraft the beautiful glass pumpkins for sale. The pumpkins come in all colors and various sizes and shapes, a cornu copia of unique blown-glass artwork set against a backdrop of the Studio’s beautiful grounds and colorful trees.

During the sale, there will be live glass blowing demonstrations where visitors can watch glass-blowing arti sans, called gafers, turn molten glass into works of art. Meet the artists and see how they work the molten glass,

adding colors and creating diferent patterns and shapes. The glassblowers use a furnace which reaches tempera tures of 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit. The live demonstrations gives the viewer a real appreciation for all of the work that goes into creating these one-of-akind pieces.

The one of a kind pumpkins range from $15 to $50 per item based on the techniques used, color, size and style of the pumpkin.

If inclement weather, the Pumpkin Patch will be moved into the spacious glass blowing studio with plenty of ventilation.

Directions: Turn east onto Chief Looking Glass Road between Lolo and Florence. Follow the signs to Kesa Lane.

Land along the East Fork near Sula that was gifted to the Bitter Root Land Trust will now be managed by the Bitterroot National Forest. The land is intended for future public recreational access.

SCREAMS: terrifying fun... that’s what you want, right?

an entire over haul on the whole place,” says Kirk land, saying that they’ve added over 10 new rooms, reworked the entrance, and even adopted a new online platform for ‘scheduled

“The lines had been getting longer,” says Kirkland, adding that people often come from as far as Butte, Bozeman and even out of state to go through. With thousands of visitors each year, they decided to make the leap and go

for time-scheduled en tries into the attraction. Visitors can still buy general entry tickets on site, but he hopes that

werewolves and more, there are other attrac tions at Field of Screams for younger visitors or those less certain about exposing themselves to their own fear.

There is a minimaze, a plHayground and even Escape Rooms all on site. Daytime visitors needn’t worry about

Rebecca Charlesworth and a pack of young haunt-seekers were frst in line on Friday, September 30th. “I’ve got 8 of them,” said Rebecca of the kids. “Four of them are mine.” She also mentioned that two of the kids had turned back already and were waiting in the car.

scheduled entry times will mean less wait for many.

Despite the zombies, live Chucky dolls,

monsters jumping out at them, and Kirkland says this might be a good place for people to start if they’re un sure about the nighttime version. Still, the main event ramps up when the sun goes down, but Kirkland encourages everyone to remember that, “it’s scary, but it’s fun.” He also points out that

the Field of Screams doesn’t end like a typical horror movie since his visitors will live in the end.

“It’s a good experience,” he says, “one that you’ll remember for the rest of your life.”

Information on tickets, hours and location can be found on their website: https://feldofscreamsmt.com.

Quinn Kirkland, owner of Field of Screams.

Field of Screams sign. Photos by Nathan Boddy.

One of the resident monsters making an approach.

OPEN LANDS: program preserves open land for beneft of all

serve open space, as well as agricul ture. The bond program is now up for renewal for the frst time and will be on the November ballot. The tax impact varies and people should look at the “taxable value” on their tax bill to see how they would be afected. According to the website yestoraval licountyopenlands.org, the average home in Ravalli County would pay about $21 per year for the program.

Huls said prior to the passage of the frst bond, they went to every com munity and met with fre departments, civic groups, “and just about every body we could talk to. At that time the tax impact was less than a latte a day,” said Huls, and it still is. Their hard work paid of and the bond garnered nearly 60% of the vote in 2006.

Now members of the Ravalli Coun ty Right to Farm & Ranch Board and other proponents of the bond program are out and about in the community again, trying to educate the public

about the benefts of the program. The Star met with Alan Maki, chair of the Right to Farm & Ranch Board, Dan Severson, a ranch owner in the Burnt Fork area east of Stevensville who put 354 acres of his property into a conservation easement in 2011, and Bev Schneiter, president of the Ste vensville United Methodist Women, who is organizing a public meeting on the bond program to help get accurate information out to the community.

According to Maki, about $7 million of the original $10 million has been spent, with enough applications in the hopper now to exhaust the remaining funds. The frst easement created with the funds was the Wood Family Ranch between Stevensville and Corvallis in 2009. Since then, there have been 39 conservation proj ects completed, from Sula to north of Stevensville.

Ravalli County Republican Candidates Free Public Event

Many of these projects preserve prime agricultural land, the huge green swaths of hay ground and cow pas tures that you see in the valley’s bottomland. Many of these places are irrigated by water from the complex irrigation system installed in the early 1900s. According to Maki, it’s the farmers and ranchers that maintain that system, keeping the valley beautiful for all of us to enjoy.

As more people move into the valley, drawn here by the beauty and open space, the greater the potential for more subdivisions which carve up the large acreages into smaller and smaller pieces in order to build homes, afecting control of weeds, water and air quality, wildlife habitat and public access.

“Generally, I don’t think people realize that farmers and ranchers make the commitment to take care of the land and to make a living on it,” said Maki. “This program recognizes the sacrifce that these people make.”

Schneiter said she moved here from New Jersey “because it was just developing too fast there.” She said she ap preciates the open space here in the Bitterroot.

“But we’re certainly not anti-development,” said Severson. He said that it took his family sev eral years to fnally decide to place their land in a conservation easement. “These commitments are forever. Our decision had to do with our parents and grandparents. We could see that some day our land would be subdivided. When the voters passed the bond, letting us know they were willing to put $5 out of their own pockets to save open space, that made a diference for us.”

After Severson protected his own land, he started talking with neighboring landowners

Looking for a new member of the family?

These pups are Bear and Nico. Bear (left) is a 1.5 year old Blackmouth Cur/Heeler mix. He is good with dogs, good on leash and knows commands! He loves agility and tug of war! Niko is 3 years old and is good with cats, dogs and kids! Like Bear, he loves tug of war, and also likes to hike! Both dogs would do great in an active home. Unfortunately neither is housebroken since they have lived outside their entire lives.

about the program. “We talked about it as a community, how neat it would be to preserve the Burnt Fork valley. I’m very fortunate that we had neigh bors that wanted to participate. It’s still going on.”

The program snowballed in the Burnt Fork drainage, with more than a dozen easements now in place, many of them contiguous, creating a corri dor of land that will remain as open space forever.

“Fifty years from now people are going to look back and say, wow, look at what they did,” said Severson. “These people work their tails of to make sure this money is used wisely. It’s all thanks to the wise people in 2006. It just makes you feel good to know that your friends and neighbors see the value of this.”

Maki said there are about 370,000 acres of private land in Ravalli County. Of that, about 10,000 acres have been preserved. He calculated that, if the 10,000 acres were valued at $15,000 each, that would total $150 million. “So, we protected $150 million worth of land for only $7 million. This is about taking a few of our nicest pieces and making the whole valley a nicer place for the rest of the people on the other 360,000 acres,” said Maki. “These are all gifts to the community from the landowners. They wanted to do that for the public beneft and also for their own legacy.”

Maki said the non-proft Bitter Root Land Trust (BRLT) is the third party entity that works with Raval li County on the Open Lands Bond Program. The BRLT brings together the interested landowners and the county, and also fnds other funders to help make these projects happen. This helps to stretch the tax dollars as far as they can go. Funding has come from such varied sources as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Farm Bill. The match from out side sources is about $3 to every $1 of

OLBP money.

Not all the money in the Open Lands Bond Program goes to preserve ag land. Some has been used to create parks, like 70 acres in Skalkaho Bend Park along the river in Hamilton, or the C. Ben White Memorial Fishing Access Site on the river south of Dar by. Another big chunk, the 1080-acre Lazy J Cross Ranch near Sula, allows public hunting access through Mon tana’s Block Management Program. Every proposal is thoroughly analyzed for its overall value to the public. The county commissioners make the fnal decision on each proposal.

Eddie Olwell, a fyfshing outft ter based in Stevensville, said the economic impact of the Open Lands Bond Program on the local economy is signifcant. “I think a lot of people think the Open Lands Bond Program is just about open space and agricul ture,” said Olwell, who has operated his business Fishs Eddy O for the past 23 years. “But the Open Lands Bond Program has also protected over 40 miles of river and stream habitat in the Bitterroot watershed that is the lifeblood of our valley. It also benefts access for anglers. For example, the C. Ben White Fishing Access on the West Fork preserved 100 acres of riparian land, and also connects thousands of acres of national forest land. Without the Open Lands Bond Program, that access would have likely been lost.”

“Not only is fshing and hunting part of our culture and lifestyle,” added Olwell, “it’s the reason people move here, the clean rivers and blue ribbon trout streams. And non-resi dent anglers spend over $30 million to recreate on the Bitterroot River. This money has an impact on most of our Main Street businesses. Please vote yes to preserve the qualities that make the Bitterroot Valley such a great place to live.”

“In a high growth area, a conser vation easement is forever but so is dividing the ground and breaking it up,” said Maki. “That’s forever too. Those are the two forever choices we have.”

ARE YOU FEARFUL – SCARED – WORRIED?

Isaiah Chapter 41, Verse 10 says:

“Fear not, because the Lord says – There is nothing to fear, for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed. For I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties; yes I will help you; yes I will hold you up and retain you with My victorious right hand of rightness and justice.” He will give His angels especially charge over you - - you can bank on that!!

Psalm 27, Verse 5:

“For in the day of trouble, He will hide me in His shelter in the secret place of His tent will He hide me. He will sit me high upon a rock.”

Exodus Chapter 20, Verse 7:

“Do not take the Lord’s name in vain or take it lightly, for He will not hold him guiltless... For He is the ‘I am who I am.’ ... He is the True God; He demands and deserves respect.”

Maki, Olwell and Huls will be the featured panelists at a public information meeting on the ballot measure on Wednesday, Octo ber 12th at 7 p.m. at the fellowship hall of the Stevensville Unit ed Methodist Church, corner of 3rd and College Streets. The UMC Wom en and Men are hosting the meeting, which will include the speakers panel, a short flm and a time for questions and answers. Refreshments will be served. Schneiter encourages everyone to come and learn more about the ballot measure.

“If this doesn’t pass it would take away a tool that helps property owners conserve their land for the public and the future - the last open space in the county,” said Maki. “Sometimes you don’t know what you have until you lose it.”

Alan Maki, chair of the Ravalli County Right to Farm and Ranch Board, Bev Schneiter, president of the Stevensville United Methodist Women, and Dan Sever son, Stevensville rancher, hold maps showing the many parcels of land that have been protected from future development with the help of the county’s Open Lands Bond Program. Photo by Victoria Howell.

enjoyed the pancake breakfasts this summer, don’t miss the spaghetti feed. Come show your support by donation! October 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 2383 Meridian Road, Victor.

Bats of the Bitterroot

“Bats of the Bitterroot” will be presented on Thursday, October 20 7 p.m. at the North Valley Public Library, 208 Main in Stevensville. Let’s talk about our batty neighbors who only come out at night. Fish, Wildlife & Parks non-game biologist Torrey Ritter will share his expertise on the bats of the Bitterroot, what they eat, how they spend their time, migrating habits, and much more. Don’t miss this special opportunity to learn all about Montana’s most elusive mammal: The bat! This is an adult program but ages 10+ are welcome. Registration required at northvalleylibrary.org.

Trout Unlimited meeting

There will be Brats & Brews & BRTU on Thursday, October 20 at the Hamilton Elks Lodge starting at 6:15 p.m. to kick of TU’s frst gen eral meeting since February 2020.

The Elks are well known for their brats - cooked in beer and then fnished on the grill, and they have ofered to cook some up on the 20th. For $10, you will be able to get a brat and one of the brews that the Elks ofer at their full service bar. They will start taking orders at 6:15 but the number is limited, so plan on getting there in plenty of time before the meeting begins at 7:00.

After the program, there will be a special drawing for a copy of “The Art of Monte Dolack - Vi sion-Myth-Mystery.” This is a new hard cover book that collects more than 180 well known and private ly held pieces of artwork by this uniquely Montana artist. TU will also be giving away some BRTU caps featuring the current logo.

And the program will be spe cial, too. Brant Oswald will give an interesting presentation about “Par adise Valley After the Flood.” The foods caused signifcant damage to buildings and infrastructure up and down the Yellowstone, but you are likely to be pleasantly surprised about impacts on the fshing. Brant is often referred to as “a guide’s guide” due to his sophisticated approach to casting and fyfshing. He has been very busy this past season and has documented a lot of the changes to the spring creeks as well as the river itself.

If you make it down for a brat & a brew, you’ll get a chance to visit with Brant - a brat & brew with Brant.

The public is invited to attend all BRTU events and there is no charge for admission.

Senior bingo

Bingo on Saturday October 22 at the Hamilton Senior Center. Doors open noon, play starts at 1:00. $2 entry fee. $10/15 games; Early Birds/Specials $1 each. Daubers and drinks $1 each. Snacks to share are encouraged. Must be 18 to play. From Novem ber forward Bingo will be on the 1st & 3rd Saturdays, same times, cost.

‘Spirit of Christmas’ Market

St. Francis Ladies ‘Spirit of Christmas’ Market will be held Saturday, November 12 from 9

a.m. to 2 p.m. at 411 S. 5th, Hamilton. Community vendors with quality gift items, exquisite basket raf fes, drawings for gift cards, classy treasures, crafts. (406)370-2588.

Hamilton High School Bands Citrus Fruit Fundraiser

The Hamilton High School Bands are currently taking orders throughout the month of October for their annual Citrus Fruit Fund raiser. 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 December, just in time for holiday entertaining. If you would like more information, or to place and order, call the HHS Bandroom at 375-6060 ext. 5216.

Reserve the NVPL Community Room

Organizations are welcome to reserve the NVPL Community Room for events that are civic, educational, cultural, intellectual, entertaining, or benefcial to the community. Events held must be free of charge and open to all. This room accommodates up to 67 people. Tables, chairs, and A/V available. To apply, go to north valleypubliclibrary.org under My Library Services.

Humane Association business challenge

Whether your business is big or small, the Bitter Root Humane Association (BRHA) is challenging you to join its “30-Days of Giving Business Challenge” to raise funds for the shelter and compete against other valley businesses to see who can raise the most money during the month of November. The winner will not only receive “bragging rights” but some awesome prizes too!

What type of fundraiser busi nesses host is totally up to them... it can be as simple as putting out a donation jar, “rounding up,” customer purchases, merchandise rafes, employee/employer match Calling All Businesses, hosting a one-time event or a month long promotion. Basically any fun thing you can think of! BRHA will assist in encouraging shoppers to visit your business with mixed media promo tion and provide a colorful promo tional poster for you to display.

Businesses are welcome to reg ister for the “Challenge” any time now through November, but the sooner the better for lots of your event promotion. Joining in the “Challenge” is easy...for complete details and registration form go to: www.bitterroothumane.org/events or contact Mary at (406) 642-3785 or email to dogmommary@aol.com. All proceeds from the “Challenge” will go towards helping BRHA con tinue to care for all the homeless pets that come through their doors!

Bitterroot Star Calendar Policy

The Bitterroot Star will run Cal endar items for non-proft organi zations free of charge. Deadline for each Wednesday’s paper is each Monday at 12 noon. Submit your item by email to: editor@bitter rootstar.com. For more information contact Victoria at 406-777-3928.

North Valley Library seeks public input on new library building

Residents asked to take survey, attend public forum

The North Valley Public Library (NVPL) is asking the public to provide input on the services and amenities of a new library building. Citizens are also invited to a public forum on Wednesday, Octo ber 26 at the NVPL Commu nity Room, 208 Main Street, Stevensville.

Two identical sessions will be held that day and partic ipants may choose to attend at 12:15 p.m. or 6 p.m. If you cannot attend in person there is a Zoom option. Residents are also asked to participate in a community survey available online or at the NVPL front desk.

During the public forum sessions, ReThinking Librar

ies, the consultants working with MMW Architects for a Preliminary Architecture Report (PAR), will walk the public through a virtual discussion session around the services and facility require ments of the Library. Topics covered will be the commu nity’s needs as it relates to the Library’s future facility, as well as national and local trends in public libraries that may be relevant to the Ste vensville area. Residents invit ed to attend are those living in the North Valley Library Dis trict (boundaries correspond with Stevensville and Lone Rock school districts). It is not necessary to be a current patron of NVPL. Pizza will be

served at both sessions.

In addition to attending the public forum, community members are asked to com plete a brief survey at survey monkey.com/r/NVPLPRMe dia. Those unable or reluctant to complete an online survey may complete a paper survey available at the NVPL front desk.

Help NVPL build a library that truly serves you and our community. Register for one of these sessions:

Oct 26, 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. at https://bit.ly/public12-15

Oct 26, 6 – 7 p.m. at https://bit.ly/public6pm

And complete the survey at surveymonkey.com/r/ NVPLPRMedia

Library to hold Montana Conversation ‘UFOs and Extraterrestrials’ in Montana

North Valley Public Library hosts Montana Conversation “UFOs and Extraterrestrials in Montana” with Dr. Joan Bird on Thursday, October 27. The program is at North Val ley Public Library in the Community Room, 208 Main Street, Stevensville, at 6 p.m. The presentation is free and open to the public. Funding for Montana Conversations is pro vided by Humanities Montana through grants from the National Endowment for the Human ities, Montana’s Cultural Trust, and private donations.

While many UFO sightings can be con ventionally explained, a small percentage of re ports remain unexplained in both government and private investigations. Montana is home to some of the most signifcant, well-document ed, and interesting UFO reports in the history of ufology. Dr. Bird gives a short course in UFO literacy, using Montana events to illus trate diferent aspects of the phenomenon. Montana seems to be a place where there is a lot of historical UFO activity. The audience is invited to share their own or their family’s

stories. This event is a crowd favorite and this year includes new content.

Dr. Joan Bird worked as a conservation biologist for many years in both public and private organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Academically, she earned a BS in psychology and a Ph.D. in zoology, specializing in animal behavior, evolutionary ecology and ornithology. Her doctoral research on inter-is land variation in West Indian fnches com bined her love of nature and travel. Dr. Bird has written numerous articles for scientifc and conservation publications and freelanced as a nature interpretation writer. A lifelong student of unexplained phenomena, and long-time member of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Dr. Bird has spent much of her life working as a community educator and change agent toward a more conscious, peaceful and compassionate world.

Register at northvalleylibrary.org under Calendar.

Future Fisheries Improvement grant deadline nears

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds landowners, watershed groups and others that this winter’s deadline to apply for Future Fisheries Improvement Program grants is Nov. 15.

The goal of FWP’s Future Fisheries Program is to restore rivers, streams and lakes to improve Mon tana’s wild fsh habitat. Entities can receive fund ing for quali fying projects that beneft Montana’s wild fsh. Each project is assessed by an independent review panel and fnal fund ing decisions are made by the Fish and Wildlife Com mission.

To learn

more about the Future Fish eries Improvement Program, and to download the grant ap plication form, go to the FFIP website at https://fwp.mt.gov/ fp, email FWPFFIP@mt.gov or call the program manager at 406-444-2432. Completed Future Fish eries Improvement Program

applications must be received on or before 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 15 and should be sent electronically to FWPFFIP@ mt.gov. Paper applications can be sent to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Fisheries Habitat Bureau, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 596200701.

Business • Estate Planning Probate • Trust Administration

Serving the Bitterroot Valley in the areas of tax law, business and estate planning, and real estate property law.

JOHN MASAR Attorney 406-625-2682

JOHN MASAR Attorney 406-625-2682

115 W 3rd St., Suite 103 Stevensville jmasar@lionwoodlaw.com www.lionwoodlaw.com

115 W 3rd Street Suite 103 Stevensville jmasar@lionwoodlaw.com www.lionwoodlaw.com

Ready to help.

Member

Ready to help.

Your vote matters on rapid climate change

The crisis of rapid climate change is a difcult one to tackle with politics. Realistic solutions are unlikely to pro vide an immediate beneft to voters. It is not like the housing issue which can be solved by more houses. It also can’t be solved by just taking personal responsibility for our carbon foot print. An individual could reduce their greenhouse gas contribution to zero by stepping in front of a speeding bus and it would make little diference.

It is also an easy issue to rally against. Opponents of action will have plenty of opportunities to portray those who are alarmed by the evidence as alarmists. The winters will still be cold and there will still be nice sum mer days. The long-range forecast for winter snowpack in our mountains shows steady decline. But there will be the usual oscillation between cold wet and warm dry winters. There may even be some great skiing in an un usually snowy year. These sporadic pe riods of favorable weather will provide the justifcation for inaction, perhaps by another politician who brings in a snowball during a legislative session to refute the need for the deliberations with a display of “common sense”.

But rapid climate change is coming for us, and it is as real as the smoke in the air. Those who are my age will only see the beginnings of the unraveling of ecosystems leading to profound blows to our economic and governmental structures. Our children will see a gov ernment response that mobilizes and adapts until it is overwhelmed. The Trump movement has already shown how susceptible societies are, when they start to unravel, to the toxic poli tics of authoritarianism. With business as usual, the consensus among the experts is that our democratic norms and institutions, upon which are our society is built, will crumble in this century. This future is not speculation. It is the best estimate of our scien tifc community, not just in the hard sciences, but also by those that study economics, population dynamics and civil society.

Reducing greenhouse gas emis sions will mostly benefts those not

alive today. The decarbonization of our economy will mean profound changes. The disruptions caused by this change will not show immediate results: it will not reduce the smoke in the air today, next year or even the next several years. The problems and challenges with converting to a new energy, food and manufacturing system will be many. Those with jobs or investments in the old ways will be severely impacted without robust policies to mitigate the damage.

I believe a strong government re sponse, using market mechanisms, is the quickest and easiest way to make this transition but we will all need to engage on the solution, which may run counter to preconceived notions and ideologies. Any one for ramping up small scale nuclear power? How about more construction made from wood?

Politicians can’t honestly promise that the measures we need to take as a country will directly beneft you in this election cycle. Rapid climate change may not change the prospects for you and your family in the coming year or the next 5 years. But if we do too little, or nothing at all, we will lose the Unit ed States, democracy, and a future for grandchildren.

The solution is government action. For better or worse, our political system ofers us only two choices. You can vote for Republicans, who have vowed to do as little as possible or nothing at all, or you can vote for Democrats who have delivered action and have promised more. You there fore must choose morality over short term personal gain. What will it be?

John Schneeberger Hamilton

How will you vote?

Biden will continue wrecking our economy, military, border and health if more Dems are elected to Congress.

He and his cronies will keep taxing and regulating us into a third world country if more Dems are sent to Washington DC.

If another Dem gets into Congress this country may soon become another Venezuela?

My vote for the congressional Mon tana candidate who agrees with and will continue voting for these danger ous and idiotic policies will defnitely

NOT be for the Dem candidate. She even guarantees she will do every thing in her power to continue killing babies. Her extremely negative cam paigning shows her true anti-western Montana feelings.

There is a real choice for Mon tana’s next Congressman. I will vote for SEAL commander Ryan Zinke. I urge you to do so also. With this great American representing us, we can turn America away from the socialis tic Biden and Dem restrictions being placed on our freedoms.

Jim Kalkofen Stevensville

Support for Brown for Supreme Court

When you vote in this election, consider what matters to you, and will represent your values. The Montana Supreme Court has seven justices with only one Conservative. We can add an other Conservative to the bench with James Brown.

Montana is a Conservative state with our Governor, Attorney Gener al and all state elected ofcials are Republicans. Our legislature’s ma jority are Conservative Republicans. That tells me that Montanans care about that value system. We also care about our voices being heard. How many of you know that our Governor has signed into law many issues that represent the people? Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has the power to disagree, so they do not become law. Many of us then wonder why even vote? If those who do not hold the same values that we do can do this, what chance do we have to be heard? That is exactly what the liberals want you to believe. But many of us are will ing to continue to fght for our voice and vote. Your vote,matters!

Why James Brown? I want some one on the bench who is qualifed by their experience. Someone who will preserve the rule of law, follow the Constitution, and defend our free doms, liberties, and the Montana way of life. A judge that will put their personal beliefs aside if they do not line up with the Constitution. James is a 4th generation Montanan, Chairman of the Public Service Commission, U

of M graduate, accomplished private practice attorney and avid outdoors man. He has proven that he is worth your vote. Let’s elect James Brown to Montana Supreme Court and bring our founding fathers’ Constitution back to the court.

Pat Earnest Stevensville

Have you ever priced out the cost of a door? Think about that a minute. Probably not, but as a taxpayer you have paid $139,000 for new ofce doors and remodel for Ryan Zinke’s Washington ofce as Secretary of the Department of Interior.

Have you ever considered a need for your own fag? Probably not, but you might want to ask your boss for one and further ask that somebody hike it up a pole every time you get to work in the morning. Ryan Zinke did just that on the days he was present at the Interior Department ofce build ing in DC.

Have you ever had to deal with someone that spoke with real convic tion but later discovered the convic tion was mostly committed to the abuse of their authority? In the execu tive summary of the Inspector Gener al’s report on Ryan Zinke’s handling of Department of Interior’s afairs is this quote:

“We found that both Secretary Zinke and the COS (chief of staf) made statements that presented an inaccurate version of the circumstanc es in which the DOI (Department of Interior) made key decisions.”

The Washington Post is quoted, “Zinke was told he had until the end of the year to leave or be fred.” Why did Zinke resign?

In summary all these are questions of character. The Republican party has lost its way and Zinke is its embod iment. Ryan Zinke lacks character.

Monica Tranel has character and our vote. We hope she has your vote too.

Archie L Thomas Merry Schrumpf Corvallis

am impressed by the low turnover in staf, which makes all aspects of hiring workers easier - from requesting temporary help to the billing process.

Tey are a one-stop shop for all of my temporary or long term employment needs.

Michelle C.

Elks Lodge supports Bitterroot

Each year the Bitterroot Valley Elks Lodge #1651 applies for several grants from the Elks National Foun dation. This year one of their submis sions was to provide Bonding Kits for the local CASA program. Bitterroot CASA, led by Allison Dunne, trains and supports volunteers who strive to ensure the emotional, physical, and educational well-being of chil dren who have experienced abuse or neglect. They advocate for establishing safe, permanent, nurturing homes, giving local children

opportunity to thrive.

The lodge was awarded a $650 grant, and the Lady Elks, an auxil iary organization, in support of the lodge was provided the opportunity to implement the CASA project. Each

kit ofers $60 of local bonding oppor tunities for volunteers and their kids. To the best of our knowledge, this is the frst project of its kind for CASA nationally. The Lady Elks wanted to ensure they could make a signifcant impact, so they added another $350 to the project total. The dedicated group of women, including group president Betty Vecruyssen, Noel Acosta, Debbi York, Debbie Shafer, Ann Seymour, Elizabeth Nef, and Cheryl Andersen, came together on August 9th to put the kits together and present them to Dunne for distribution throughout the year.

Angels’ Landing

The Bitterroot Valley Elks and Lady Elks anticipate this to start a long relationship with Bitterroot CASA. If you are interested in being a volunteer for CASA, visit Bitterrootcasa.org, and if you are interested in joining the Elks, reach out to Noel Acosta at no elkacosta@gmail.com.

Exterior

bonding kit.

Flu shots available for vets

The Montana VA Health Care System (MTVAHCS) kicks of the 2022 fu shot season next week. Enrolled Montana Veterans have multiple options to make getting a free fu shot easy.

First, Veterans who are enrolled with VA healthcare will be ofered fu shots at their Mon tana VA primary care appointments.

Second, fu vaccines are available to enrolled Veterans at pharmacies and urgent care locations across Montana. To fnd a closeto-home and in-network community care provider, Veterans can search by entering in their home zip code in the drop-down menu of the VA locator, https://www.va.gov/ fnd-locations.

A fu shot clinic will be held at the David J. Thatcher VA Clinic (3885 West Broadway Street, Missoula) on October 13. Walk-In Flu Clinic from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Walk-in fu shots are available every Wednes day from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Montana VA serves over 47,000 enrolled Veterans across Mon tana—an area roughly 147,000 square miles in size. Veterans are cared for by a staf of 1,400 at 18 sites of care across the state. Veterans can con nect to their VA health care records, informa tion, and message their VA care teams 24 hours a day through the My HealtheVet patient portal (https://www.myhealth. va.gov/mhv-portal-web/ how-to-use-mhv).

All hail the blue winged olives

Blue winged olives are our most reliable hatch.

That’s true on every western river I know – yet, nobody talks about them much. They’re just there.

The only exceptions might be the Henry’s Fork in Idaho and the Missouri here in Mon tana, where the blue-wings are present nearly all season long and they can not be ignored.

Any day you fsh one of those rivers, you’d better be prepared with a fy box devoted to blue-wings.

Chuck Stranahan

And the odd thing is, it’s best to leave that blue-winged olive box in your vest just about anywhere you fsh. They can turn up just about any time in other places, too.

Here on the Bitterroot the hatching cycles for blue-winged olives are typ ical; you’ll see a batch of them early, meaning pre-runof, from the time the water temperatures get close to ffty degrees until well into runof. By then fshing might be blown out, but you’ll still see few blue-winged olives in the air.

Pre-runof blue-wings

I remember a day when three mid dle-ages sons were fshing with their elderly father during the skwala hatch. There were some success and some so-so fshing.

On the last day of their trip, we drifted into run we called the hog trough.

As we foated into the run I hol lered to the other guide: “Pull out! They’re on blue-wings.” We replaced the 3X and #8 dry-dropper combina tions with 6X and blue-winged olive parachutes.

That afternoon was glorious. The old man, who didn’t make it out in

subsequent years, caught the biggest trout of his lifetime – a deep-bellied 5 ½ pound rainbow.

After runof, until the water tem peratures rise into the mid-ffties, and that might take a while, you’ll still see blue-winged olives.

And what if the glamour hatch doesn’t come of, especially on a cloudy day? You’ll still see bluewinged olives as an underlayment or an alternative, and it’s best not to ignore them.

Blue-wings in autumn

For me, the recurrence of bluewinged olives every fall is my favorite time to fsh them. By then the water is low and clear.

That means more fshable water at hand and lots of bugs, which makes things easy, but you have to dial in your approach and presentation, and that can be a challenge. Blue-winged olives demand that you do things right – it isn’t stupid fshing.

They hatch during the middle of the day and the trout can switch from one stage of the hatch to another with out notice. You have to be observant, and have the right kind of fies along to score.

Fish the right stage of the hatch

When a blue-winged olive hatch is on full swing, the trout might key on the most easily captured stage of the hatch. Very often, that will be when the nymphs are just a couple of inches under the water, and the trout can easily slurp one after another in what

looks like surfaces rises. They don’t have to work as hard as when taking fies of the surface and they don’t show their snouts – only their rolling dorsal fns and backs.

er without it.

“Fish it just as you would a dry fy, even though you can’t see it.” I told him. “Strike the dorsal roll or a boil where your fy might be.” He did. He

That’s what a friend of mine saw two days in a row. After the frst day he said, “Chuck, there were good-sized fsh rising for about two hours – I tried everything and went fshless.” He was frustrated, and a little down.

A little gentle cross-examination revealed that he was seeing dorsals, but didn’t recall seeing noses or the telltale bubble that marks a for-sure surface take.

I equipped him with a little #16 fy I call the Turkey Baetis – an unweight ed nymph designed for this stage of the blue-winged olive hatch. It has since proved so efective that I’m nev

connected.

The following day he was back. I don’t recall his exact words – they were delivered rapid-fre as soon as he got of the river. I do recall a complete turnaround from the previous day – lots of fsh in the sixteen-inch-andup range landed, one that went over twenty inches and three pounds, and a few others that broke of.

That little Turkey Baetis is too plain, too obscure to ever be a best seller in a fy shop, (anglers prefer gaudier fies) but for some of us, it’s a secret weapon.

A secret weapon during the blue-winged olive hatch, the Turkey Baetis. Chuck Stranahan photo.

Real

Solutions

Rocky Mountain Bank commercial card program ranked by Nilson Report

Rocky Mountain Bank, a member of Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLF) that operates under the brand name HTLF, continues to dis play consistent strength in the commercial payments space. Nilson Report ranked HTLF among the top U.S. commercial credit card issuers for the seventh year in a row.

HTLF saw a 48 percent increase in purchase volume growth and ranked 31st overall among purchasing and feet card issuers, an improvement from 36th in 2020. Nilson Report ranking refects HTLF’s innovative approach to digital technology products and providing excellent customer edu cation and experiences.

“Companies can im prove cash fow, manage expenses and reduce payment fraud by part nering with us. We help businesses defne and implement a compre hensive payments strat egy,” said Tod Peterson, President and CEO of Rocky Mountain Bank.

“With our suite of payment solutions including integrated payables, virtual card and contactless cards, Rocky Mountain Bank is helping clients stream line their AP process, optimize working capital and create a recurring revenue stream.”

Also this year, HTLF was again recognized by Forbes as one of “America’s Best Banks,” earning its best ranking

yet of #28 amongst a nationwide group of 100 leading banking orga nizations with assets ranging from $9 billion to over $2 trillion.

For 50 years, Nil son Report has been a respected source of payments industry news and market insight.

Nilson analyzes and reports on the perfor mance of hundreds of credit, debit and prepaid card issuers, transaction acquirers and technol ogy vendors with an unbiased perspective.

Rocky Mountain Bank, a subsidiary of HTLF, (NASDAQ: HTLF), is a communi ty-invested bank with $720 million in assets.

Rocky Mountain Bank is headquartered in Billings, Montana, with ofces in Stevensville, Bigfork, Bozeman, Kalis pell, Plains, Plentywood, and Whitehall, and a focus on commercial

and personal lending, and deposit services.

Rocky Mountain Bank is a Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender. For more information, visit www.rmbank.com.

Heartland Financial USA, Inc., operating under the brand name HTLF, is a fnancial services company with assets of $19.2 billion.

HTLF’s banks serve communities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Texas and Wiscon sin.

HTLF is committed to its core commercial business, supported by a strong retail operation, and provides a diversi fed line of fnancial ser vices including treasury management, wealth management, invest ments and residential mortgage. Additional information is available at www.htlf.com

2022 STATE OF MON

SURPLUS PROPER TY AUCTION – Helena, MT.

bidding opens on Sept. 17 and

on Oct.

pateauction.com

nouncement and application procedures, click on: https:// jobs.montana.edu/hr/post ings/31185 Equal Opportuni ty Employer, Veterans

ELECTRICIAN (JOUR NEYMAN) FACILITIES SERVICES/MONTANA

STATE UNIVERSITY –BOZEMAN. For complete job announcement and application procedures, click on: https://jobs.montana. edu/hr/postings/29373.

Equal Opportunity Employer, Veterans/Disabled

IRRIGATION TECHNI

GRAPES AND APPLIES for sale. Organic and tree-ripened. Hamilton. $1.00/lb. 406-369-3212.

HOUSE FOR SALE BY OWNER. OWNER WILL FI NANCE. Hamilton. For more info: (406) 396-8098, (406) 369-8288.

.300 WEATHERBY MAG. MARK V. MADE IN PASO ROBLES CALI FORNIA. ACCUWEATHER SPORT. RMEF EDITION NUMBERED 95 OF 425. CEROKOTE GREY. NEW WITH BOX. $1300.00 FIRM. (406) 258-8510.

CIAN FACILITIES SER VICES/MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY – BOZEMAN. For complete job announce ment and application procedures, click on: https:// jobs.montana.edu/post ings/30022 Equal Oppor tunity Employer, Veterans/ Disabled

LABORER/EQUIPMENT OPERATOR I. **RECENT

WAGE INCREASE** FA

CILITIES SERVICES/MON TANA STATE UNIVERSITY – BOZEMAN. For complete job announcement and ap plication procedures, click on: https://jobs.montana. edu/postings/30105. Equal Opportunity Employer, Veter ans/Disabled

MAIL CLERK/CARRIER

Opportunity Employer, Veter ans/Disabled

MAINTENANCE PAINT

ER FACILITIES SERVICES/ MONTANA STATE UNI VERSITY - BOZEMAN. For complete job announcement and application procedures, click on: https://jobs.mon tana.edu/postings/30461. Equal Opportunity Employer, Veterans/Disabled

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES MANAGER FA CILITIES SERVICES/MON TANA STATE UNIVERSITY - BOZEMAN. For complete job announcement and ap plication procedures, click on: https://jobs.montana. edu/postings/30607. Equal Opportunity Employer, Veter ans/Disabled

JOURNEYMAN CARPENTER FACILITIES SERVICES/MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITYBOZEMAN. For complete job announcement and application procedures, click on: https://jobs.montana. edu/postings/30789. Equal Opportunity Employer, Veter ans/Disabled

Disabled

PROJECT MANAGER

**UPDATED SALARY**

Planning, Design & Con struction/Montana State University – Bozeman. For complete job announcement and application procedures, click on: https://jobs.mon tana.edu/hr/postings/28323.

Equal Opportunity Employer, Veterans/Disabled

BUDGET ANALYST II **UPDATED SALARY**. Facilities Services/Mon tana State University –Bozeman. For complete job announcement and appli cation procedures, click on: https://jobs.montana.edu/ hr/postings/30611. Equal Opportunity Employer, Veter ans/Disabled

is in central Wyoming. A background in agriculture, fnance, and personnel management is desired.

Deadline is October 22nd.

Send resume to: Larry Fuller, 5213 Shoal Drive, Bismarck ND 58503, or Email: larry. fuller@midco.net

EXTENSION AGENT, FT. BELKNAP RESERVA

TION, MSU EXTENSION.

Full time. Will assess local community needs, then develop, implement, and evaluate Extension program ming to meet those needs. Excellent positions with outstanding benefts. Com plete info and application instructions at msuexten sion.org, click on “careers.” Equal Opportunity Employer, Veterans/Disabled.

WANTED:

406 381-7186.

EMPLOYMENT OP PORTUNITY: DISTRICT CLERK FOR BITTER ROOT VALLEY COMMU NITY COLLEGE. For full job announcement visit bvcommunitycollege.org or

bvcommunitycollege.org . Applications due Wed, Oct 12, 2022.

LOCKSMITH FACILI TIES SERVICES/MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY – BOZ EMAN. For complete job an

I FACILITIES SERVICES/ MONTANA STATE UNI VERSITY - BOZEMAN. For complete job announcement and application procedures, click on: https://jobs.mon tana.edu/hr/postings/30400. Equal Opportunity Employer, Veterans/Disabled

CUSTODIAN I FACILI TIES SERVICES/MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITYBOZEMAN. For complete job announcement and application procedures, click on: https://jobs.montana. edu/postings/29525. Equal

CUSTODIAN SUPERVI SOR I FACILITIES SER VICES/MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY - BOZEMAN. For complete job announce ment and application procedures, click on: https:// jobs.montana.edu/post ings/30799. Equal Opportu nity Employer.

HVAC MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN – AIR CONDI TIONING/REFRIGERATION **UPDATED** Facilities Services/Montana State University – Bozeman. For complete job announce ment and application procedures, click on: https:// jobs.montana.edu/hr/post ings/28193. Equal Oppor tunity Employer, Veterans/

FACILITIES ENGINEER ENGINEERING & UTILI TIES/MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY – BOZEMAN

For complete job announce ment and application procedures, click on: https:// jobs.montana.edu/post ings/32010 Equal Oppor tunity Employer, Veterans/ Disabled

BIGHORN COOP ERATIVE, OF Greybull

WY is seeking a qualifed CEO/General Manager. A multi-location Energy, Agronomy, Grain, and retail cooperative with sales of $80 million. This fnan cially sound cooperative

SPRINKLER BLOWOUTS. Starting October 1st. Call to schedule. ALL SEASON LAWN - 406-5290465, 406-381-3106.

DETAILED, THOR OUGH, and routine house cleaning services available in local Bitterroot Valley. Please call 406)285-8809 for a free estimate.

for the Bitterroot Star?

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED at Pantry Partners Food Bank in Stevensville. Shifts are 10 AM-2:30 PM Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Call Dawn, 406-360-4637 or 406777-0351.

Legals

Montana 21st Judicial Dis trict Court, Ravalli County

In the Matter of the

Name Change of Sheryl Aileen Hurless, Sheryl Aileen Hurless, Petitioner Cause No.: DV-22-328 Dept. No.: 1 Howard F. Recht

NOTICE OF HEARING ON NAME CHANGE

This is notice that Petition er has asked the District Court for a change of name from Sheryl Aileen Hurless to Sheryl Aileen Round.

The hearing will be on Oc tober 19, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the court house in Ravalli County.

DATED this 1st day of September, 2022.

Paige Trautwein

Clerk of Court

BY: Catherine di Gleria

Deputy Clerk of Court

BS 9-14, 9-21, 9-28, 105-22.

David Markette MARKETTE & CHOUI NARD, P.C. 601 S. First Street P.O. Box 515 Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 363-1110 DavidM@mcpcattorneys.

com Attorneys for Petitioner MONTANA TWEN TY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY

In the Matter of the Es tate of ROBERT WALTER HEWITT, Deceased.

Probate No. DP-22-105 Dept. No. 1

NOTICE TO CREDI TORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed as Personal Representative of the abovenamed estate. All persons hav ing claims against the decedent are required to present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the frst pub lication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.

Claims must either be mailed to Kevin Reed, the Per sonal Representative, in care of MARKETTE & CHOUINARD, P.C., 601 S. First Street, P.O.

Box 515, Hamilton, Montana 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 fore going is true and correct.

DATED this 31st day of August, 2022.

/s/ Kevin Reed MARKETTE & CHOUI NARD, P.C.

By: David Markette Attorney for Personal Representative BS 9-21, 9-28, 10-5-22.

Naomi J. Cheeney Cheeney Law, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840

Phone: (406) 363-9060

Attorney for Personal Representative MONTANA TWEN TY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF LORI HEATLEY DRAPER, De ceased.

Case No.: DP-22-107 Dept. No. 1

NOTICE TO CREDI TORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the abovenamed Estate. All persons hav ing claims against the Decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.

Claims must either be mailed to Stuart Draper, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law, PLLC, PO Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court.

DATED this 12th day of September 2022.

/s/ Stuart Draper, Personal Representative BS 9-28, 10-5, 10-12-22.

Naomi J. Cheeney Cheeney Law, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840

Phone: (406) 363-9060

Attorney for Personal Representative MONTANA TWEN TY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT D. EMBESI, Deceased.

Case No.: DP-22-109 Dept. No. 1

NOTICE TO CREDI TORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the abovenamed Estate. All persons hav ing claims against the Decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.

Claims must either be mailed to Anthony Embesi, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law, PLLC, PO Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court.

DATED this 16th day of September 2022.

/s/ Anthony Embesi, Per sonal Representative BS 9-21, 9-28, 10-5-22.

Montana 21st Judicial Dis trict Court, Ravalli County

In the Matter of the Name Change of of Lindsey Elizabeth Knight, Lindsey Elizabeth Knight, Petitioner

Cause No.: DV-22-347 Dept. No.: 2

NOTICE OF HEARING ON NAME CHANGE

This is notice that Petition er has asked the District Court for a change of name from Lindsey Elizabeth Knight to Lindsey Elizabeth Fite.

The hearing will be on November 3, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the courthouse in Ravalli County.

DATED this 20th day of September, 2022.

Paige Trautwein Clerk of Court

BY: Catherine di Gleria

Deputy Clerk of Court BS 9-28, 10-5, 10-12, 1019-22.

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

THURSDAY, OCTO BER 13, 2022, 7:00 PM

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Stevensville Town Council will hold a public meeting on Thursday, October 13, 2022, 7:00 pm at the Town Hall, 206 Buck Street, Stevensville, MT 59870 for the purpose of requesting a rephase of Phase 3 of the Twin Creeks subdivision to reduce the number of building lots.

Comments can be made at the public meeting orally, in writing via email to jenelle@ townofstevensville.com< mailto:jenelle@townofste vensville.com> or by mail to Town of Stevensville, PO Box 30, Stevensville, MT 59870. Questions, comments or more information may be obtained by contacting the Town Clerk at 406-777-5271.

Attest: Jenelle Berthoud, Town Clerk BS 9-28, 10-5-22

Naomi J. Cheeney Cheeney Law, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840

Phone: (406) 363-9060 Attorney for Personal Representative MONTANA TWEN TY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF CLAU DIA MARIE COX, De ceased.

Case No.: DP-22-112 Dept. No. 2

NOTICE TO CREDI TORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the abovenamed Estate. All persons hav ing claims against the Decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.

Claims must either be mailed to Tracy Ann Marie Baugh, the Personal Represen tative, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law, PLLC, PO Box

212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court.

DATED this 27th day of September 2022.

/s/ Tracy Ann Marie Baugh, Personal Representa tive BS 10-5, 10-12, 10-19-22.

Naomi J. Cheeney Cheeney Law, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840

Phone: (406) 363-9060 Attorney for Personal Representative

MONTANA TWEN TY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF LARRY BURTON ROHLFS, De ceased.

Case No.: DP-22-115 Dept. No. 1 NOTICE TO CREDI TORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the abovenamed Estate. All persons hav ing claims against the Decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.

Claims must either be mailed to Robert Leroy Rohlfs, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law, PLLC, PO Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court.

DATED this 29th day of September 2022.

/s/ Robert Leroy Rohlfs, Personal Representative BS 10-5, 10-12, 10-19-22.

PUBLIC COMMENT

SOUGHT

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) invites public review of its proposal to pur chase a conservation easement (CE) on the Hackett Ranch, to be known as the Sweathouse Creek Conservation Easement. The proposed CE is located approximately 3.5 miles west of Victor in Ravalli County in

west-central Montana. The Sweathouse Creek CE would protect and enhance critical winter range for elk and deer as well as an important spring calving area for elk. The CE also encompasses portions of Sweathouse Creek and Gash Creek and their associated ri parian areas, benefting native fsh and other aquatic resourc es. The CE would support a diversity of game species and many nongame species, includ ing state-identifed Species of Concern, while precluding sub division and development. The property would be managed for agricultural production as well as fsh and wildlife habitat in partnership with the landown ers and FWP biologists. The Sweathouse Creek CE would also secure and improve public recreational access and oppor tunities in the area. The project is proposed to be funded by Pittman-Robertson Act funds, FWP’s Habitat Montana Fund, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife As sociation, landowner donated value, and potentially through the Ravalli County Open Lands Bond (funding request in process).

A draft environmental assessment (EA) has been pre pared describing this proposal. The EA may be obtained by mail from Region 2 FWP, 3201 Spurgin Rd., Missoula 59804; by phoning 406-542-5551; by emailing torrey.ritter@mt.gov; or by viewing FWP’s Internet website http://fwp.mt.gov (“News,” then “News and Public Notices,” then “News Releases”).

Comments may be made online on the EA’s webpage or may be directed to Torrey Ritter at the mail or email ad dresses above. Comments must be received by FWP no later than November 4, 2022.

FWP will hold a public hearing in Stevensville on October 24, 2022 (Monday) at 5:30 p.m. at the North Valley Public Library (208 Main Street) to discuss the proposal, answer questions, and take public comment.

BS 10-5-22.