Bitterroot Star - February 28, 2024

OUTDOORS: organizations band together for youth adventures

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there. Powers expressed his excitement on how far their cooperation has come. From a humble start of one camp, the cooperation now sends kids to 22 diferent camps. According to another member of Montana Conservation Elders, Fred Upchurch, their frst year they sent around 20 kids. Now, they are able to send over 200 kids to camp across the state, and their goal is to send even more kids this coming year.

They partner with over 40 diferent organizations to do this, and work with kids between the ages of seven and 18. Most of these camps are between two and fve days long. “All those camps really add up to a lot of opportunities for those kids,” said Powers. One camp they are excited about is one hosted by Project ASCENT, an organization out of Thompson Falls that takes kids from across the state on week-long adventures, like backpacking and base camping. One of these Powers was most excited about was the group’s foat camp, which takes adventurers on kayaks, carrying their supplies down river, and camping along the way. According

to Powers, “We’ve never had a camp like that before!”

Due to eforts by the Montana Matters Youth Outdoor Experience cooperative, Project ASCENT is planning a camp to be hosted in the Bitterroot, said Powers. He said that shows how their eforts are helping other organizations grow and even to bring the eforts of those groups into the valley to give more opportunities and conservation education to local youth.

“That’s why we decided to do our own fundraiser,” said Manning, talking about all the opportunities they have provided for youth over the years. It all gets very expensive, and though some of these organizations host the camps for free to the youth, Like Project ASCENT, they still scramble every year for funding to equip and host the camps. Montana Matters has been fortunate to be able to help many camps like this continue to operate, but wants to do more. As Manning explained, the banquet they hold every year is huge in helping them continue this endeavor.

The banquet this year will take place Thursday, March 14 from 5 to 9 p.m.

WILDFIRE: Protection plan

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following the introduction of the new fre risk map, a number of meetings were held to consider it before the Core Team decided to recommend incorporating the new map into the CWPP.

Eric Sutherland, a member of the public, encouraged the commissioners to consider concentrating on the issue of reducing the threat of wildfre with new technology with mechanization and automation a prime focus in the process. He said he and others were developing new machinery to accomplish a more efcient and efective plan.

Another member of the public, Laura Jackson, asked the commissioners what

exactly had changed since the previous draft was under consideration.

Burrows said that just a couple of minor edits were done. One thing, he said, was more emphasis was placed on the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ).

“Unfortunately there was a lot of talk that turned into those tending to oppose forest management and forest projects interpreting the CWPP as an efort to increase the scope and pace of Forest Service projects,” said Burrows. “That was unfortunate, because I think we developed a WUI map that, from a risk standpoint and fuels standpoint, makes a lot of sense. I think we created a lot of goals and ob-

at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds. The group hopes to see more than the 200 people they budgeted for last year, and, just like last year, they are excited to announce that the food will again be provided by Mission Bistro.

According to volunteers working on the banquet, people are going to want to get their tickets soon. “They want to call us and get their tickets early because this is going to be a really awesome thing,” said Manning. Last year the event sold out prior to the banquet date.

This year, Manning is even more excited because they will be providing even more prizes, featuring several hunts including two African hunts. They will also have over a dozen frearms, an electric mountain bike, cash back prizes and giveaways. The event will feature a silent auction, a general rafe and four or fve diferent games with their own prizes.

Just like last year, many of their prizes and hunts are geared towards youth, and helping them explore the outdoors. Organizers encourage families to attend the banquet with their kids, and ask about the camps and opportunities

available to youth, both in the area and throughout the state.

Tickets for the banquet will be the same as last year, $50 for a single person, meal provided, and $100 for a couple. There are also table options available with seating for eight, ranging from $500-$1200. These table packages include prizes just for getting a table.

All the funding from the event goes into scholarships and youth oriented outdoor experiences, both through First Hunt Foundation and the numerous camps and organizations that partner with Montana Matters Youth Experience. These adventures are loaded with a variety of activities like hunting, fshing, backcountry horsemanship, trapping, backpacking, shooting, conservation and much more.

There are still sponsor and donation options available. For more information on those before the event, interested parties can call Manning at (406) 2141154. Tickets are available through the QR code on the event fyers and advertisements around the area. For reservations, interested parties can call (406) 273-7224.

chosen, after multiple drafts

jectives in the plan that make sense. HIZ’s are targeted, as well as prescribed burning and fuels reduction in the WUI. What the Forest Service does with it beyond that is up to them. They brought this risk map to us somewhat late in the game and we weren’t that familiar with it but when you see the best available science, which in my opinion is what’s out there, that wasn’t incorporated into our document, so it made sense to change that.”

“Is the 50% layer justifed in any sort of science?” said Burrows. “Not necessarily. Same as a 40% or 60% wouldn’t be. But I think Commissioner Huls said it best, If you have a better chance at a

fip of a coin impacting losing your property, from our standpoint that made a lot of sense. So that’s what we decided to go with.”

Burrows said the CWPP has some minor changes now that were put out for public comment but they are not signifcant. He said it was decided to leave a little bit of fexibility in the monitoring and updating requirements by removing any set dates so that the plan is not challenged in the future “just because we missed some deadline on timing intervals.”

Bruce Suenram, Chairman of the Board of the Hamilton Rural Fire District, said, “We support the current version of the CWPP. It gives us a bunch

of tools to protect those people that are in our WUI, that there are a signifcant amount of, and allows us to kind of focus on the HIZ and protect our homes and businesses.”

“There has been a lot of work done on this, a lot of interest and public comment that was reviewed and approved by the Core Team,” said Commissioner Greg Chilcott. “I really believe it’s what we intended, a grass roots process with a lot of transparency and public involvement. Our hopes were to make people safer and identify those areas of high risk and let people know where that is and provide some guidance for both the Forest Service and the fre agencies in the valley.”

Changes on horizon for Sapphire Community Health

by John Dowd

The Sapphire Community Health Center, in Hamilton, is undergoing some changes and the new CEO wants the Bitterroot community to be aware of them. These changes could beneft everyone, and are coming in the wake of the hire of new CEO Kelly Duncan and a new director of behavioral health, Evan Gimpel.

Duncan started late January, and has been in the medical feld for 17 years. Of that, she has been involved with community health centers, like the one in Hamilton, for eight years. This will be Duncan’s frst CEO position, and she is beyond excited.

“I really just wanted to fnd a position where I could lead a team to expand,” said Duncan. When looking into Sapphire Community Health, she noticed a lot of opportunities for growth and expansion. She also saw a close knit community, which she described as “the epitome of what a community health center is meant to serve.”

Duncan said she has “always been mission driven,” and has found a love for these types of care providers because, in her words, they “actually walk the talk.” To her, they often do this, regardless of the patient’s circumstances.

These community health centers are technically known as “patient centered medical homes,” said Duncan, and their mission is to meet patients where they are. They do this both fnancially and in the nature of the care they provide. There are only a few of them in the nation, and being nonprofits, what they are capable of doing is quite unique.

Sapphire Community Health can provide a variety of services that many community members may not be aware of, including psychiatric services, other forms of behavioral health services, addiction counseling, primary care and much more. They can also provide what Duncan referred to as “wrap-around services.” These can include things like transportation, translation, a sliding discount for underinsured patients, and they have in the works things like fnancial counseling.

“We look at the whole person, and not just the medical care,” said Duncan. “We’re here to work with people and their specifc circumstances.”

Along with that, Duncan also wanted to highlight the quality of the care they are able to provide, saying, “Many people may not understand those expectations, and think of it as just a cheaper form of care.” When speaking of these expectations, she elaborated,

attributing much of their quality care to the fact that these nonprofts are subject to more stringent monitoring and strict regulations. This is due to their non-proft status and status maintenance. Governing bodies often hold these centers to very high expectations because they are eligible to receive grants and other funding.

Sapphire Community Health is working to expand its already vast number of services to further provide for and address the unique needs of the area. Duncan believes these could grow into areas such as dental, vision or more, depending on needs assessments. “There are a whole host of things we could consider in the future,” said Duncan.

However, at the moment, their bread and butter is the two main sides of the Sapphire Community Health coin. These are primary care and behavioral health. According to Duncan, “We are in a unique position where those two can communicate about mutual patients.” With both services in-house, Duncan believes this helps the whole patient and makes each individual service better.

To speak further on this, the new Director of Integrated Behavioral Health, Evan Gimpel weighed in. Also a newcomer to the center, he previously worked with Trapper Creek

Job Corps in counseling, and started with Sapphire Community Health in early February. According to Gimpel, “The medical side traditionally does not have the time to go that deep into things.” The things he was referring to include lifestyle, home environment and more. He said having both services co-located in the same building allows them to reach across the aisle and work on the entire patient. “The outcomes are just way better when they are integrated.”

Echoing Gimpel’s comments, the director of the other side, Dr. Johanna Dreiling, the chief medical ofcer who oversees the primary care half of Sapphire Community Health, said, “We work together to take care of the whole patient, and working together we can get to the root of everything better.” Having mutual patients allows them to look at “things in the background,” that can afect how patients receive treatment in their lives, said Dreiling.

Moving forward to achieve the goal of better serving their patients, the team at Sapphire Community Health have some plans. For Gimpel, this comes down to explaining that this type of “integrated service” is even an option. They are going to work on training staf to perpetuate that possibility to patients. “Baby steps to get there, because it is clearly a better

way of treating people, but it’s still very new.” However, he believes they have a great team and it will progress naturally.

Duncan also spoke on ways to maintain this upwards trajectory. She believes a lot will come down to managing their various revenue streams wisely, which is already an important part of keeping a community health center in operation. Being more fexible with patients in turn means having to be smart about funding use and accumulation. “It comes down to managing our expenses well,” said Duncan.

However, Duncan was clear that in the end, “it’s not about working for a proft.” The organization is governed by a local board of community members. These people are unpaid volunteers, with the best interest of the community at heart. “We’re here for everybody, regardless,” said Duncan.

When asked how a person can become a patient, she explained that there are no preexisting conditions to worry about, or income qualifcations. “It’s actually quite easy,” said Duncan. The facility is open to anyone in the community, and Duncan added, “Just call!” Wait times for initial visits are about two to three weeks. Interested parties can call the center at (406) 5410032 or visit the website, sapphirechc. org.

Bitterroot Health earns ‘Top 100 Critical Access Hospital’ award

a unique lens through which we can identify innovation and inspiration for how to deliver high quality care to increasingly vulnerable populations,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health.

“During an era of profound uncertainty for rural healthcare, the Top 100 rural hospitals continue to provide

“We’re delighted to be able to recognize all this year’s Top 100 but especially the more than 40 frst-time recipients across both categories. It’s wonderful to see so many new facilities join the

ranks of our Top 100 alumni,” Topchik said. Now in its 14th year, the INDEX features a methodology utilizing publicly available data, and is leveraged nationwide by rural hospitals, health systems with rural afliates, hospital associations, and state ofces of rural health to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations and fnance.

“The Chartis recognition

is important to us because it’s one the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. This is testament to our team’s unwavering commitment to providing exceptional healthcare services to our community,” said John Bishop, Bitterroot Health CEO.

“It refects the hard work and dedication of our entire staf, from healthcare professionals to administrative personnel, to all support ser-

vices and teams, in ensuring the well-being, safety, quality and overall satisfaction of our patients,” Bishop said.

As Bitterroot Health celebrates this milestone, they remain committed to their mission of providing quality, accessible, and personalized healthcare, while ensuring every patient knows that they matter.

For more information about Bitterroot Health, visit www.bitterroothealth.org, or call (406) 375-4649.

CEO Kelly Duncan and a new director of behavioral health, Evan Gimpel, stand outside the Sapphire Community Health facility. Photo by John Dowd.

“I have a great deal of compassion with people,” said Mahar, “and know that there is a great deal of concern about what you say as to whether someone is ‘homeless’ or ‘housing insecure’ because a variety of issues may lead to someone not having a place to stay. So, I don’t mean to paint a picture that there is one specifc group that we are trying to help here.”

She said one reason that the issue has come into focus in the valley is that everyone has been working on borrowed time due to the work being done on a volunteer basis by Gary Locke in coordinating emergency shelter services in the county. Locke told the city in September that he was not going to be able to provide his ‘Warming Center’ services this coming winter.

This spurred Hamilton Mayor Dominic Farrenkopf to allocate time to provide a part time employee from the police department, a part time person from the law ofce as well as some time from the City Attorney herself to address the issue. Mahar said the frst thing they did was to begin compiling a list of available services. One service available is the 211 emergency phone number sponsored by the Human Resource Council that operates 24 hours a day and can connect people with several emergency services. These services include the Human Resource Council (HRC), the Salvation Army, local food pantries, SAFE, and some local churches which all together can provide emergency food, shelter and even showers. During the Covid crisis, she said there was a lot of money available providing vouchers for people to stay in local motels at a discounted rate, but that money is no longer available.

Without that money and with Gary Locke’s eforts being suspended, it was clear that something more was going to be needed in the community. This led to a recent meeting of concerned parties at the Corvallis Grange that included Locke, County Commissioner Dan Huls, representatives from the Salvation Army, Hamilton’s police chief and city attorney, and others, to

consider options.

It became clear, according to Mahar, that the frst thing needed was a clearer idea of what the true needs are in order to judge fairly what the scope of eforts needed to be in terms of facility and stafng. Mahar has also begun attending the Human Resource Council’s coalition that is looking at long term issues of afordable housing as well as short term emergency housing. As a result, the City has partnered with the HRC under a grant that runs through September to go toward updating the county’s emergency services list and keeping it current as well as implementing a short term emergency housing program. The City has also put up $5,000 in “seed money” to help maintain a program in Hamilton where they provide two nights in a motel and two more nights if you are involved with the service agencies talking and planning for more longterm solutions.

The HRC program also ofers other services such as fuel for people living in trailers and temporary port-a-potties. They have a Rapp Foundation grant to set up port-a-potty facilities for the winter and work together with the Salvation Army and SAFE in providing services.

Town Pump has also made a $10,000 charitable donation to the efort. The First Presbyterian Church has a freside room and kitchen that is temporarily being used as a ‘warming center’. Gary Locke has donated some cots and other materials and Bitterroot Laundry has laundered some sleeping bags and pillows. It serves as a warming center for one family at a time. The service, called the Sunrise Family Rescue, is free but only for night-time, not for day use. Two volunteers help manage the operation.

Mahar has put together a services list into a book that is being made available to all the agencies and services involved and is already being used by county employees.

Mayor Farrenkopf said that the City of Hamilton has no housing agency so partnering with the HRC has been benefcial to both. He invited the

County Commissioners to contribute some funds to the efort as well.

“But to what end?” asked Commissioner Jef Burrows. “It’s the same issue with mental health that we’ve got. You could shovel money in this hole forever and you’re never going to spend your way out of it.” He said long-term housing is a function of the market unless you are going to subsidize it or just fnd someone who wants to donate their house or property to it.

“I don’t know how you fx that,” said Burrows. “You could build a thousand more houses, but they are never going to be afordable here.” He said he hasn’t seen a successful model of subsidized housing.

Commissioner Greg Chilcott said that in the short term there are those that choose the homeless lifestyle and there are others that fall into it due to certain circumstances.

“But as far as employment goes, I just don’t see that,” said Chilcott. He said that he could see not being able to aford a house, “but if they are unemployed there are jobs in just about every block in this community.” He said if he was ever to subsidize something that employment would be a requirement.

Burrows added that there should be employment and drug and alcohol testing as well. “What I hear is the root cause is mental health. You try to fll that hole, then you try to get them short term housing with the goal of getting them long term. I just don’t see how we do it without a complete redistribution of wealth which is essentially what this is, it’s taking money from taxpayers and giving it to somebody else. We have people out there and they are not homeless but they are damn well close to it. So you take money from someone and give it to somebody else and what kind of a problem are you creating there? Our fxed income folks are on that cusp right now and if you hit them with another tax, we’ve seen the problem recently with three big tax increases.”

Mahar said that she could answer that in terms of what they were currently considering. She said there was the bigger housing thing, but it was not what they were “here about today.” She said it wasn’t about people trying to keep their homes. “This is not about the bottomless hole,” she said.

“In my mind,” said Mahar, “this is about diverting people out of the more expensive criminal justice system and diverting them into agencies that are devoted to addressing those issues. This specifc problem we have is about emergency temporary winter shelter in order to give a day or two for those agencies to get engaged. This is extremely limited and HRC knows that. So they have a four day maximum and you have to be engaged with one of these agencies.”

“So how many of these people seeking help have been incarcerated,” asked Burrows.

Farrenkopf said that when they started focusing on this problem they realized there are a lot of aspects to this. “We talked about drugs, about employment. We talked about, are these people just looking for a handout. But no matter what, we can’t completely ignore the problem and say that it doesn’t exist. I think by taking these minor steps we might fnd a long-term solution.”

“It is a problem we can’t ignore,” said Burrows, “but is it the government’s job to solve it?”

“It’s not the government’s job to subsidize,” said Farrenkopf, “but I do believe that we could contribute a little bit of money that will beneft the community. We have people trespassing. We had people building fres in the old Massa building to keep warm. We’ve had people shoplifting. It feels like if we could provide a little bit of service here it really could afect other things. So, for me, budgeting a little bit of money each year for something like this and working towards getting other entities to the point that they could better handle these things is worthwhile.”

Mahar said that the city council’s responsibilities in this regard is not the same as law enforcement. “The reality is that they are forced at times to interact with people who are intoxicated or people who can’t take care of themselves and just leave them there. That’s where the government’s responsibility comes in. You can talk to Sherif Holton or Police Chief Snavely about this. But I can assure you we are not intending for this to be a black hole and we are not intending for this to be anything beyond a one-time ask for the winter that remains.” She gave a few examples and said there has been some successes due to the recent focus.

Burrows said that this kind of thing was going to snowball and end up costing more and more. “I guess that this is kind of my cold, black soul that’s coming out now,” he said.

“I just think this is a way of doing a little bit right now without committing to a lot,” said Mahar.

Burrows replied that the kind of person that would set a fre in the old Massa building might not start one if provided with shelter. “But a few nights later, if it’s still cold, what would stop him?”

Farrenkopf said that the emergency help always includes connecting them to services that might address the individual’s problems.

Mahar added that there are always going to be people that you can’t help, but that there were a lot of others that could really beneft. “This is not a warm up to asking for more next year,” she said. “We are considering this seed money to get something good of the ground.”

Chilcott said it should probably go through the budget process.

Mahar said that of the 18 adults served so far this winter, she knew of six that had been incarcerated.

“I’d kick in money if it was used to ship people to a warmer place,” said Burrows. “I would do that honestly if the money was there to provide transportation to get somebody somewhere warmer. There’s no reason that somebody transient should be here trying to brave out the winter.”

Mahar said that the HRC, Salvation Army, or even SAFE would probably take funds to be used in that fashion.

The meeting ended with no action being taken on the request.

Holly Berner 406-239-4158

Sarah Armijo 406-396-4901

Sherri Williams 406-360-9207

Judy Porter

406-214-5718

Owner,

TouchPointProperties.com

Starting fre in the wet- how to survive getting soaked

Fire is one of the most important aspects of survival, no matter where you are in the world. However, especially in Montana during the early spring and late winter, achieving warmth can literally mean life and death. Nights still get dangerously cold, and warmer days lead to unstable ice and melting and refreezing of snow. All this lends to more water, and a higher chance of needing to start a fre in the wet.

A couple weeks ago, a man from Trout Creek fell through the ice while fshing. He was reported missing and subsequently found dead. Whether driving around, skiing, ice fshing or any number of activities, it is a good idea for people spending time outside to carry with them an understanding and the equipment to keep warm and start an emergency fre. There are also some tricks to come back from a deep soak that can save a person’s life.

whole time. Fortunately, we also had medical personnel on scene. The goal was to do everything we could to stay warm and return to a sustainable state. This is why our fre starting method was the ferro and steel wool technique, because it works, even after a good dunk.

by John Dowd

To start a fre, a person needs to collect thin high-surface-area tinder. This can be dry grass, scrapings of cedar bark, cotton balls or anything else loose and fammable. Then, a person should collect tiny twigs, and move up to larger sticks. I always recommend that people, like a good chef, collect all their ingredients ahead of time and place them within quick and easy access.

person needs to undress and get those wet clothes away from skin contact.

The new dry clothes should be put on immediately.

Obviously, if possible, a survivor must immediately call for help. This may not always be possible, and instead of hiking a long way out while soaking wet, if there is a way out, it may save a person’s life to take immediate actions. If said victim is not alone, they will need all the help they can get. Splitting tasks can hasten the time to complete all of the following steps to get someone warm again. Hypothermia is a simple concept. If the body’s internal temperature drops below its standard temperature of 98.6 degrees, even just a little, that person is in trouble.

One of my favorite ways to start fre in most climates is with a ferrocerium (ferro) rod and steel wool. Steel wool will light from sparks, even when wet, and a good ferro rod will throw a host of sparks no matter what. I did a training program many years ago where we went into the ice cold water with all our clothes and fre starting gear on us. Through the “ice-fall” training process, we were required to get ourselves out, strip down, make a fre and start drying clothes, while moving our bodies the

The user should shake of the excess water from the steel wool to use it. From there, an opened ball of the wool, about the size of a golf ball, is placed inside a bird’s nest of the tinder. Once a spark is struck into the nest, and the wool catches, it must be closed slightly and held up, as heat rises. Blowing into the wool will cause it to burn extremely hot. Once fame erupts, then it should be placed on a pre-made platform, keeping it of the wet or snowy ground. Twigs should be added, and then larger sticks, working up to small branches. After this, any wet clothes should be placed, open and hung on a tripod or other rack, high above the fre. This will quicken the drying process, and free a person’s hands to do other things to potentially save their life. A survivor should also remain alert not to burn their clothes with the fre.

Through that training process I mentioned, we learned a lot of valuable lessons, in addition to starting fre through shaking and sufering. These tips were meant to help accelerate recovery during one of these dire circumstances. The frst was that it is always a good idea to carry dry extra base layers, including socks, and to keep them in a waterproof container. These could be carried on the person, or even on shore, out of harm’s way. Once soaked through, either from sweat or an outside water source, a

Without access to a full set of dry clothes, the next best option is to dry the clothes a person has, which a person will want to do as fast as possible anyways. Luckily, in the really cold, thin layers can be set out and let to freeze, then shaken from the ice that forms. This can be done several times, ringing out and then being allowed to freeze. Thicker layers will need to dry through smoke, heat and air, as mentioned before.

Building a raging fre can also be dangerous, because when a person gets very cold, and hypothermic, feeling to the extremities begins to diminish. This means that a freezing person may not receive any sensations from their fngers or toes. It is common for people in these circumstances to burn their feet in the cold, from putting them too close to the fre.

Staying active, moving the body through exercises, jogging in place, doing push-ups and more can increase the body’s core temperature temporarily. If a person has access to a thermal blanket, they should wear this while they move, to help further trap any heat they create.

If there are dry blankets or towels available, then the person should get wrapped into those with the emergency blanket on the outside, to trap the most heat. Eventually, a lean-to may be need-

ed as a place for the person to lay inside. Making one can help keep up body heat. That inside space should be layered with another emergency blanket if there is one, with a lot of surface area facing the fre, to act like a sun-oven, refecting the heat around the inside of the shelter. Building the fre out, lengthwise, parallel to the shelter, will maximize the heat transfer as well, providing heat along the length of the person’s body.

If the person needs to be carried out, then it must happen quickly. In fact, at this point, evacuation is the best course of action, even if normality is somewhat achieved. Spending the night outdoors after a soaking event is extremely dangerous, and worth a whole other column at least.

This entire process of re-warming needs to happen as quickly as possible, and tough decisions need to be made. It can take as little as ten minutes for a person to fall into severe hypothermia. In very cold conditions, they can lose consciousness in as little as a half hour. Time is literally of the essence, but, long before that, a person will start forming delirium, confusion and loss of fne motor skills due to shivering. In rare cases, cold victims will do very odd things, including “burrowing” and “paradoxical undressing.” These very macabre actions shed light on man’s evolutionary history, and the minimal disconnect from our “animal instincts.” However, these strange actions are always followed by death. Stay warm out there.

Knife for striking, antler handled ferro rod and steel wool. Photo by John Dowd.

A bit of Bitterroot history

by Phil Lowell Connelly

Fort Fizzle was a temporary defensive structure constructed during the Nez Perce War of 1877. It was located south of present-day Missoula, Montana.

The Nez Perce War was a confict between the Nez Perce Native American tribe and the United States army. In 1877, a band of Nez Perce, led by Chief Joseph, sought to evade capture by U.S. forces and fnd refuge in Canada.

As the Nez Perce band approached the Lolo Trail near Lolo Creek, they encountered a small contingent of U.S. soldiers commanded by Captain Rawn. Recognizing that they were outnumbered and outgunned, Rawn decided to quickly construct a makeshift fortifcation to delay the Nez Perce and buy time for reinforcements to arrive.

The structure that was built was a crude log barricade across the Lolo Creek valley. It was intended to obstruct the Nez Perce’s progress and force them into a bottleneck where they could be more easily dealt with.

The Nez Perce however, recognized the situation and chose not to attack the fortifcation directly, instead, taking a detour around it.

This maneuver efectively bypassed Fort Fizzle, rendering it inefective as a defensive structure. The Nez Perce continued their journey towards Canada.

Fort Skalkaho was a 19th-century trading post and military outpost located in Ravalli County. It played a signifcant role in the history of the Montana Territory during a period

of intense confict between Native American tribes and settlers. Fort Skalkaho was established in the mid-1860s by Granville Stuart, a prominent fgure in Montana’s early history. It was located near the confuence of Skalkaho Creek and the Bitterroot River.

During this period, Montana was a hotbed of confict between Native American tribes (including the Nez Perce, Shoshone, and others) and settlers, as they vied for control of the land and resources.

Fort Skalkaho was situated in an area where these tensions were particularly high. It played a role in both trade negotiations and defense against potential hostilities. The fort was used for a relatively short period of time, and as conficts in the region evolved, it became less strategically signifcant. By the 1870s, it had largely been abandoned. Today, there are no remaining physical structures of the fort.

When news reached the valley that Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe were on retreat from Idaho and headed for the Bitterroot Valley, there was great agitation and fearful emotions. The situation was not to be easily dismissed since the Battle of the Little Big Horn with its appalling results had just been fought the summer before and was an all too vivid memory.

Fort Owen was already in existence, needing but few repairs to make it suitable for habitation by threatened settlers.

The summer of 1877 saw other activity in hastily erected forts at Corvallis, referred to as “Fort Skedaddle” and another fort, Fort Skalkaho. As soon as the forts were fnished, the settlers lost no time getting inside the gates. After several encounters, the fnal battle of the Nez Perce took place just 40 miles south of the Canadian border from Sep 30 to Oct 5 (which they lost).

Hamilton farm gets Growth Through Agriculture grant

Director Christy Clark and the Agriculture Development Council announced recipients of the state’s $818,954 investment in innovative, value-added agriculture projects through the Montana Department of Agriculture’s Growth Through Agriculture (GTA) program.

Homestead Organics Farm in Hamilton was awarded a $14,485 grant to upgrade their wholesale commercial kitchen to make it safer, more efcient, and user-friendly to existing and emerging small food entrepreneurs.

From Plevna to Kalispell, a total of 22 agricultural businesses throughout the state were awarded funds to advance Montana’s agricultural economy.

“Year after year, MDA’s Growth Through Agriculture program focuses on giving our agricultural businesses the opportunity to grow and expand in order to add more value to their product and improve their bottom lines,” Montana Director of Agriculture Christy Clark said. “The Department of Agriculture is proud to invest in these innovative projects that will add value to Montana agriculture as well as contribute to economic development and local communities.”

– Big Timber $50,000 grant and $25,000 loan “Yellowstone Soup Co Facility and Market Expansion”

Big Sky Butcher LLC –Glendive

$50,000 grant “Big Sky Butcher LLC: Expansion for Inspection Project”

Farming Logistics LLC –Kalispell $41,616 grant “Business Expansion through improvements of our current hops facilities and practices”

County Rail Farm dba Field Five Flower – Huson $18,000 grant “Tulip Program Expansion at County Rail Farm + Field Five Flowers”

Horizon Biologics LLC –Bozeman $41,500 grant “Expansion of production capacity for bovine amniotic fuid products”

Eden Feeds – Great Falls $50,000 grant “Feed Manufacturing Equipment to Increase Production and Create a Safer Work Environment”

Crooked Yard Hops –Bozeman $10,860 grant “Hop Production Facility Infrastructure and Safety Improvements”

Skattum Dairy and Ranch – Livingston

$50,000 grant and $16,675 loan “Skattum Dairy Expansion to meet market demand for Montana made milk”

HELPING EMPLOYERS WITH OUR SERVICES!

406-363-7668

The GTA program was established by the Montana Legislature in 1987 to strengthen and diversify Montana’s agriculture industry through development of new agricultural products and processes.

The GTA program ofers funding in the form of a grant or loan or both and funding is determined by a seven member Agriculture Development Council (Council) during scheduled meetings.

The Council members are appointed by the Governor. Growth Through Agriculture funding requires the investment of at least a $1 in matching funds for every $1 in program grant or loan assistance received.

Other awardees include:

Farmer Boy Eggs

– Drummond $18,200 grant “Farmer Boy Eggs Equipment Upgrades”

Old Salt Meat Company – Helena $50,000 grant “Growing Montana Value-Added Meat Products”

Bruce Seed Farm – Townsend $25,000 “Seed Processing Facility”

Glacier Processing Cooperative –Kalispell $50,000 grant “Glacier Processing Cooperative Equipment and Efciency Improvement Project”

New England Chowder LLC dba Yellowstone Soup Co

Speedy & Flo’s Sweet Corn – Hardin

$50,000 grant “Greenhouse Expansion in Big Horn County”

Taste of Paradise LLC –Livingston

$40,000 grant “Taste of Paradise, converting a Grade-A cattle dairy to an independent creamery for the production of cheese and ice cream in Livingston, MT. Adding dairy goats to the line of production for a combination of milk allowing for a unique product.”

Pelz MT LLC – Missoula

$25,000 grant “Machine for Mass Production of Local Montana Pelmeni Dumplings”

ZEGO – San Francisco (Belgrade)

$25,000 grant “Building a collaborative, vertically integrated value chain for Montana-grown, gluten-free specialty grains in Belgrade, MT”

Eagles Acres LLC – St Ignatius

$7,370 grant “Pastured Poultry Expansion”

Lame Jones Meats – Plevna

$35,250 grant “Cooler Expansion – GTA”

Schmitt Organic Farms –Wolf Point

$50,000 grant “Vertical Integration of Organic Grain Processing”

Yellowstone Pasta Company – Billings

$49,998 grant “Expansion of Yellowstone Pasta Company in both regional distribution and addition of employees”

Gally’s Brewing Company – Harlowton

$25,000 grant “Addition of Distilling Operations to Gally’s Brewing LLC”

The Montana Department of Agriculture is serving Montana Agriculture and growing prosperity under the Big Sky. For more information on department programs and services, visit agr.mt.gov.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Calendar continued

Montanans for Life

Montanans for Life will hold their monthly meeting on the frst Thursday of every month at 6PM at More to Come Fellowship, 330 3rd Ave., Victor. For more information call (406) 407-1254.

Stevi Tax-Aide

AARP Tax-Aide will be ofering free tax preparation services for low to moderate income taxpayers of all ages. Tax preparation is held at the Stevensville Senior Center on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. The Senior Center WILL NOT schedule those appointments. Call 406-201-5734, leave your name and phone number, and a volunteer will call back to schedule your appointment.

Florence American Legion

Florence American Legion Post 134 is having a free pancake breakfast on the frst Saturday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Florence Rural Fire Hall.

North Valley Dems

Join the North Valley Democrats for “Politics and Pals” on Thursdays from 5 to about 7 p.m. at Fireside Pizza, 3885 North U.S. 93. This is due west of the Stevensville Super 1, on the southbound side of the highway. Meeting room is in the back of the restaurant. Check RavDems.com or fnd them on Facebook for info and or changes. The newsletter is at RavDems.com/newsletter.

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.

NV Library events

The Steampunk Genre…and Craft!

– Thursday, Feb. 29 at 6pm

Ready to break out of your reading or movie-viewing rut and try a new genre? Travel the gas-lamp lit alleyways of a Victorian era London that never was, or fy through the ether aboard an airship, all made possible by the Steampunk genre. Related to but distinct from science fction, with some historical fction, fantasy, and mystery stirred in, steampunk is a popular genre of literature, flm, and art that combines retrofuturistic technology and modern dilemmas with Industrial

Age machinery and aesthetics. This interactive program concludes with a steampunk craft. Registration required.

Art for Kids ages 5-10 – Monday, March 4 at 4:30pm

Calling all crafty kids! Join in this artsy fun program. Lone Rock Kindergarten teacher Crystal Grant presents creative activities. Whether it is painting, drawing, making card, or mobiles, you’ll go home with a handmade treasure in this hand-on learning program. Today we will make a mixed media wreath in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Science Squad for ages 8-12 –Wednesday, March 6 at 2:30pm

Explore the universe, both micro and macro, and learn the science mysteries behind the natural world. Expect fun activities with Legos®, paper planes, experiments, and more.

Fiber Arts Club – Thursday, March 7 at 12pm

Do you enjoy knitting or crocheting, embroidery, hand sewing, or quilting? Bring your work-in-progress, problem piece, or brand-new pattern and enjoy the company of like-minded crafters during this informal Fiber Arts Club. There will be no presenter or expert teacher but rather a cozy place to gather, tea, and a community of yarn and fber artists like yourself. All experience levels welcome. Club is held the frst Thursday of every month from 12-1:30pm in the Community Room.

Square dance lessons

Solo Starts winter square dancing lessons and dances will be held at the Lolo Community Center starting in January. Lessons are from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.; dances 7:45 to 9 p.m. on select Fridays. For cost, dates and information, contact Butch Suttey, 208-5030551 or Tim Casey, 406-218-8677.

Accordion Club

The Accordion Club will hold music jams at the Missoula Senior Center from 1 to 4 p.m. on the following dates:

February 11th and 25th

March 10th and 24th

April 14th

April 28th, Annual Meeting, 12-4 p.m.

May 12th, Mother’s Day

Everyone is welcome. $6 fee at the door. Polka, swing, waltz and 2-step dances. Good dance music and fun for all. For more info, contact Helen Steele, 406-369-1839.

Our Savior Lutheran events

Our Savior Lutheran Church and Preschool invite friends and neighbors to Lenten services to prepare for Good Friday and the joys of Easter through scripture readings, meditation, prayer and song.

Lenten services start on Thursday, February 15th. Lenten Matins services will meet every Thursday at 9 am. Lenten evening services at 7 pm, preceded by Soup and Whatever Suppers at 6:15. Join us, with or without food to share, to make church fellowship less complicated after work.

The Holy Week service schedule follows. Please note, no suppers are shared during this period. On both Good Friday and on Easter, each service is diferent.

Palm Sunday service —March 24 at 9 am.

Holy Wednesday—27th at 7 pm.

Maundy Thursday—28th at 7:30 pm.

Good Friday—29th at 3 and 7:30 pm.

Easter Vigil — Saturday the 30th at 7:30 pm.

Easter day services—7 am and 10 am, with breakfast in between services. Our Savior, afliated with the Lutheran Church––Missouri Synod, is located at 184 Pine Hollow Road, south of Stevensville of the Eastside Highway. Call 406-777-5625 Monday through Thursday mornings for more information.

Bitterroot Quilters Guild

Bitterroot Quilters Guild will meet on Wednesday, February 28 at Daly Leach Community Room, 1010 W Main, Hamilton. Doors open at 6 pm for socializing and shopping; the meeting will come to order at 6:30. Carpooling is recommended and encouraged; please reach out to a board member if you prefer not to drive.

There will be a Fat Quarter Drawing, 50/50 Pot, bargain sales at the Ugli Bin as well as member show and tell. The program for February is a game called ‘Name That Block’.

Bitterroot Quilters Guild is a non-proft organization, and contributes hundreds of quilts annually to organizations in the Bitterroot Valley like Ravalli County First Responders, S.A.F.E., Headstart, Hospice and more. The group also funds an annual scholarship to high school seniors, as well as an annual grant to deserving organizations. To fund these activities, the Guild sponsors a Boutique at the Ravalli County Fair, and will hold a Quilt Show on June 8 – 9, 2024 at Bitterroot Furniture. Membership in the Guild is open to quilters from beginner through advanced. Annual dues are $20. To keep abreast of activities, please visit the Bitterroot Quilters Guild on Facebook.

North Valley Pachyderms

The Bitterroot North Valley Pachyderm Club will meet Friday March 1 at 12 noon at The Frontier Cafe, Hwy 93 in Stevensville. Guest speaker will be Ravalli County Commissioner Dan Huls. The North Valley Pachyderm Club is an educational arm of the Republican Party. All are welcome.

Volunteers needed for Special Olympics

Volunteers are needed for the Bitterroot Winter Special Olympics, on March 5th and 6th, at Lost Trail Powder Mountain. Over 100 athletes are expected to participate, according to Marla Hennequin of Bitterroot Special Olympics.

“Like many events, it is the volunteers that make it successful.” Hennequin said. “We are looking for volunteers to help. Skiing experience

is not required, in fact, leave your skis at home. There are all kinds of ways to volunteer from helping athletes with their snowshoes, cheering athletes during their cross country, downhill, and snowshoe events on the hill, to helping in the lodge.”

“Volunteer for a couple of hours, a day, or both days. Even after 41 years, we [the volunteers] get more out of the Olympics than what we give,” said Hennequin.

To volunteer, contact Anna at 406213-5991.

Garden Club

Stevensville Garden Club’s monthly meeting will be Wednesday, March 6, at 1 p.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 184 Pine Hollow Road.

“Gardening Advice from a Pro” is the program topic of local author and master gardener Molly Hackett. For more info see the SGC Facebook page.

Rapp Family Foundation Grant Applications

The Rapp Family Foundation is in its 33rd year of supporting non-proft organizations in Ravalli County.

All organizations that have an IRS 501(c)3 letter qualify. Churches are automatically considered 501(c)3 charities, as long as they meet the criteria required by the IRS and continually adhere to 501(c)3 requirements. Public Schools tax-exempt status under 501(c)3 is not required in order for such organizations to qualify for private foundation grants. Government entities are also eligible to apply.

The Regular Quarterly Grant has a maximum of $5,000. Qualifed organizations may request an application by emailing rappapps2024@gmail.com. The deadline for the return of completed applications is March 8, 2024. Application questions for 2024 have changed so be sure the application you submit is #02102024.

If you have questions email rappapps2024@gmail.com

Montana Junior Duck Stamp 2024 Student Artists, Art Educators, Mentors: The 2024 Montana Junior Duck Stamp Contest is receiving entries now up until March 22, 2024. Entries can be mailed or hand delivered to Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge at 4567 Wildfowl Lane, Stevensville, MT 59870 (406 777-5552). The art image should be of a live, native North American waterfowl species that measures 9” x 12” in a horizontal layout. Artwork can be drawn using ink, paint, pastel, crayon, or pencil. Entries should not be matted, drawn with a border, signed, initialed or lettered, computer-generated, photographs, or copies or tracings of published art. Entries placing frst through honorable mention will be publicly acknowledged and will receive ribbons and awards. The Junior Duck Stamp Contest is an active participatory art and science program designed to teach wetland habitat and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school enrolled in private, public or home schools. The curriculum (www.

fws.gov/juniorduck/) guides students using wildlife observation principles to draw or paint a waterfowl species in appropriate habitat. Approximately 27,000 students from across the country enter the contest annually. The Best of Show from Montana will compete in the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest in Washington, D.C.

Bitterroot Quilt Guild Scholarship available Applications are being accepted for the Bitterroot Quilt Guild 2024 Scholarship. A $1000 scholarship will be awarded by the Bitterroot Quilt Guild. This Scholarship is for a graduating Stevensville High School Senior who plan to continue their education either through trade school, technical college, community college or fouryear college or university. Application guidelines can be obtained from Stevensville High School Senior Counselor. Applications need to be received or postmarked by April 15, 2024. Applicants do not need to be a quilter to qualify.

Women Only Defensive Handguns class

For Women Only Introduction to Defensive Handguns class will be held March 23 and April 13 at the Whittecar Rife Range on Blodgett View Road. This 2-day course is for women with little or no experience with handguns, who may be frightened of handguns or who are considering acquiring a handgun.

The frst day course is designed to assist you in choosing the right handgun – for you. It will also introduce you to the facilities of the Whittecar Range. There will be discussions on handgun safety, basic operation of revolvers, semi-automatic handguns, and the cartridges used in each type of handgun. The legal aspects of the use of force will be presented and discussed. Handguns will be provided so that you may handle the diferent types and models. Ammunition will also be provided for a live fre session on the range. A self defense book, specifcally for women, will also be provided. The second day course will teach basic defensive shooting using the students’ own equipment. Safe gun handling will be taught and stressed. Various types of ammunition and the performance of each type.

The class is limited to 10 participants. For an application or further information call Lee at 642-3590 or Jim at 360-8392.

Successful completion of this two day course meets the education requirements for application to the state for a concealed carry permit.

Calendar postings are free to non-proft groups. Submit by emailing to: editor@bitterrootstar. com

Sports

by Scott Sacry Sports Editor

Hamilton boys win Divisionals

The Hamilton boys are the Western A Divisional champions. The Broncs won the trophy by defeating the Butte Central Maroons 73-64 in the divisional championship game in an overtime classic at the Butte Civic Center on Saturday, February 24th. It was the third matchup between the Broncs and the Maroons. Butte won the frst one by a point, Hamilton won the second by two points, and now Hamilton has won the tiebreaker in overtime. Is there a possible fourth match looming at state? The Class A Boys State tournament will be held in Butte on March 7-9.

The Broncs defeated Ronan 59-49 in their opening round game of the tournament on Thursday. Then in the semifnals they defeated Columbia Falls 57-55 to vault them to the championship game versus Butte Central.

As you would expect, the championship game was a heavyweight battle with both teams in top form. Hamilton led 30-26 at halftime, but Butte fought back and fnished the third quarter on an 18-5 run to lead 48-43 going into the fourth quarter.

Hamilton trailed by seven early in the fourth, but clawed their way back in the game (thanks in part to a couple of Cole Dickemore three pointers) and tied the game 56-56 with under two minutes to play.

In such a game, there are many big moments, and with 39 seconds left to

play, Hamilton’s Canaan Magness made the biggest one of the game. Hamilton had an inbound play and trailed 56-59 with 39 seconds left in regulation. Magness received an inbound pass at the top of the key then buried a 24-foot three pointer to tie the game 59-59. Butte then missed a potential game winning shot as time expired, forcing overtime.

In overtime, Central scored frst then Hamilton went on a 14-3 run to end the game, cementing their win and earning the championship trophy and the West’s #1 seed at State.

For Hamilton, Canaan Magness again was clutch with 22 points. Cole Dickemore had 17 – including 5 threes, Jackson Jessop had 14, Tyler Jette had 9, Tristan Koerner had 6, and Francesco Barufni added 5.

Hamilton 59, Ronan 49

In Hamilton’s frst round game they

faced Ronan on Thursday. The fnal score ended up being a comfortable margin, but it was a nervy contest for the Broncs and with two minutes left in the game Hamilton had a narrow 50-47 lead; it felt like the game could go either way. But, back-to-back threes by Hamilton’s Jackson Jessop and Canaan Magness quickly made it a nine-point game and the Broncs held down the stretch for the victory.

For Hamilton, Canaan Magness led the scoring with 18 points. Jackson Jessop had 15, Tyler Jette had 12, Cole Dickemore had 9, and Tristan Koerner had 5.

Hamilton 57, Columbia Falls 55

In the semifnal game, Hamilton faced Columbia Falls, a team Hamilton beat by only one point at the start of the season. This game proved to be just as close. Hamilton led 31-30 at halftime,

but the Broncs distanced themselves in the third quarter and led by six points, 43-37, going into the fourth quarter. The Broncs seemingly had things locked up and with under six minutes to play they led 49-41. But the Wildcats came roaring back and Hamilton’s lead was cut to 51-49 with under a minute to play. Hamilton responded as Magness and Jette combined to make four straight free throws to push the lead back to 55-49, but two more three’s by Columbia Falls cut Hamilton’s lead to 57-55 with seconds to play. Columbia Falls’ half court shot at the buzzer came up short, and Hamilton earned the 5755 win. For Hamilton, Canaan Magness had a huge game with 25 points. Tristan Koerner and Cole Dickemore each had 12, Tyler Jette had 4, and Jackson Jessop and Francesco Barufni each added 2.

Hamilton, Corvallis girls end season at Divisionals

Hamilton 37, Browning 68

In their opening round game on Thursday, February 22, the Hamilton girls played Browning. The Lady Indians deployed a full court high pressure style that forced the Lady Broncs to turn over the ball. To make it worse, the Lady Broncs had one of those games where their shots went in and out. They couldn’t overcome these obstacles and lost 37-68.

For Hamilton, Ashlynn McKern had a big game with 18 points. Lavana Wetzel had 6, Taylor McCarthy had 4, Meryn Leonardi, Tricia Wilson, Ayda Grifn and

Haylee McKern each had 2, and Mariah Domingo added 1.

Hamilton 36, Ronan 51

This sent them to the loser out bracket where they faced Ronan on Friday. The Lady Broncs played solid defense, but were cold in the frst half and trailed 6-16. Hamilton was without one of their top scorers, Taylor McCarthy, who was injured in the Browning game. Their shots began to fall in the 2nd half but it was too late and the Broncs lost 36-51, ending their season.

For Hamilton, Ashlynn McKern had a big game with 20 points. Haylee McKern had 6, Ayda Grifn had 4, and Madalyn Nelson and Meryn Leonardi each added 3.

Corvallis 17, Bigfork 68

On Thursday, February 22nd in their frst round game, the Lady Blue Devils faced Bigfork, one of the best girls basketball teams in Class A, and lost 17-68. Corvallis fought hard, but they just didn’t have the weapons to compete with the high powered Valkyries.

For Corvallis, Brecklyn Jessop led with 6 points. Ella Varner had 4, Ava Loran had 3, and Autumn Benson and Tayrn Holchhalter each added 2.

Corvallis 29, Columbia Falls 61

This sent them to the loser out bracket where they faced Columbia Falls on Friday afternoon where they lost 29-61, ending their season. For Corvallis, Brecklyn Jessop led the scoring with 10 points. Ericka Jessop had 7, Ava Loran had 5, Ella Varner and Tayrn Holchhalter each had 3, and Kate Allen added 1.

Florence girls 3rd at Divisionals, on to State

The Florence girls are headed to State. The Lady Falcons defeated St. Ignatius 53-43 on Saturday, February 24th in the consolation game of the Western B Divisionals in Pablo to earn the 3rd place trophy. The Class B State tournament is held in Billings March 7-9. The Western B qualifes three teams to state this year.

The Lady Falcons played four games over three days at Divisionals. In the frst round they defeated Thompson Falls 68-47. Then in the semifnals they met their nemesis Missoula Loyola and lost 31-64. This sent them to the loser out bracket where they defeated Eureka 50-34 on Saturday morning. This win sent them to Saturday’s consolation game where they defeated St. Ignatius 53-43.

In the consolation game, the fnal score was closer than the actual game. Florence led 16-14 after the frst quarter, then blanked the Lady Bulldogs 13-0 in the second quarter to lead 29-14 at halftime. After the break they kept up the pressure and led 42-22 entering the fourth quarter. St. Ignatius narrowed the gap to 10 late in the game, but Florence dominated throughout.

Florence is a young team with only one senior and two juniors, the rest are freshman and sophmores. To highlight Florence’s improvement over the year, in their frst meeting with St. Ignatius in December Florence lost 36-43.

For Florence, Maggie Schneiter had a big game with 20 points, Emory Ralston had 14, Kenzy Pickering had 7, Taylor Pyette had 4, Madigan Hurlburt had 3, Olivia Coulter and Heidi Lambson each had 2, and Kendyl Meinhold added 1.

Florence 68, Thompson Falls 47

The Lady Falcons played Thompson Falls in their opening round game on Thursday, February 22nd. Florence jumped out to a 31-19 halftime lead and

rolled to a 68-47 victory.

For Florence, Kenzy Pickering and Maggie Schneiter had big games with both scoring 19 points each, Kendyl Meinhold had 10, Emory Ralston had 6, and Olivia Coulter and Heidi Lambson each added 4.

Florence 31, Loyola 64

In the semifnal game, Florence faced top seeded Missoula Loyola and lost 3164. Loyola has been a tough matchup for Florence this year, as this was their 3rd loss to them.

For Florence, Kenzy Pickering had 8, Taylor Pyette and Madigan Hurlburt each had 4, Olivia Coulter, Maggie Schneiter and Jaden Fisher each had 3, and Shelby Crocker, Kendyl Meinhold and Emory Ralston each added 2.

Florence 50, Eureka 34

The Loyola loss sent them to the

loser out bracket where they played Eureka on Saturday morning. The Lady Falcons weren’t ready to go home and dominated the Lionesses and won 50-34.

For Florence, Kenzy Pickering had a big game with 17 points. Emory Ralston had 10, Maggie Schneiter had 9, Jaden Fisher had 5, Taylor Pyette, Kendyl Meinhold, Olivia Coulter and Heidi Lambson each had 2, and Madigan Hurlburt added 1.

Florence boys end season at Divisionals

The Florence boys lost two games and won one at the Western B Divisionals in Ronan on Feb. 22-24. In the frst round they defeated Thompson Falls 59-54, which sent them to the semifnals where they lost to seemingly unbeatable Missoula Loyola 36-63. This sent them to the loser out bracket

where they were defeated by Arlee 60-69, ending their season.

Florence 59, T-Falls 54

On Thursday, February 22, Florence faced Thompson Falls in their frst round game. The Falcons sputtered out of the gates and trailed 24-29 at halftime but turned the jets on in the 3rd quarter and evened it up 43-43 going into the 4th quarter, then held on for the 59-54 hard fought victory. For Florence, Tyler Abbott had a big game with 19 points. Trapper Oster was solid with 14, Brody Duchien had 13, Ethan Alexander had 6, Quintan Monaco had 3, and Jake Schneiter and Bridger Alexander each added 2.

Florence 36, Missoula Loyola 63

In their semifnal game on Friday, the Falcons faced Loyola for the third time this year. The state’s top ranked Class B school once again was too much for Florence and the Falcons lost 36-63. For Florence, Tyler Abbott led with 10 points, Bridger Alexander had 8, Trapper Oster had 6, Quintan Monaco and Jake Schneiter each had 5, and Mason Arlington and Preston Exstedt each added 1.

Florence 60, Arlee 69

Florence then played Arlee in a loser out game on Saturday morning. The Falcons fought hard throughout, but just ran out of steam in the end and fell 60-69. For Florence, Brody Duchien led the scoring with 16 points. Trapper Oster had 11, Tyler Abbott and Ethan Alexander each had 10, Bridger Alexander had 6, and Quintan Monaco added 2.

The Hamilton boys posing with their Western A Divisional Championship trophy. Hamilton defeated Butte Central 73-64 in OT in the championship game on Saturday, February 24th in Butte. The Broncs will be the west’s top seed heading into the Class A State Tournament, which is in Butte on March 7-9. Photo courtesy of D.J. Magness.

The Florence girls basketball team with their 3rd place trophy at the Western B Divisionals in Ronan on Saturday, February 24th. Florence defeated St. Ignatius 53-43 in the consolation game to advance to the Class B State Tournament in Billings on March 7-9. Photo courtesy of Florence Carlton School Activities.

Grand opening held for VA medical disability exams clinic

U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Afairs Committee, joined veterans, veterans service organizations, Department of Veterans Afairs (VA) contractors, and VA officials for the grand opening of a new veterans disability benefits examination clinic that he secured in Missoula. Previously, Missoula-area veterans often had to travel long distances and wait long periods to receive a medical disability exam, a critical step in determining veterans benefits.

This new facility was made possible by Tester as part of his continued eforts to improve Missoula veterans’ access to timely VA benefits and health care services. This new facility will provide more timely medical disability exams for Missoula veterans submitting claims

for VA benefits, which are necessary for determining if a veteran’s medical conditions are related to military service and the disability rating a veteran will receive for their service-connected conditions.

“Any veteran who has applied for VA benefits knows that medical disability exams are a critical part of applying for benefits,” Tester said. “However, too often they are the most time-consuming part. So when I heard from vets in Missoula that accessing these exams was taking months and that folks were having to drive hundreds of miles to get them—I knew we had to do better for our vets.”

Tester continued, “That’s why I asked VA and Leidos QTC to open a new veterans exam location right here in Missoula to provide medi -

cal disability exams for VA benefits close to home. Our veterans deserve a VA system where their claims are fairly, accurately, and quickly decided. And this facility is going to play a big part in helping do that and improving Missoula veterans’ access to timelier VA benefits—especially PACT Act benefits—by ofering hundreds of medical disability exams a month.”

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to service local and national government agencies,” said Larry Schaefer, Leidos QTC’s chief executive ofcer. “We’re honored and excited to support examinees through this new clinic.”

Medical disability exams are the most critical and time-consuming part of applying for VA benefits, and one of the biggest issues

for Montana veterans is how far they must travel to receive an exam. After hearing from Missoula veterans that obtaining an exam in the Missoula area had been challenging, Tester called on Leidos QTC Health Services, a third-party disability claims processor, to expand Montana veterans’ access to disability exams. Following Tester’s push, this new QTC Leidos Missoula clinic will ofer general medical, mental health, and audiology exams to area veterans closer to home and ensure VA can provide veterans timely access to the benefits they have earned—including new benefits for toxic-exposed veterans and survivors under the PACT Act.

VA partners with its medical disability contractors, including Leidos QTC Health Services, to increase

its capacity to process benefits claims through fulfilling medical disability exam requests. Since October 2023, VA has completed more than 863,000 claims for benefits. Through its medical disability examination contractors, VA has completed more than one million medical disability exam requests during the same timeframe and will continue to partner with its contractors to tackle the remaining more than 405,000 pending exam requests.

Tester championed the PACT Act and shepherded its passage through Congress in 2022. As Chairman, he fought tirelessly for years alongside veterans and Veterans Service Organizations in Montana and across the nation to deliver generations of toxic-exposed veterans and survivors their earned health care and benefits under the PACT Act.

FARM: Development aims to minimize environmental impact

Continued from page 1

would lose control of how it is developed.

“We want control over the development,” said VanTuyn. “We want to address the acute need to substantially diversify housing options in Hamilton and do it in a functional neighborhood way. We want it to be designed and built with the most modern tools available to respect the land.”

The Stock Farm owners are working with IMEG Corp for engineering, design and surveying, Opticos Design Inc. for planning and architecture, and Biomimicry 3.8 for engineering and environmental design, along with other experts.

D Lazy S Meadows is a development plan that is based on “Old Hamilton,” according to VanTuyn. The proposal includes 212 housing units, along with ample open space, live-work units, and green infrastructure.

The open space areas, trails and green spaces would be owned and maintained by a homeowner’s association, and the alleys and roadways would be owned and maintained by the City of Hamilton. There would be a variety of housing types, including studio units. There would also be a mix of rental and ‘for sale’ units, intended to ofer a variety of prices and provide much needed workforce housing. The Stock Farm has given the the city an easement on their property for an unrelated project, and a sewer line is currently going in, although approval for D Lazy S Meadows would come later after the proposal goes through the City’s review process and a trafc impact study is completed. The Hamilton City Council would make the final decision.

An unusual aspect of the proposal is the use of Biomimicry 3.8 consultants, whose focus

is on how this project will impact the environment, and minimizing the efects as much as possible. They look at air quality, biodiversity, climate, soil, water quality and water quantity, among other things. All of these factors are evaluated and rated. They have rated the proposed site as 74% undeveloped. The proposed design has a rating of 56%, which is substantially higher than the average Montana development, which carries a rating of just 18%.

After the presentation concluded the floor was opened up for questions from the community. The biggest concern was in regard to traffic, which will be addressed by the traffic impact study, according to VanTuyn. There was also quite a bit of excitement and support for the plan.

VanTuyn encouraged the public to visit their website which outlines all of the details of the project along with the decision making process. For full details of the D Lazy S Meadows development proposal, go to d-lazy-s.com. A video recording of the meeting is available on the Stock Farm’s facebook page.

Peter VanTuyn next to a map of proposed development. Photo by Kristin Kruse.

Obituaries

Becky Howard

The universe welcomed Becky Howard home to rest on Tuesday, February 20th. One of our life’s greatest gifts departed in the blink of an eye. Her rest was well-deserved; she was ready to be pain-free, to release the weight of this world, and follow the path of infnite possibilities awaiting her. We celebrate her freedom from earthly limitations and are grateful that her passage was comfortable.

She leaves behind a community of family and friends who loved her dearly. Becky was mostly stardust held together by kindness and a love for all living things. The kindness and love she brought to so many will remain in the hearts she touched during her 76year journey back home.

Becky’s greatest joy was her girls, Kimberly and Susan. Having twins at 19 years old was quite the challenge, and she rose to the occasion, although those teen years were tough on the cars and the house rain gutters.

In her younger days, she possessed a heck of an arm and could throw a softball to home base from deep in right feld, efortlessly.

She inherited her parents’ uncanny ability to toss mostly ringers when playing horseshoes. Even in her 70s, she could usually place the horseshoe wherever she wanted.

She almost always “won the pot” playing the card game “13”. Despite appearing like a sweet little old lady, she would whup you with a smile and then gloat about how heavy her “poker pot” had become.

She understood the power of friendship and the strength of family. One of her most cherished rituals was the yearly “Hoo-Hoo” get-together with her sisters Kathy and Jeanne, sharing stories and insights while staying in their PJs all day.

Becky and her brother Dan loved to reminisce about the time they smuggled a Montana ground squirrel into the family car for a trip to Minnesota. Somewhere in Eastern Montana, their parents fgured out there was a stowaway and kicked the squirrel of

Patricia Hanson Larson

the passenger list. Becky cried for miles.

Becky was happiest when tramping through the mountains or chilling by a mountain stream. It seemed the land and trees spoke to her, sharing their secrets as she strolled in their healing beauty.

Becky and Cathy, her beloved wife and life partner of 26 years, committed to a life together after a magical encounter with a hawk near Hope Lake. Together, Becky and Cathy earned a multitude of Adventure Badges for high centering their many Subarus, digging out of the snow, burning sneakers in the campfre, collecting rocks and rescuing saplings to be planted in the solid rock of Iron Cap on their Hillside Place property. The Navigation Badge always eluded them. One memorable navigation event was spending eight hours on the road traveling in a huge circle and unexpectedly ending up in the same city from which they had started the day’s journey. But the fun was always in their journeys together and not where the road might take them.

We learned many valuable life skills and attitudes from her that make life sweeter and happier:

Treat others as you would want to be treated, then be nicer still.

Never use the hand towel to dry the dishes.

The sugar intake limits for grandchildren set by their parents must be ignored at grandma’s house.

If something needs fxing, pondering, or thanking, go to the woods and let the trees guide the direction of your heart.

Dogs are meant to be spoiled rotten.

Shared laughter heals everything.

Pre-breakfast is the only way to start the day and cookies after breakfast are a necessity.

Birdseed IS expensive, but so is cable TV and watching birds at the feeders is a much better way to pass the time.

Love is not a pie; there is always enough to go around.

Road trips are like therapy on wheels; you can’t

Brenda R. Tyma

Brenda R. Tyma, 63, of Stevensville passed away Saturday, December 30, 202 at 8:50 pm at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula, MT. She was born November 21, 1960, in Polk, Iowa, the daughter of the late Raymond Sigfried Nicholos Hansen and Edith Marie Wittrock (Hansen). Brenda grew up in Manitou Springs, Colorado were she and her brother Tom Hansen went to high school. After graduation she met her soulmate Tom Tyma of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was nineteen when she got married. They had three girls, Melissa, Crystal, and Lauren. They raised their family in Colorado until their kids went on their own way. Brenda was a wonderful mother and wife. Her family and friends

Death Notices

Patricia Ann Herhold Hamilton - Patricia Ann Herhold, 86, of Hamilton passed away Monday, February 19, 2024 at The Hamilton Assisted Living. Services will be announced at a later date. Condolences may left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com

Julianne Oertli Hamilton - Julianne Oertli, 79, passed away in the night,

stay confused about life on a Montana back road.

Becky was preceded in death by her parents, Hal and Delores Howard, and her sister Kathy Howard Blanch, all of Spokane, where Becky was born.

Becky is survived by her wife of 26 years, Cathy Scholtens; sister Jeanne (Bill) Lenoch; brother Dan (Patrice) Howard; daughters Kimberly (Chris) Devine and Susan (Geof) Tate; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; brother-in-law Jimmy Scholtens; and a large extended family. She loved us all with a ferce and powerful love.

A gathering to celebrate “Bad Becky” will be held Saturday, March 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 3605 Hillside Place, Stevensville. Bring a potluck item to share along with your memories and stories.

Donations in Becky’s name can be made to the Bitter Root Humane Shelter.

Rest easy, Becky, and may your journey among the stars be flled with laughter, love and knowing. You’ll be missed, but your spirit will live on in the hearts of all who knew you.

God walked Patricia L. Hanson Larson, 78 of Stevensville, MT, through the gates of Heaven in the quiet hours of February 5, 2024. She wanted her friends and family to know that she loves them all, and she “lived a wonderful life.” She taught us all to live life with Jesus, love and a little mischief. Patricia passes on the legacies of: deep-resounding FAITH, boundless-selfess love and the art of drag-racing

adored her. She was tough but under that toughness she had a huge heart. She loved riding horses, gardening, baking, and going on adventures. Brenda and Tom had been together forty-three years and were never away from each other long. They were true soulmates!

Brenda is survived by husband Thomas Tyma of Stevensville, two daughters, Melissa and husband Walt Lovato of Colorado Springs, and Lauren DeJong of Athens, TX, brother Tom Hansen of Elmo, MT, and six grandchildren: Braiden, Tommy, Bella, Hot Rod, Shelby, and Chase. Cremation was done by Whitesitt Funeral Home in Stevensville, MT. There will be a family and friend

Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at the Bitterroot Health in Hamilton. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary.com.

Jon L. Edmundson Hamilton - Jon L. Edmondson, 58, passed away in the evening, suddenly due to a cardiac episode, Friday, February 16, 2024, at his home in Hamilton. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.broth-

ersmortuary.com.

Don J. Brown

Darby - Don J. Brown, 93, passed away early in the morning, due to a cardiac episode, Saturday, February 17, 2024, at the Bitterroot Health in Hamilton. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary.com.

James H. ‘Jim’ Dunkin Hamilton - James H. “Jim” Dunkin, 84, formerly of Missoula, a cowboy, passed

through town (to name a few). They live on and shine in the lives of her four children, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Although Montana has been home to Patricia for 30 years, she wanted to be laid to rest next to her beloved sister in her home state of South Dakota. A graveside service will take place in early summer of 2024 in Watertown, SD.

Condolences may be left for the family at www. dalyleachchapel.com.

celebration of life in the summer at Tyma’s ranch in Stevensville, MT. Date will be sent out by invitation in prior months to come. You are welcome to make donations on her behalf to wolf or wildlife fund of your choice. She loved animals and nature and would love to support them.

Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.

away due to Myelodysplastic syndrome, in the afternoon, Sunday, February 18, 2024, at the Discovery Care Centre in Hamilton. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary.com.

Edna M. ‘Edie’ Anderson Hamilton - Edna M. “Edie” Anderson, 82, passed away peacefully in the night, Sunday, February 18, 2024, at the West Hills Assisted Living in Hamilton. Memories and condolences may be shared

with the family at www.brothersmortuary.com.

Teresa A. Sorenson

Hamilton - Teresa A. Sorenson, 68, passed away in the night, due to a Stroke, Sunday, February 18, 2024, at the St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary.com.

It’s been a few years since I deliberately fshed for winter whitefsh.

The last time, I joined some friends at a café in Darby for a late breakfast. The object was to fuel ourselves up with enough calories to withstand a chilly afternoon on the river, where we planned to catch a mess of whitefsh.

After that, the plan was to cook a few for an early dinner according to one of Mike’s alltime-great whitefsh recipes (he’s a great cook,) and if enough were left over, to smoke them. Who would do the smoking was uncertain. Both Jim and Mike are great hands with the smoker.

Tales are told that when the road over Skalkaho Pass opened in the spring, loads of 200 or more smoked whitefsh went out of the valley over Skalkaho Pass to Butte.

by Chuck Stranahan

My contribution to the day, as it were, was to supply the fies. My payback would come later in the form of some delicious whitefsh – grilled fllets or smoked.

As things turned out that day I had to leave early, right after Mike and Jim spilled their newly-tied fies out on the breakfast table and we talked about how each one might be rigged in a one or two-fy system, where to set the indicator, and so on. They expressed their regrets that I couldn’t join them; I fnished my cofee and left.

Smoked whitefsh were a sought-after delicacy in the Marcus Daly era. The miners in Butte could make a meal of one along with a chunk of good hard-tack bread and a tall beer.

Those miners were reputed to pay up to one dollar apiece, daily wages for other workingmen, for a smoked Bitterroot whitefsh.

The Butte miners made a lot of money during that era, and the cost of living in Butte was correspondingly high. The company store got back a big piece of what the miners made, and the rest was spent on other things.

Some of it went for smoked whitefsh.

Whitefsh do well in icy cold winter water. They tend to gather in marginal trout habitat, the slow-moving lower thirds of pools and deep slow eddies. They’re easy to target if you’re fshing for them. During winter, they don’t go of their feed as much as a trout would. They’ll take small red midge larvae patterns regularly. My most popular old-time whitefsh fy consisted of nothing more than fuorescent red thread and a few wraps of ostrich herl on a small dry fy hook.

They’ll also take small red Copper Johns, and just about any small

mayfy nymph with a bright bead up front..

When the water is cold, their fesh is frm. They tend to get soft when the water is warm, but the smaller fsh taken in summer do well in the pan when fried briefy over high heat. Mustn’t overcook.

And please, please, don’t toss them on the bank if you happen to catch one accidentally. They’re natives that beneft the ecosystem, not trash fsh. And on some days for the fy fsherman in late summer, they’re the only game in town.

When the barometer is high or on a steady rise in the winter, the whitefsh will feed.

I use my longest rod, a ten-footer with a delicate tip that I usually use at Georgetown Lake. It does well for whitefsh, or summer nymphing on the Big Hole.

You don’t see many of the Bitterroot’s old-time whitefshermen these days, They used together in small groups at favorite runs, build warm -

ing fires, and fish with 16’ long telescoping green fiberglass poles. They’d bait their flies with maggots that they held in their mouths to keep them from freezing.

If you’re not up for a pinch of maggots between your cheek and gums, you can still rig up for whitefish: Don’t add extra weight if you can get by without it, and use only as much indicator as necessary. The valley’s old-time whitefish fishermen preferred porcupine quill floats. In place of the quill (no longer available) use a small tuft of wool or poly knotted into the leader.

That’s how Mike and Jim were equipped to fish on the day I couldn’t join them. Just as they started fishing the barometer dropped like a sack of bricks when a sudden storm moved in.

They told me later how the conditions tanked, and they got skunked. I was relieved that they didn’t blame it on my flies.

A winter whitefsh, taken on a small beadhead red nymph. Photo by Chuck Stranahan.

hours or by calling 406-363-2733.

For questions concerning the Request for Proposal process, contact Chris Taggart at the Ravalli County Commissioners Ofce – 406-375-6500.

Chris Taggart Administrative Assistant Ravalli County Commissioners Ofce BS 2-21, 2-28-24.

INVITATION TO BID

MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE

The Ravalli County Board of County Commissioners is now accepting proposals for the delivery of 2024 Magnesium Chloride 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 4 P.M. MST on Friday, March 1, 2024. The proposals received will be publicly opened on Tuesday, March 6, 2024 and read aloud at 10:00 a.m. MST 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) 363-2733. 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 10:00 a.m. MST on Tuesday, March 6, 2024. 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 2-21, 2-28-24.

INVITATION TO BID EQUIPMENT RENTAL

The Ravalli County Board of County Commissioners is now accepting proposals for the delivery of 2024 EQUIPMENT RENTAL. 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 4 P.M. MST on Friday, March 1, 2024. The proposals received will be publicly opened on Tuesday, March 6, 2024 and read aloud at 11:30 a.m. MST 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

proposals

Chris

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS PAVEMENT MARKINGS

The

OG-24-02-050 LEGAL

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) 363-2733. 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

BS

OG-24-02-047

LEGAL

Chris Taggart,

INVITATION TO BID

PAVING PROJECTS:

NORTH COUNTY

The Ravalli County Board of County Commissioners is now accepting proposals for the delivery of 2024 PAVING

PROJECTS: NORTH COUN-

TY. 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 4 P.M. MST on Monday, March 11, 2024. The proposals received will be publicly opened on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 and read aloud at 11:15 a.m.

Montana 21st Judicial District Court, Ravalli County In the Matter of the Name Change of Kassia Herbert, Kassia Herbert, Petitioner.

Cause No.: DV-24-59

Dept. 1 NOTICE OF HEARING

ON NAME CHANGE This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a change of name from Kassia Beth Herbert to Kassia Beth Portillo.

The hearing will be on April 10, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the courthouse in Ravalli County.

DATED this 20th day of February, 2024.

/s/

PM at City Hall, 223 South 2nd Street, 2 nd Floor, Hamilton, MT. Hamilton City Council will hold a public hearing on this matter during its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at 7:00 PM at City Hall, 223 South 2nd Street, 2 nd Floor, Hamilton, MT. The purpose of the Planning Board public hearing is to provide recommendations on the request. The purpose of the City Council Hearing is to approve, conditionally approve, or deny the request. The public may attend and make comment in person, or on the Internet / by phone through Zoom. Detailed instructions are available at www.cityofhamilton.net or by contacting mrud@cityofhamilton.net. Comments prior to the Planning Board meeting may be submitted to the Planning Department at mrud@cityofhamilton.net; comments after the 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 2 nd Street, Hamilton, MT 59840. Related materials are available at www.cityofhamilton.net or by contacting the Planning Department. BS 2-28, 3-6-24.

also be given to the Town Clerk at PO Box 30, Stevensville, MT 59870 or before 5:00 pm in person on the scheduled Town Council meeting day.

Questions, comments or more information may be obtained by contacting Town Hall at 406-777-5271.

Attest: Jenelle S. Berthoud, Town Clerk

BS 2-28, 3-13-24.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclists (BBC) is partnering with the USDA Forest Service to complete trail clearing on the Bitterroot National Forest (BNF). BBC is currently accepting bids for a service contract for Trail Opening on approximately 130 miles of trails throughout the Montana portion of the BNF, outside of designated Wilderness areas. The type of work includes: “Logging Out” all downed or leaning trees within the clearing limits (width and height); “Brushing” consisting of removal of new vegetative growth that is protruding into the trail; “Loose Rock Removal” of all rock larger than 6” from the trail tread; and “Drainage Clearing” of all drainage structures. The Contractor shall provide all expertise, labor, supervision, services,

equipment, mobilization, tools, supplies, permits, licenses, transportation, and incidentals necessary to perform trail opening, for which the desired outcome is in strict accordance with the Standard Trail Plans and Specifcations. Bid packages, including list of trails in scope of project, maps, trail specifcations, and additional details are available by email from bitterrootbackcountrycyclist@gmail.com or by telephone at 406-381-7903. Bids must be received by March 27, 2024 and will be awarded on or about April 3, 2024. BS 2-28-24.

Sharon E. Thompson PO Box 1255 Trout Creek, MT 59874 (406) 360-1628 havesmontana@gmail.com

Personal Representative

MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY

IN RE THE ESTATE OF: DOLORES F. BROWN, Decedent.

Cause No.: DP-2024-16

Dept. No. 1 NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named Estate. All persons having claims against the Decedent are required to present their claims within four (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 the Personal Representative, Sharon E. Thompson, P.O. Box 1255, Trout Creek, MT, 59874, return receipt requested, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court.

DATED this 21st day of February, 2024.

/s/ Sharon E. Thompson, Personal Representative

BS 2-28, 3-6, 3-13-24.

Public Hearing-Ravalli

County TAX ABATEMENT (Benefts) REQUEST: Bitterroot Tool and Machine, LLC

The Board of Ravalli County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 1:30 PM in the Ravalli County Administrative Center at 215 S.4th Street, Third Floor Commissioners Conference Room, Hamilton, MT. The purpose for this public hearing is to take public comment on the Tax Abatement Application, per MCA 15-6-138, for the property located at 3662 N. Highway 93, Stevensville, Montana, 59870, and to make a decision by Resolution to grant or deny said tax abatement (beneft) request. If you would like more information contact the Commissioner’s Ofce at 375-6500.

If you are unable to attend and would like to make comment you can do so by contacting the Commissioners at the above phone number, by fax at 375-6507 or by email at commissioners@rc.mt.gov

Chris Taggart Commissioners’ Administrative Assistant

BS 2-28, 3-6-24.

Public Hearing-Ravalli

County TAX ABATEMENT (Ben-

efts)

FRESH EGGS from Howell’s Happy Hens are back! $4.00/doz. Pick up at Bitterroot Star ofce, 115 W. 3rd, Suite 108, Stevensville.

MCNAB PUPPIES FOR SALE.Hamilton Mt. 805-801-6986. Black and white with short hair. Owners own both the male and female. Very versatile dogs with great intelligence.

NOTICES

ALASKA, EUROPE, HAWAII plus dozens of other popular trips! Starting at $1649 per person (double occupancy req’d.) YMT Vacations plans everything, leaving you to relax and enjoy. Call 1-833658-1230 for more details. Use promo code YMT2024 for $250 of. Limited time only.

Connect to the best wireless home internet with EarthLink. Enjoy speeds from 5Gand 4G LTE networks, no contracts, easy installation, and data plans up to 300 GB. Call 855-419-7978.

SWITCH AND SAVE up to $250/year on your talk, text and data. No contract and no hidden fees. Unlimited talk and text with fexible data plans. Premium nationwide coverage. 100% U.S. based custom-

er service. Limited time ofer - get $50 of on any new account. Use code GIFT50. For more information, call 1-877-324-0193.

SWITCH TO DISH and get up to a $300 gift card! Plus get the Multisport pack included for a limited time! Hurry, call for details: 1-855-995-3572

GRAPHIC DESIGNER - part-time, newspaper-specifc work. Experience required. Call Victoria for details, 406-207-8793 or send resume to victoria@mullennewspapers. com.

PLANER SETUP

PERSON. Seeking a fully qualifed planer setup person. Min. two years experience operating, setting up and performing maintenance on planer machine required. This is an industrial environment. Must be safety minded, self motivated with good attendance. Wage D.O.E. Benefts. Medical. Dental FSA, 401k, Paid Holidays and PTO. See complete job description and application here: https://thompsonriverlumber.bamboohr. com/careers/49 or call 406-827-4311 #224

WANTED TO BUY: Old Car, Truck, Motorcycle, also old signs and license plates, gas station items or dealership items. Call 406270-8630 any time.

Book Review

Booked for the season

“How to Win Friends and Infuence Fungi: Collected Quirks of Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math from Nerd Night” by Dr. Chris Balakrishnan & Matt Wasowski, illustrations by Kristen Orr c.2024, St. Martin’s Press $30.00 320 pages

How do you do?

Howdy. Hey, there. Hello. Hi, how are you? It’s polite to greet people when you meet them for the frst time, and respectful, too. Furthermore, it’s human nature to want to be liked, to fnd common ground and get along. Read the new book “How to Win Friends and Infuence Fungi,” edited by Dr. Chris Balakrishnam & Matt Wasowski, illustrations by Kristen Orr, and you can happily be a bit of a know-it-all, too.

Twenty-one years ago, a group of nerds got together to ofer one another short “presentations” on esoteric topics and eventually, “Nerd Night” grew and spread around the world. Seriously, how could a nerdy knowledge gathering like that get any better?

Well, some of the presentations went up on YouTube. Others made it into this book.

If you’ve ever served in the deserts of Kuwait, for instance, you know that mythology about camel spiders is mostly an exaggeration. The creatures are big, but not all that big. They can’t jump super-long distances. They aren’t really even spiders. Oh, but they’ll chase you – though not for the reasons you’ve heard.

Or take, for instance, a glass of moo-juice. You’ve been taught all your life that only mammals give milk, but that’s not exactly a fact. By defnition, birds, sharks, insects, even worms nourish their young with a form of “milk.”

Trap-jaw ants and stomatopods can bring a world of hurt to your body. People who have misophonia can’t tolerate the sound of your breathing; people with synesthesia

might be able to taste it. There’s a reason why some letters get lost in words we pronounce correctly. NASA is working on ways to recycle astronauts’ solid waste for fuel, but you

by Terry Schlichenmeyer The Bookworm Sez, LLC

don’t have control of your bladder. A real grizzly bear inspired the California state fag. Chances are, “you will probably not survive the next mass extinction [but] spiders and gophers will.”

And when that end fnally happens to you, embalming won’t preserve you forever...

When was the last time you had pure, light-hearted, smart-aleck, geewhiz, smack-your-forehead, geeky goodness from a book? If it’s been awhile, you’ll want to fnd “How to Win Friends and Infuence Fungi” now.

You won’t be sorry you did, once you dip into the facts you didn’t know you needed to know, ofered to you informally here, and with a slice of sarcasm. Authors Dr. Chris Balakrishnan and Matt Wasowski break their book down into eleven basic categories, but the knowledge inside it runs from arthropods to World War Z and lots of other subjects in between. Each brief chapter comes from an expert on the topic at hand – or, at the very least, someone who had reason, for instance, to wander down a rabbit-hole of maggots, meteorites, romance-by-spreadsheet, and zombies in your laundry room.

“How to Win Friends and Infuence Fungi” is perfect for fun guys and gals ages ffteen to adult. Expect to learn, expect to laugh, and expect to have your eyes opened. Get it, and say “hello” to a good read.

The