We sell
licenses
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID STEVENSVILLE MT PERMIT 89
• • 777-2822 • • 4039 HWY 93 N STEVENSVILLE
OUTLET STORE
For all your ammunition & Hunting needs
www.ammoandmorestore.com
Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!” – Established 1985 – Locally Owned & Independent
‘The Volume XXXVII, Number 12
’ ! l a c o L Best at Wednesday, October 6, 2021
www.bitterrootstar.com
Rite of Autumn
Public health asks for longterm care volunteers
“Mighty Mantis Mawkin,” located in front of Rocky Mountain Bank, took 1st place in the Business category as well as 1st place for Artistic Merit in the 15th annual Scarecrow Festival contest. “Coasting Into Halloween” took 2nd in Business and “Welcome to the Dog Park” took 3rd. “Room on the Broom” took 1st place in the Groups, Non-Profits, Families category, with “Jesus Loves the Little Children” taking 2nd and “Don’t Feed the Bears” taking 3rd. “Silenzio Bruno!” took 1st in the Kids category. “Nevermore” won 2nd place for Artistic Merit. In all, there were 37 entries in this year’s competition. Photo courtesty of Loey Knapp.
Ravalli County Public Health has issued a call for volunteers at the valley’s local long-term and assisted living facilities. Over the last few weeks the Public Health Department has received information from more local long-term and assisted living care facilities regarding a need for caregivers as well as other support services. According to Public Health, COVID is a contributing factor in that need. “With cases increasing daily, we have seen more cases in those facilities among staff and residents,” states the press release. “We are encouraging anyone interested in volunteering time, especially anyone with health care background that wants to get involved, to call your local long-term care or assisted living facilities to find out how you can help.” Public Health is also encouraging anyone interested in volunteering or providing services to sign up through Montana Healthcare, Mutual Aid System. MHMAS is a secure, web-based online registration system used to register, verify and credential volunteer health care professionals. The system is open to medical professionals as well as non-medical professionals looking for the opportunity to help respond to incidents. For more information visit: https://dphhs.mt.gov/ publichealth/phep/mhmas. In related news, the Montana Dept. of Health & Human Services has released a report that shows that unvaccinated people are five times more likely to be hospitalized and three times more likely to die from COVID-19. DPHHS officials are urging Montanans to get vaccinated. The best tool against serious illness from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated, according to the DPHHS findings.
Another gate on Hughes Creek Road by Michael Howell Another gate has been erected blocking public access on Hughes Creek Road located above Painted Rocks Reservoir on the West Fork. This one is adorned with a “Warning No Trespassing” sign which goes on to state, “You quite possibly could get shot or hurt and then try to sue resulting in a long drawn out court battle. You Will Lose. Because this sign will be ‘Exhibit A’.” Two non-profit
Warning sign on another gate that’s been put in place by landowners trying to stop public access on Hughes Creek Road up the West Fork above
organizations, Public Land and Water Access (PLWA) and Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association (RCFWA) informed the Ravalli County Commissioners about the new gate in a letter dated September 21 and gave the commissioners until October 16th to remove the obstructions. The letter, sent by the Goetz, Baldwin & Geddes law firm in Bozeman, requests that the gate and other obstructions be removed “immediately” as the law requires. The letter
states that the commissioners have known about the new obstruction since July 2021. “Ravalli County has known since July 2021 of the new gate as well as the felled trees obstructing the original roadbed beyond the new illegal gate (pictures enclosed). With all due respect, the two months that has elapsed has been more than enough time to develop a plan, comply with the law and have these obstructions removed. See GATE, page 4
Record year for county fair by Victoria Howell
The 2021 Ravalli County Fair is over, but the enthusiasm of fair manager Melissa Saville shows no signs of slowing down. Of course, Saville has a lot to be enthusiastic about. The fair posted recording breaking attendance and record-breaking revenue. This is Saville’s fourth year as manager, and her third year managing the fair, since it was cancelled last year due to COVID-19. The highest previous revenue record was $155,000 in 2016. Saville says this year the fair took in $165,000 in gate revenue. She said that the revenue doesn’t include the presale of gate passes throughout the summer, just the proceeds from the four days of the fair. Carnival ticket sales were up by about $56,000. Food vendor sales were up by 75%, due in part to
the fact that the carnival didn’t offer any food of its own this year because they couldn’t find enough workers. To address that, Saville expanded the “Lunch at the Fair” program where people could come and eat at the fair and get a gate pass refund if they left the fairgrounds by 2 p.m. Saville is continually trying to make improvements at the fair, to keep everything “fresh and new.” She said that the Tuesday concert was a great way to get things started. There was no gate fee on Tuesday and this gave fairgoers a “sneak peek” of vendors and food options. About 80% of those vendors chose to be open on Tuesday, even though the barns and building weren’t open. Saville said the vendors reported that they did really well on Tuesday. She also has worked on creating “fresh and new” promotions for the market vendors. The challenge,
she says, is “How do you create a wow moment but still maintain the country fair atmosphere?” To address that, she implemented a secret shopper program. The secret shopper judged the market vendor spaces to award a $250 prize to the most impressive display. This year’s winner was Montana Mountain Creations/Bitterroot Bling. There was also a similar program for the food vendors, with a secret taste shopper who came and tasted a featured item from each vendor. The winner of that competition was newcomer Double K Ranch, who won a trophy for “Best Fair Food.” Saville said that the vendors really “upped their tame this year,” with all sorts of new choices of food at the fair. She said they will continue to add more food vendors for next year, but she will
See FAIR, page 2