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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!”
t s e B e h ‘T
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First Interstate Buildings Ravalli Co. Fairgrounds
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Doll Collection, Tools, Antiques, Collectibles, Vintage Clothes & Hats, Great Christmas Gift Sale!
For info call Mike (520) 990-9658 • swansonsestatesales.com
Volume XXXIV, Number 19
Holidays are here!
Established 1985 - Locally owned & independent
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Meeting set to discuss security cameras for Stevensville park By Michael Howell
A joint meeting of the Stevensville Town Council and the town’s Park Board has been set for Thursday, November 29 at Town Hall to discuss and possibly agree to implement the installation of a 10-camera security system at Lewis and Clark Park. Last September, local business owner Cathi Cook offered to donate up to $5,000 for installation of a security camera system at the park if the town would agree to its installation by the end of the year. Since that time Cook has worked with Moore Technologies to put together a plan and quote for 10 cameras. The cost of the entire installation is $8,300. In the meantime, Town
Hundreds of people turned out for the annual Tree Lighting and Holiday Stroll last Friday sponsored by the Hamilton Downtown Association. The event kicks off the holiday season in Hamilton. Coming up in December you can “Follow the Sheep Trail” with the drawing held on December 22 at Chapter 1 Bookstore where you can also visit with The Grinch! A Jingle Bell Scavenger Hunt will take place Decembe 1st through December 24th. For more information visit hamiltondowntownassociation.org. Victoria Howell photo.
Council members at a recent workshop agreed to utilize a problem-solving model for its decision making process. In order to do that town staff determined that more specific information about the proposed camera system was required. Although Jay Moore, owner of Moore Technologies, indicated to the staff that the information would be provided, it was not made available in time for their report. According to the staff report, the questions that should be answered about the system include: specifications, lighting, video storage capacity, video quality, black/white vs. color, resolution, wired vs. wireless, weather resistance (heat, humidity, cold sensors), motion activated,
Wi-Fi capabilities, service fees, cost of maintenance, cost of repair and replacement, details of poles and heights, color, mounting of cameras, visibility of cameras, etc. Other considerations include the personnel costs and expectations. The staff notes that other solutions should also be considered such as modifying park hours and ensuring that the gate is closed; possible installation of a new security gate that slides; installation of additional exterior lighting; instituting a Community Crime Watch program; use of graffiti repelling paint; a combined citizen/officer patrol program; and better signage. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 29 at the town hall.
Map showing the proposed placement of 10 security cameras in Lewis and Clark Park in Stevensville.
Valley’s food banks channel residents’ generous spirit By Christin Rzasa
The holiday season is the time of the year when being in need is most keenly felt by those in difficult financial circumstances. Fortunately, this is also the time of year when the folks in the Bitterroot Valley show just how generous a people we are. A wide variety of local organizations offer free Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for residents who don’t have the means for preparing a holiday meal, the ingredients for which can be
prohibitively expensive. For those who do have the facility and the desire to do the cooking, there is a host of amazing volunteers – from Darby to Florence – working to make that holiday tradition a reality. Local affiliates of the Montana Foodbank Network labor yearround to ensure that “members of our community do not go to bed hungry,” as the mission statement of Stevensville’s Pantry Partners organization promises, offering clients “a hand up, not a handout.” While this facility works to aid residents of the northern end
of the Bitterroot, Haven House in Hamilton feeds folks from Victor Crossing south, and Darby Breadbox works with those in the Darby zip code. The demographics of the client-groups for each organization are surprisingly diverse and unique to each community. Karen Sanchez, Board President for Pantry Partners, has seen an increase in younger people experiencing difficulty providing enough food for their families. Her background in information technology gave her the skills to
Judy Williams, Manager and Director of Haven House food bank in Hamilton. Christin Rzasa photos.
create an excellent, informative and easy-to-use website (www. pantrypartnersfoodbank.org) so the group can reach those younger families. “You need more avenues to reach a younger generation of people in need today. They’re used to using technology – that’s how they communicate,” Sanchez said recently. She also voiced a desire to involve more young people in the Pantry Partners operation, which is run – like all three Montana Food Bank affiliates in the valley – entirely with volunteers,
Volunteer Ann Sheppard stocks shelves at the Darby Breadbox. working various shifts at the facility. A corps of 36 generous souls assist clients, stock shelves, and process donated food items. Other volunteers serve as “gleaners,” picking up donations from the local grocery stores (in Stevensville, both the Burnt Fork Market and Super 1 Foods contribute to the Pantry) as well as stores in Hamilton and The Good Food Store in Missoula. The organization has a budget of funds used to purchase foods at a very low cost from the Montana Food Bank to help keep their shelves stocked, and it takes many hands to unload the semi-trailer-load of supplies that arrive every six weeks. Sanchez praises her volunteers but adds that more are always needed and volunteering is just another form of generosity. “A lot of people have more time than money to give,” says Sanchez. “Sometimes we struggle to cover positions at the Pantry.”
The Pantry Partners facility at 3614 ALC Way, Stevensville, houses a beautiful walk-in freezer for donated meat, including wild game, and “The Porch” stocks baked goods from local bakeries, dairy items and fresh produce, donated in large part by local gardeners. The building is a hub of resources for folks in need. Besides providing once-a-month food boxes for their clients, they also offer information on various assistance programs, and they share the space with The Clothes Closet, a discrete organization which proffers recycled clothing, small kitchen equipment, and household linens. Up the valley in Hamilton, Judy Williams, Manager and Director of the Haven House Food Bank at 316 N. 3rd Street, #162, is also grateful for the loyal group of volunteers who work in three See FOOD BANKS, page 3