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‘The B Volume XXXV, Number 36
Nature therapy
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
www.bitterrootstar.com
State, local officials respond to pandemic
By Michael Howell
Deborah Goslin sitting next to Middle Burnt Fork Creek at her home near Stevensville where she connects to the land and records her observations and feelings in a journal. “In my sit-spot, I learn how I relate to the more-than-human world and about the reciprocity of how it relates to me,” she said. Marnie Craig photo.
Forest bathing for health and wellness By Marnie Craig
A faint melody of pentatonic chimes sounded in the distance and dried leaves and grasses crunched underfoot as Deborah Goslin took regardful steps toward her sit-spot along
the bank of Middle Burnt Fork Creek. She connects with nature on five acres east of Stevensville that host a spring fed meadow, mixed conifers and mini-forests of aspen and cottonwood. Connecting deeply to one place in nature is part of a six-month practicum to
Deborah Goslin sits on her front porch looking at a drawing in her practicum journal while enjoying the warm sun. She writes about her place in the web of inter-being and the many ways the creek expresses itself and how the alders interact with the environment. Marnie Craig photo.
become a certified forest therapy guide, someone who guides people into nature for increased health and wellness. She visits her sit-spot several times a week and sees the creek change every day. When she thinks it’s going to stay frozen over for a while, water starts flowing over the ice again. “I have come to think of the creek as a being even though it is made up of many different things,” she said. “It’s not just water, it has a personality. It’s surprising the connections you can make with a place when you visit it often.” Goslin grew up exploring the rural farmlands and forests of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York. As she played, she discovered there was more to nature than met the eye. She talked to plants and to the trees as she climbed them. In high school, she read, “The Secret Life of Plants,” by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, a book that recounted experiments revealing plants were sentient beings. “I knew it,” she said. “That confirmed it for me.” After earning a degree in
Ecology and Environmental Technology at Paul Smith’s College near Lake Placid, she moved to Montana to join her boyfriend who had landed a job with the U.S. Forest Service. Goslin went to work for the U.S. Geological Survey in St. Regis, and in 1982 the two nature lovers bought five acres east of Stevensville. Four years later they married and moved onto the property where they lived close to the earth while building a house. “We lived in a tipi next to my little forest of cottonwoods,” she said. Goslin began volunteering and banding birds at Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. She worked at the refuge as a biological science technician for 23 seasons and simultaneously worked in the same capacity for the Bitterroot National Forest for 15 years, where she still works on the rare plant survey crew. “I started bird-watching as a teenager but I didn’t think I could make a career out of
See FOREST, page 14
Man charged in double homicide By Michael Howell
Twenty-five-year-old Logan Dallas Christopher remains jailed at the Ravalli County Detention Center for the murder of his mother, 47-yearold Tiffanie Greenslade and the mother of his children, 25-yearold Marisa Wahl. The double homicide occurred on March 10 at the victims’ residences near Stevensville. Christopher is also charged with attempted deliberate homicide for shooting his father, Noe Christopher, and two counts of creating a risk of death or serious bodily injury to Wahl’s 3-year old and 11-monthold children. Christopher was also charged with three counts of driving dangerously after fleeing
the scene. Christopher and Wahl were living in a 5th wheel trailer close to his parents’ home located northeast of Stevensville. According to the charging documents in the case, during the morning hours of March 10, the defendant’s father and mother had a discussion with him, at his trailer, about his apparent use of illegal drugs. Nothing further appears to have come of that discussion during the morning. But that evening, shortly before 7 p.m. Greenslade received a call from Wahl, who was in the 5th wheel trailer. Greenslade told her husband Noe Christopher that something was wrong at the 5th wheel, and that Wahl had asked for them to immediately come to
Logan Christopher the trailer. Noe Christopher had been changing clothes and was delayed momentarily. He reported that by the time he got to the 5th wheel trailer, Greenslade was in the entry room of the trailer. He
said she warned him that his son had a gun, and he heard Greenslade telling Christopher to “put the gun down.” Noe Christopher then grabbed the 3-year-old child from the entry room, and took the child back to his main residence to stay with the their 14-year-old daughter and called the Ravalli County 911 center asking for help. Dispatch Center records show that the call was first received at 6:57 p.m. Noe Christopher then returned to the 5th wheel trailer, and discovered Greenslade lying in the entry room, having been shot. He started to move into the entry See HOMICIDE, page 3
The coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the globe. As of Monday, there were 366,919 cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with 16,097 deaths recorded, and 100,879 recovered cases. In Montana, there were 45 cases statewide, with one in Ravalli County. Montana Governor Steve Bullock imposed state-wide directives last week to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak across the state. “Both young and older Montanans, in urban and rural communities, have tested positive for coronavirus, making it even more clear that this virus impacts us all and these actions are imperative to protecting our friends and neighbors. “We face extraordinary health risks – and with it even further risks to our economic and social well-being – if we do not act now. I do not take these decisions lightly and they were done so in consultation with public health professionals. Montanans, too, need to take this seriously. It’s up to all of us to stop the spread of this virus,” said Bullock in a recent press release. The Governor issued a travel advisory for Montanans who have traveled internationally to self-quarantine for 14 days after returning to Montana. He also announced measures to close dine-in food service and alcoholic beverage businesses and other activities that pose enhanced health risks, effective at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2020. The directive expires at 11:59 p.m. on March 27, 2020, the same day that school closures are set to expire, though the date will likely be extended. Under the directive, the following places are closed to use and occupancy by members of the public: • Restaurants, food courts, cafes, coffeehouses, and other similar establishments offering food or beverage for on-premises consumption. • Alcoholic beverage service businesses, including bars, taverns, brew pubs, breweries, microbreweries, distilleries, wineries, tasting rooms, special licensees, clubs, and other establishments offering alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption. • Cigar bars. • Health clubs, health spas, gyms, aquatic centers, pools and hot springs, indoor facilities at ski areas, climbing gyms, fitness studios, and indoor recreational facilities. • Movie and performance theaters, nightclubs, concert halls, bowling alleys, bingo halls, and music halls. • Casinos. The Governor’s office announced that the State of Montana will pay for COVID-19 tests and treatment for all uninsured Montanans. State funds and potentially federal funds will be used to pay for testing and treatment beginning on March 23. Access to telemedicine services are also expanded to ensure Medicaid patients receive quality health care in their homes to prevent unnecessary gatherings at health care facilities and slow the spread of COVID-19. To access this emergency assistance Montanans can call 406-444-7605 or email hhspresumptive@ mt.gov. Emergency measures have also been undertaken to address the impacts of expected high levels of unemployment. The emergency rules make unemployment benefits accessible to workers laid off due to COVID-19 and waive the one week waiting period before receiving See COVID-19, page 3
Schools initiate distance learning By Jean Schurman
On Monday, a new normal for many of the valley schools occurred. With the governor’s directive last week to close all schools to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the schools were left trying to figure out how to continue educating students. Lone Rock superintendent Scott Stiegler said they began to consider the idea for distance learning a week ago, on Friday, March 13. Then, on Monday, March 16, the Lone Rock staff met and began working to identify what needed to be done and how to do it. All of the departments were involved in the planning, including teachers, para professionals and special education educators. “It was hard to digest everything at one time,” said Stiegler. Stiegler said that as a result of the Friday meeting, most of his staff had a plan. They are using Zoom and Google Docs platforms for the teachers to do their instruction and interactions with the students. The district has enough Chrome books for the students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. The staff spent
the day preparing packets for the 195 students in the district and by Tuesday morning, the packets were ready to go. A week ago Wednesday, at 7 a.m., the packets were being handed out. The teachers, who took three- or four-hour shifts handing out the packets, worked until 7 p.m. in order to reach those who didn’t get home until later. By the end of the day, all but about four packets had been picked up. The district, as with any other public school district, must, by law, provide special ed instruction to those in need. Stiegler said they have set up para professionals and teachers with distance learning platforms as well and are reaching out to the families of these students. Because they began work on this issue early, Stiegler feels they are ahead of the game. “We’ve had a chance to flesh out our system and fix problems.” The Lone Rock School, as well as other schools in the valley, has been involved with the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for two years. This program, administered by the See SCHOOLS, page 5
Page 2 -- Bitterroot Star
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
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COVID-19 continued
benefits. The rules will ensure that workers impacted by COVID-19, whether it’s because they’ve been laid off, are quarantined, or need to take care of a family member, can do so without worrying about how they will make ends meet during these difficult times. Payment and filing deadlines for 2019 individual income taxpayers has been extended to July 15 in accordance with the new federal filing deadline. The deadline for those making estimated tax payments for the first quarter of 2020 has also been extended to July 15. The due date for the second quarter remains July 15 at this time. Tax resources are available at: https://mtrevenue. gov/taxes/ The governor’s message stressed that social distancing is one of the most important primary protective measures to flatten the curve of this virus. “I cannot underscore the seriousness of following these measures to help our neighbors, friends, and families,” said Bullock. If you have any symptoms, stay home. Call your doctor or local public health provider for consultation. Do not drive the doctor’s office or emergency room. The Coronavirus Task Force has an informational phone line at 1-888-333-0461 and Montanans can also email questions to covid19info@mt.gov. You can also find information on the Task Force actions at COVID19.mt.gov. You can also visit the DPHHS website at www. dphhs.mt.gov for the most up to date and timely health information related to the coronavirus. RAVALLI COUNTY Ravalli County officials set up an Incident Management Team (IMT) on March 17, that includes Commissioner Jeff Burrows, Public Health Nurse Karyn Johnston, and current team leader
Homicide continued
room to “check on” her, when his son came out of the trailer door, holding a handgun at his side, and accused his father of “manipulating” and making him “look bad.” When Noe Christopher said that he needed to help Greenslade, the young Christopher responded, “I’ll kill you too,” raised the handgun, and shot his father from approximately five feet away. That shot went through Noe Christopher’s left forearm, after which he turned and ran through nearby horse corrals and back to his residence. While running, he could hear his son continuing to shoot at him, and believes that he only stopped shooting after he had emptied the handgun. The Christophers’ 14-yearold daughter reported that she looked out a window in the main house because of the noise, and saw Christopher firing multiple shots at her dad while he was running. Upon returning to the house, Noe Christopher armed himself with a shotgun. Logan Christopher then arrived at the main house in his car, had a verbal exchange with his father, and then drove away from the property alone in his vehicle. Ravalli County Sheriff’s Deputy Channing Briese was the first deputy to arrive at the scene, where he was met by Noe Christopher, who had an obvious and bloody wound to his arm. Deputy Briese entered the 5th wheel residence and found Greenslade’s body lying in the entry room. After entering the main part of the trailer, Deputy Briese discovered Wahl’s body lying on the floor near the back of the trailer, and found her 11-month-old son crawling on the floor in the area around her body. The toddler was covered in blood, but otherwise unharmed. Wahl’s body was in a location that was not in view when standing in the entry room where Greenslade and Noe Christopher had confronted the defendant. Examination of Wahl’s body and the interior of the trailer has
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 Public Health Officer Dr. Carol Calderwood. At that time there were no cases yet reported in Ravalli County, and the Commissioners were recommending individuals take voluntary actions to help “flatten the curve” of the predicted spread of the outbreak, including hand washing, social distancing and restricting travel and other measures. Although K-12 schools were closed by the state, no business closures were undertaken in the county. Then on March 20, following the governor’s announcement of the directive closing certain businesses, the county’s Incident Management Team issued a statement saying, “The Governor’s order this morning probably moved our County to a position we may have eventually gotten to ourselves, it was just faster.” It went on to state, “There is not a lot of control we have over the virus, but we do have control over how we take care of ourselves. Frequently—wash your hands and wipe commonly touched surfaces including doorknobs and outside play equipment, avoid touching your face, cover your coughs, etc. By now, we should have these precautions memorized.” The Ravalli County Commissioners held a meeting that same day, the purpose of which, according to Commission Chairman Chris Hoffman, was “not to discuss or propose mandatory closures of Ravalli County businesses. Rather, we are discussing costs associated with managing this emergency.” Declaring a state of emergency, he said, positions Ravalli County to receive resources and benefits for Ravalli County Emergency Services. The commissioners strongly encouraged residents to “stay calm, follow recommended cleaning measures, practice social distancing measures and to stay home if you are sick.” To avoid a large public meeting, the Commissioners are recommending that comments be sent to the Commissioners by
email: commissioners@rc.mt. gov. The meeting can be watched live on Ravalli County’s website at https://ravalli.us/493/Live-andArchived-Meetings-Audio-Video. On March 21, the day following the County emergency declaration and the State directive closing certain businesses, the first confirmed case of coronavirus in Ravalli County was reported. Dr. Calderwood, the county’s Incident Commander, said, “We knew the virus would eventually get to Ravalli County. We are prepared, and we are taking steps to help ensure the health and safety of our citizens.” Several “imperatives” were listed in the announcement: 1. Everyone should stay home as much as possible and avoid ALL nonessential public activities. Continue to practice 6 feet social distancing. 2. Avoid overwhelming our medical system. Stay home unless you are short of breath or otherwise need urgent care. Call your provider or public health with other questions: 888-333-0461. 3. People living in communal settings such as nursing homes, assisted living, independent senior living apartments and group homes should stay in the residences. Managers should facilitate and take supportive steps such as arranging for grocery shopping. 4. Wash hands and frequently touched surface regularly and avoid touching your face without clean hands. The County Health Department is organizing a volunteer group of citizens to help provide assistance with grocery shopping and possibly other community services such as cleaning public facilities. “There are people that may feel uncomfortable being in public at this time due to the risk of exposure. We would like to make staying home easier and safer,” stated the IMT update. “We, the IMT and your county officials value all of our residents and what they have to offer our community.”
preliminarily determined that she died from a single gunshot wound through her head, with the bullet traveling from the back of her head toward the front. Further, examination revealed that the handgun was in contact with the back of Marisa’s head when it was discharged. Examination of Greenslade’s body and the interior of the entry room has preliminarily determined that she was shot multiple times in the arm and head, with multiple shots through her head in a vertical downward trajectory into the floor of the entry room. Examination of the property located pieces of Noe Christopher’s wristwatch and blood evidence in a trail consistent with his description of his flight from the 5th wheel trailer back to the main residence. Further, from the entry room to the yard area facing the main residence, detectives discovered a total of 18 shell casings, equaling the capacity of the handgun ultimately recovered. Within minutes after Logan Christopher drove away from the residence, a motorist made a 911 call reporting a vehicle driving northbound on Eastside Highway at a high rate of speed. Deputies from the Ravalli and Missoula County Sheriff’s Offices, and Montana Highway Patrol Troopers located Christopher several minutes later travelling northbound on Highway 93, on the north side of Lolo. After the patrol vehicles began following his car, Christopher accelerated rapidly. While on Highway 93 travelling toward Missoula, the pursuing officers recorded speeds that exceeded 130 miles per hour. In an effort to stop him, Missoula Police Officers deployed stop sticks at the Buckhouse Bridge (where Highway 93 crosses the Bitterroot River entering Missoula). To avoid the stop sticks, Christopher swerved into oncoming traffic between patrol vehicles. He then continued onto Brooks Street in Missoula, crossing the intersection at Reserve Street in excess of 85 miles per hour. He started to lose the pursuing officers in the area of Dore Lane, near the Southgate Mall, but was located again as he left the
Mall area on Mary Road. Christopher then was observed by MPD Officer Potter travelling along Eaton Street and crossing South Avenue at a high rate of speed. South Avenue is a busy, heavily travelled road in Missoula, at which Eaton Street has a stop sign. Despite the defendant’s disregard for the safety of all other motorists, those travelling on South Avenue managed to avoid hitting or being hit by him as he fled across South Avenue. Christopher continued on Eaton Street through a residential area for one more block, until he lost control of his car, crashing through the fence and yard of an occupied residence on the corner of Eaton Street and West Sussex Avenue. After crashing, he got out of his vehicle holding a handgun, but upon seeing multiple law enforcement officers, Christopher tossed the handgun back into his car and surrendered without further resistance. A search of the defendant’s vehicle pursuant to a search warrant located a 9 mm Berretta semi-automatic handgun, and two open boxes of 9 mm ammunition and approximately $4,000 in cash was found loose in the car. During execution of a search of Christopher’s 5th wheel trailer, a safe was discovered in the bedroom, at the other end of the trailer from where Wahl’s body was located. The safe was found hanging open, with approximately $3,000 in loose cash within, and strewn around the opening of the safe. In addition, within the safe a significant quantity of a white powdery substance was discovered consistent with illegal drugs, scales and packaging materials. Preliminary tests on the defendant yielded a positive result for the presence of cocaine and THC (the active ingredient in marijuana). Christopher refused to participate in an interview with detectives at the time. Logan Christopher made an initial appearance on all the charges in the court of Justice of the Peace Jennifer Ray on March 12 and remains in Ravalli County detention on a $2 million bond.
Volunteers must be 18 to 25 years old, have their own transportation, live in a household without dependents, or older housemates, and available to work several hours. Call 406-375-6672. The reason an age-criteria was established is to limit the risk/exposure of a higher risk population. Recommended websites: https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/cdepi/diseases/coronavirusmt COVID Hotline Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton announced some temporary procedures that took effect on March 24th. Sheriff Holton said that to mitigate public and staff exposure, the following temporary changes will me made: • Public fingerprinting is suspended until further notice. • Civil process, Concealed Weapons, Offender Registration and other paperwork will be handled on an appointment basis. Anyone wishing to make an appointment should call the RCSO at 406-375-4060 . • People who wish to make a non-emergent report with the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office should remain at their homes and call 406-363-3033 . • The main Sheriff’s Lobby and Detention Lobby will be restricted to four people at a time. • The Jail Diversion Office will be restricted to two people at a time. • Twice-a-day breath tests for the 24/7 program have been suspended. Offenders ordered to the 24/7 Sobriety Program are being supervised and monitored with remote breath and CAM bracelet technology. In order to facilitate and make it as convenient as possible for people to transact business with the RCSO, appointments can be made with the RCSO from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays. Jail Diversion is open and staffed from 8 to 5 Monday through Friday by appointment only. The Ravalli County Detention Center is open by appointment only 8 to 5, Monday through Friday. Sheriff Holton stated that the RCSO is working extremely hard to continue operating as normal. Patrol, Investigations, and Jail Operations are continuing with best practices in place to mitigate exposures to Sheriff’s staff and the public. Sheriff Holton said, “The RCSO will continue to operate and provide public safety resources to the community. This pandemic is a new test and different than what we are used to as a community. That said, in every emergency or disaster that has happened in Ravalli County we respond as a community. I have watched as people once again reach out to their friends, families, and neighbors and take care of each other, and I am confident that it will continue.” HAMILTON City of Hamilton Mayor Dominic Farrenkopf quickly followed suit on March 20 by issuing the city’s own Emergency Procla-
Bitterroot Star -- Page 3 mation. The city will be adhering to all directives issued by the State of Montana and by the Ravalli County Incident Management Team. Meetings of boards, commissions and advisory groups and all other scheduled public meetings and hearings of the City Council are temporarily postponed, unless the meeting is legally required to take action. In such case, the meeting shall be held for the purpose of taking such legally required action only, and may be held via electronic means with audio and/or visual communication. The proclamation recognizes the Mayor’s authority to administer all affairs and departments of the City, including but not limited to implementing orders for employees to work form home and self-quarantine. The Mayor has the authority to approve contracts and expenditures in furtherance of implementing emergency services pursuant to this Declaration, and taking all measures deemed necessary to address the emergency, subject to retroactive approval by the City Council. The Mayor, upon ratification of this Declaration by a 4/5th vote of the Hamilton City Council, is authorized to enter into agreements and contracts, and make purchases and expenditures, without adhering to state and local procuring requirements, contracts, purchases, and expenditures necessary to implement this Declaration and to no others. The Declaration was deemed effective immediately on March 20, 2020. STEVENSVILLE The Stevensville Town Council met on March 20 and passed an Emergency Ordinance enacting measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The ordinance was passed on a 3 to 1 vote with Council President Bob Michalson dissenting. Michalson stated that he believed the ordinance was illegal and that the council cannot by law authorize the mayor to pay claims that are not approved by council. Mayor Dewey said the town does so regularly each year a couple of times due to holidays. Michalson said, “That’s gonna change.” Town attorney Scott Owens stated that the ordinance was legal and that the council could approve the mayor’s payment of bills without council approval and then approve them after-the-fact. Michalson said he still didn’t believe it was legal. Mayor Dewey said to Michalson, “I’m asking you to put your hatchet down and put our vendetta against the mayor aside and do something for the good of the town.” Michalson said there was not a lot of trust in the mayor at the table after the recent contract fiasco. “And now you sit here and ask us to give you the authority to pay claims?” Councilor Jaime Devlin spoke up, saying, “This is absolutely not the day to do this. We are not children. We are adults in
charge of the Town of Stevensville. So let’s act like that and come together and figure something out.” She said having the mayor pay the claims made sense. Owens assured the council once again that the ordinance was legal in his opinion and the council voted 3 to 1 to approve it. Effective upon passage the ordinance cancels all Town board, commission, committee and council meetings through April 15, 2020. The Mayor is authorized to extend cancellation of meetings on a week-by-week basis beginning April 15, 2020. Town Hall offices are closed to the public from March 16 through April 15, 2020. The Mayor is authorized to extend the closure on a week-by-week basis beginning April 15, 2020. Essential services at Town Hall will continue to be provided to customers remotely. The Town temporarily waives all late fees and will not shut off service for delinquent water and sewer accounts through April 15, 2020. The ordinance approves emergency leave up to an equivalent of two weeks paid leave for all Town employees who are required to be quarantined by the Ravalli County Health Department or a licensed physician due to COVID-19. The ordinance also authorizes the Mayor to pay all claims and take any other such action authorized by law for public health, safety and welfare of the community, and for the continuity of business, which the Council will approve once the Council resumes regular operations.
Bitterroot Star distribution As of Monday, weekly home delivery of the Bitterroot Star is set to continue. We will take any precautions necessary to ensure that the health of our employees and our readers is protected. Delivery to the outside stands will also continue until further notice. However, there may be some interruption in deliveries to retail locations. We apologize for any inconvenience. The health and safety of everyone is our highest priority at this time. For more information contact Victoria at 777-3928 or 207-8793.
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Page 4 -- Bitterroot Star
Bitterroot Star Editorial Board Michael Howell Victoria Howell
Opinion
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Guest Comment
Rallying together as Montanans in times of crisis By Montana Governor Steve Bullock
Montanans are no strangers to challenging and unprecedented times. In 2017, we tackled the most expensive fire season on record and the largest since the big burn of 1910. Through economic downturns, we have made sacrifices in order to help neighbors in need and rebuilt again. Even dating back to the Granite Mountain mine disaster over a century ago, we made sure we came out of it a stronger community. With coronavirus now reaching our state, we again face challenging and unprecedented times. This pandemic not only gives way to extraordinary health risks, but with it a ripple effect on our economic and social well-being. Montanans have always rallied together in times of crisis. It’s time that we do so again. Our first priority is prevention. The small sacrifices we make now – missing out on a cancelled event, avoiding crowds, and staying home if you feel sick – means keeping more folks healthy. The person ahead of you in line at the grocery store could be among those most at risk of falling ill to the virus. Social distancing is a primary protective measure, and I urge every Montanan to take this seriously in order to protect our friends and neighbors most vulnerable to the disease. With prevention, we can slow the spread of this virus and reduce strain on our frontline health care workers. This requires difficult decisions – ones that I do not take lightly and that I know will disrupt Montana families. But the actions we take now will ensure our state is better off in the long run. I directed the closure of dine-in food service and alcohol beverage businesses, as well as other entities that pose enhanced risks because it imposes large gatherings of people, such as movie theaters, casinos, and health clubs. I encourage Montanans to utilize take-out and delivery service to support our fellow businesses. I also directed the closure of public K-12 schools for two weeks while communities, parents, and schools plan for the event of a longer closure, making sure we’re still providing students with a quality education through distance learning and with essential services, such as school meals. I have suspended visitation in Montana’s nursing homes, except for certain compassionate
Ravalli County needs a real community college
Dear Editor, Here is a good example of how people are easily fooled. Although it functions in some ways that resemble the way a college functions, the truth is that Bitterroot College in Hamilton, MT is not really a college. If you look more closely, you will see that it would be more accurate to say that Bitterroot College is, in fact, a University of Montana educational outreach “program.” And that is exactly what Bitterroot College was called in 2009 when it was formed by UM to make some college-level courses available to residents of the Bitterroot Valley. It was called the “Bitterroot College Program.” In other words, Bitterroot College is really a program that was somewhat misleadingly dubbed a “college” because it functions in some ways like a real college even though it is clearly not a college. Understandably, this name game has caused confusion among Ravalli County residents about the true status of Bitterroot College. So what? you might say. A rose by any other name smells as sweet. Well, not exactly. And especially not if the rose is really a dandelion. Calling an educational outreach “program” a “college” does not make it be a real college.
Letters
This little distinction makes a huge difference, as will be made clear below. And it is precisely because Bitterroot College is, in truth, merely an outreach program and not a real college, that Ravalli County residents are being asked in the upcoming May 5th election to vote for creating a real community college in Ravalli County. “Don’t we already have a community college?” That is the first question listed in the FAQ section of the Bitterroot Valley Community College Initiative website (www.bvCommunityCollege.org) sponsored by the Ravalli County Workforce Alliance. The answer is “No.” But why would residents of Ravalli County think that there already is a community college in the Bitterroot Valley when there actually is not? Here is how Ravalli County residents got fooled about that. Back on May 8, 2007 the residents of Ravalli County voted in favor of establishing a community college in the valley. But the will of Ravalli County voters was thwarted in February 2009 when the legislature decided not to approve the voters’ decision to establish a community college in Ravalli County. Instead, according to the Bitterroot College website (www.umt.edu/bitterroot-college), the MUS Board of Regents instructed the University of Montana to establish what is best described as an outreach educational program in the Bitterroot Valley.
Bitterroot Star
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Publishers - Michael & Victoria Howell Editors - Michael & Victoria Howell Sports Editor - Jean Schurman Advertising Sales Consultants Jean Schurman (239-4354) & Liz Cook (880-2007) Graphic Designer - Deven Monta TheBitterroot Bitterroot Star Star isispublished published weekly weekly at 115 W. 3rd, Street, Suite 108, The at 115 W. 3rd Suite 108, Stevensville,Montana. Montana.Subscriptions Subscriptions are are$40 $50 per per year year in in Ravalli RavalliCounty, Stevensville, County, $60 per out of and county, per year out of state. $50 per year out year of county, $60and out $70 of state. The Postal Service will no longer forward the Bitterroot Star. Address changes to our mailing list are made once a month and can be made by contacting the Star office at 777-3928.
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care situations. Montana has a higher percentage of older adults – those must susceptible to severe illness from COVID-19 – and this measure is imperative to keeping these older generations safe. I also supported the Montana University System in its decision to move to online classes for the remainder of the semester. We are also monitoring the impacts of COVID-19 from a public health perspective and an economic health perspective and taking quick action to care for our fellow Montanans during these times: • Emergency rules are now in effect to streamline unemployment benefits. Workers impacted by COVID-19, whether it’s because they’ve been laid off, are quarantined, or need to take care of a family member, can do so without worrying about how they will make ends meet. • Montanans without health insurance, who receive a recommendation from a doctor, will be able to receive coverage for COVID-19 testing, and if they test positive, treatment. • Access to telemedicine services have been expanded to ensure Medicaid patients receive quality health care in their homes to prevent unnecessary gatherings at health care facilities and keep our health care workers safe. • Small businesses across Montana are now eligible for emergency loans to help them weather temporary closures and bounce back from critical quarantine efforts. I’m inspired by the business owners and local communities who have made adjustments to their daily operating processes in interest of public health. I’m inspired by the teachers, cooks, and volunteers who are making sure kids still have a school meal to rely on. I’m inspired by the doctors and nurses who treat us, and the lab techs who spend late nights performing tests. I’m inspired by the Montanans who are checking on neighbors. I’m inspired, but not surprised. As Montanans, we have always recognized that when we have a long and hard road ahead, we are better off taking that road together. With coronavirus in our state, we have a lot of work left to do and many more challenges to overcome. But as Montanans, I have no doubt that is what we will do.
Thus, in 2009, under the auspices of the Bitterroot College Program Steering Committee, UM established the “Bitterroot College Program.” Many Ravalli County residents, understandably but mistakenly, thought that this was the community college they had voted for in 2007. It wasn’t. An outreach “program” is not a community college. To add to the confusion, in 2012 the Board of Regents decided to change the name of the program from “Bitterroot College Program” to “Bitterroot College.” That certainly made it sound like there is now a genuine college in Ravalli County. There isn’t. This becomes clearer (or more confusing!) if you go to the University of Montana website and look at the page entitled “Academic Units” (www.umt.edu/ academics/colleges-schools-anddepartments). Bitterroot College is listed on this page. That creates the appearance of Bitterroot College having the same academic status as the UM “College of Business,” for example, or any of the other eight UM colleges listed on the page. It doesn’t. One way you can tell that BC is significantly different than any other UM college is that BC is the only “college” listed on the UM “Academic Units” page that is not headed by a Dean. Instead, BC is headed by a “Director”— appropriate for a mere “program” but inappropriate for a real college. The status (or lack of
status!) of BC becomes even more confusing if you visit the website for the Montana University System (MUS). Look at the page entitled “Colleges and Universities” (https://mus.edu/Universities/ university_main.html). You will find that Bitterroot College is included with “the sixteen universities and colleges of the Montana University System (MUS).” But that is incorrect. BC is a mere “program” that is being falsely made to look like an independent MUS college! How can you tell? Unlike the 15 other legitimate MUS universities and colleges, BC is not accredited or guided by a charter; is not able to grant degrees of any kind; is not headed by a Dean, and, importantly, is not directly funded through the state appropriations process approved by the legislature like all real MUS units. (BC is financed by discretionary funds disbursed by the Provost’s office at UM.) Why is it important for Ravalli County residents to be clear about the fact that Bitterroot College is not a real community college? Because Ravalli County residents are being shortchanged by this name-confounding sleightof-hand. BC is inadequately funded since it is merely a program and not a real, independent college. Yes, BC is doing a pretty good job under the circumstances but is unable to effectively serve the educational needs of Ravalli County because of its limitations as an outreach program that is
inadequately funded to meet the needs of Ravalli County. Look at it this way. Ravalli County residents pay taxes into the state fund that support all the MUS units in Montana. But BC is not a MUS unit. Thus, state tax dollars from Ravalli County that are earmarked for higher education do not come back to Ravalli County. Instead, they go to all the other counties where there are legitimate MUS units. Thus, Ravalli County residents are being duped and shortchanged. There is a solution to this inequity. Voting to establish an all-new Bitterroot Valley Community College as a truly independent community college in the MUS system will bring those tax dollars back to Ravalli County. And those tax dollars, together with the direct investment made by Ravalli County residents to support a real community college, will produce a substantial return on that investment for the people right here in the Bitterroot Valley. Think about that. And then vote FOR establishing a Bitterroot Valley Community College District in Ravalli County on your mail-in ballot between April 17th and May 5th. Robert D. Walsh, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor Bitterroot College
Legislators respond to COVID-19 challenge
Dear Editor, The overall severity of the COVID-19 virus outbreak is not yet clear. But prudence dictates that we act decisively to contain the virus’ spread. It is time to follow the lead of our president and Montana’s governor by complying with guidance being provided by federal and state public health officials. The risk is too great to do otherwise. It can wait until later to argue about whether this has been an overreaction. But the negative economic impact of COVID-19 is already clear. Many businesses across the state are reducing their operations or being forced to shut down. This in turn threatens the livelihood of many Montana workers, while those still working face childcare challenges due to school closures. There is some good news. Due to actions taken by the legislature over the past three sessions, the state’s fiscal position is sound. The Budget Stabilization Reserve Fund has a balance of about $115 million, the Fire Fund stands at $55 million, the General Fund balance is nearly $300 million, and the state’s unemployment insurance fund has $360 million in reserves. What this means is that resources are available for crafting short-term policies that can help Montana’s businesses and their employees weather this storm. Appropriations Committee chairman Nancy Ballance and the legislature’s other key fiscal leaders from the House and the Senate are working with legislative staff, other legislators from both parties,
and Governor Bullock to find ways to mitigate COVID-19’s impact on Montana’s economy. Another bright spot is that the passage of Republicansponsored healthcare reform bills during the 2019 legislative session is helping hospitals across the state remain open as well as provide needed medical care to low-income workers and primary caregivers. Had these reforms not been put in place, hospitals would have to devote scarce funds to providing uncompensated “charity care,” which they are morally and legally obligated to do. The net effect in the face of the COVID19 outbreak would have been a reduction in resources available to treat all patients. Thankfully, this is not the case. We fully support Attorney General Fox’s proactive leadership in the realm of public safety. In addition, Legislative Finance-Education Subcommittee chairman David Bedey is closely coordinating with Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen as she leads in mitigating the effects of school closures. Among the options under consideration or in the process of being implemented are one-time cancellation of annual testing requirements and temporary relaxation of some accreditation standards. We also are encouraged by the fact that recent legislation promoting proficiency-based learning may ease the challenge our school districts are facing as they strive to educate Montana’s students under these trying circumstances. During any election season, but particularly in today’s hyperpolarized political environment, it is difficult for politicians to come together on anything. But it is time to put partisanship aside. While not abandoning one’s principles, it is possible to display the statesmanship necessary to respond to the COVID-19 challenge. We intend to do just that. This is neither the first, nor will it be the last, crisis Montanans will face. The state has resources to deal with this issue, and your legislators are engaged. Working together, we shall prevail. Representative David Bedey, HD 86 Representative Nancy Ballance, HD 87 Representative Sharon Greef, HD 88
Blame game
Dear Editor, So, you want to blame somebody for the Covid-19 outbreak? Look up… God is culling the herd! Jane Lambert Stevensville
Letters Policy
Although it is solely at the discretion of the owners/editors, in the interest of promoting free speech it is the policy of the Bitterroot Star to print all letters as space permits, with very few exceptions. If you don’t see yours, call Victoria at 777-3928.
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Calendar
Hamilton Senior Center activities
Monday: Lunch 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Cribbage 2nd & 4th week, 1 p.m.; Toenail Care by appt. 1st & last week; Bingo 1st & 3rd week, 5:30-9 p.m. Tuesday: Toastmasters 6:30-8 a.m.; Western Line Dancing 10-11 a.m.; Clogging 1-4 p.m. Wednesday: Lunch 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Bridge for Fun, 10 a.m.; Bridge 1-5 p.m. Friday: Line dancing 10-11:30 a.m.; Lunch 11:45 a.m.12:30 p.m.; Pinochle 1st, 3rd & 5th weeks, 1 p.m. Saturday: Flea market, 2nd week, Sept-May 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Special Bingo 1st week, Oct-May, 12 noon; Sunday: Bridge 1-5 p.m. For info: 363-5181.
Stevi Senior Center activities
Monday-Friday: Free coffee, 8-11 a.m., Lunch, 11:30 a.m. Monday: Bridge, 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday: Exercise class, 10-11 a.m. Tuesday: Quilters, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesday: Paint with Sue, 1-3 p.m. (1:30 on 3rd Wednesday) Every Other Wednesday: Fiddlers at Lunch 3rd Wednesday: Special Birthday Lunch, 12 noon, with music. Blood pressures taken. 2nd and 4th Thursday: Cribbage at 12:15 pm Friday: Pinochle, 12:15; Monday & Saturday, 7 p.m. For more information call the Center at 777-5681.
Victor Senior Center activities
Monday-Friday - Men’s Coffee, 8 a.m. Monday-Friday - Lunch, 11:30 a.m. Includes main course, salad bar, dessert, beverage. Donation 60 and over $3.50, under 60 $6 (RSVP 642-3320) Tuesdays: Bingo, 6 p.m. Wednesdays: Pinochle with snacks, 7 p.m. Fridays - Ladies’ Coffee, 10 a.m. Everyone welcome. Victor Senior Center is located at 246 5th Avenue.
Florence senior lunches
Lunch is available through the Council on Aging for senior citizens and others in the Florence area on Mondays at the Florence Fire Hall. Serving begins at 11:30 a.m. Prices are: 60 and over $3.50, under 60 - $6.00. For more information, call the Council on Aging at 363-5690.
Lolo senior lunches
Lolo senior lunch group (60+) meet at 11 a.m. at local restaurants for food, friendship and fun. There is a $4 donation but no one is turned away. Congregate lunches through MAS (Missoula Aging Services). Call 529-1819 to schedule your lunch.
Golden Agers
The Golden Age Club is located at 727 S. 5th in Hamilton. The club’s business meeting is held on the first Wednesday of every month at 1 p.m. All members are asked to attend to review activities and plan new ones. Cake and ice cream is served. Card games (pinochle, multibid racehorse) are played on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday and 1st and 3rd Monday of the month at 1 p.m. There is a $2 charge per person. Exercise classes are held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m. Blood pressure is
checked every third Wednesday of the month at 9 a.m. Guests are welcome. The hall is also available for members to use for personal activities. A monetary donation to cover hall expenses is expected. For more information call 363-0142.
AA meetings
Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the following times and places: Monday: 7 p.m., Spirit of Christ Catholic Church, 5475 Farm Land Road, Lolo Tuesday: 7 p.m., St. Mary’s Parish basement, 333 Charlo Street, Stevensville Wednesday: Big Book Study Meeting, 7 p.m., St. Joseph Mission, 224 Linder Street, Florence Thursday: 7 p.m., St. Mary’s Parish basement, 333 Charlo Street, Stevensville Friday: Discussion Meeting, 7:30 p.m., St. Joseph Mission, 224 Linder Street, Florence 3rd Saturday: Women’s Group, 9:30 a.m., St. Joseph Catholic Church, 224 Linder Street, Florence Sunday: Big Book Study Meeting, 5:30 p.m., Victor Senior Center, 243 5th Ave. Check for local meetings by calling the hotline 1-888-607-2000 or by visiting www.aa-montana. org.
ST. STEPHENS EPISCOPAL CHURCH 203 Stevensville •• 777-0028 360-2661 203Main MainSt.• Stevensville
Worship at 12:0011p.m. Sunday Worship AM In this Church there shall be no outcasts. In this Church there shall be no outcasts. facebook.com/Ravalli-CountyWIC.
Fish Fries
Knights of Columbus will hold a “drive by” fish fry every Friday night from 5 to 7 p.m. during Lent at St. Mary’s Family Center in Stevensville. Menu is fish, French fries, vegetable, roll and dessert. Cost is $10 for adults, $7 for children ages 7-10 and free for children 6 and under.
Got jewels?
Stevensville Al-Anon Group meets each Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the small dining room at the Living Centre, 57 Main Street. Anyone who is affected by the compulsive drinking of a relative or friend is invited. For more information call 239-0878.
Bitter Root Humane Association would love to have them for its upcoming “2nd Time Around Jewelry Sale” being held on July 25th. Now’s a great time to sort through all your jewelry boxes and drawers and donate items that you just don’t love or appreciate like you use to. BRHA is seeking all things jewelry - precious, costume or homemade... rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins, buckles and even jewelry boxes! Donations to BRHA are tax deductible and items can be brought to the shelter located at 262 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton during open business hours, mailed to BRHA, PO Box 57, Hamilton MT 59840 or to arrange pickup, email Mary at dogmommary@aol.com.
Narcotics Anon
Free dinners to go
Al-Anon
Narcotics Anonymous meets every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at St. Francis Parish Center, 411 S. 5th, Hamilton (north entrance).
Free Indeed
Free Indeed, a faith-based addiction support group, meets every Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church, 230 3rd Avenue in Victor. Contact Donald Layman at 203-8579 or Pastor Jim Landis at 642-9849.
Gamblers Anon
Gamblers Anonymous meets Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church, 411 S. 5th Street in Hamilton.
Overeaters Anon
Overeaters Anonymous meets every Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church (west door), 1220 W. Main, Hamilton. For more information call 3632512.
WIC clinics
Ravalli County WIC is a nutrition education program that serves pregnant, post-partum, and breastfeeding women, children from birth to age 5 and women whose pregnancies have ended early. WIC also welcomes dads, grandparents, and foster families. The WIC program is offered In Hamilton Monday through Thursday 8:30-4:30 at 205 Bedford Street, Suite P, District Courthouse Building in Hamilton. The Stevensville clinic is open on Wednesdays at the United Methodist Church, 216 College Street in Stevensville. The Victor Clinic is the second Tuesday of the month at the Victor Nazarene Church. The Darby clinic is open every month on the third Monday of the month at the Darby Library. Income guidelines are 1-$23,107; 2- $31,284; 3-$39,461; 4-$47,638; 5-$55,815. For each additional family member add $8,177. Call 406-802-7180 for more information or see on Facebook; www.
Bitterroot Star -- Page 5
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Free To-Go Soul Suppers are being served Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Stevensville Senior Center parking lot at 100 Mission Street, Stevensville. Dinners are free for all ages! For more information, contact Corey at (406) 214-8708.
Senior shuttle
The BitterRoot Bus will be running a 6:30 a.m. Shuttle for Seniors and people with compromised immune systems on Tuesdays and Thursdays until further notice. This bus will be for seniors to get to Albertsons for 7 to 9 a.m. senior shopping. Call the BitterRoot Bus at 363-7484 to schedule your ride. You must call in advance!
Victor School meal program
The Victor School is offering a free meals program for children 18 years and under through the Summer Food Service Program. For more information call (406)642-3221.
Social distancing. EllaBay Jackson, 12 years old, and her cousin, Zoey Schurman, age 6, have been visiting through the fence for the last week. Jean Schurman photo.
Schools continued
Office of Public Instruction School Nutrition Programs, provides free, nutritious meals and snacks throughout the summer when school is out. “This week it was easy to roll over to that program,” said Stiegler. The lunchroom staff spent last Tuesday preparing and packing breakfast and lunch for 85 students to be delivered on Wednesday. They used the existing bus routes to deliver the food. Thursday, they delivered 120 breakfasts and lunches, and on Friday they were up to serving 130. Stiegler said in one instance the district was very lucky. One of their big freezers went down in early March. “We just got it back up and repaired. That was good.” In all, Stiegler feels his district is prepared to handle the closure of the bricks and mortar school by going to an online platform. He said that by not waiting for everything to be in place at the state and national level, his staff just went ahead and made plans to help their students. “I am happy to see our educational community, and our community, come together,” he said. Darby also feels that they are somewhat ahead of the game with the physical school being closed. The district already has a personalized learning program in place for most of the high school, so superintendent Dan Johnston feels it’s been an easier transition for them. All students from fifth grade to seniors have Chrome books and know how to use them. The teachers are familiar with Google Classroom which is the platform they will use, along with using Zoom to broadcast lessons. The district has reached out to families of students who have special needs to work with them. Johnston said they have the content but need to come up with systems that will work for everyone. The para professionals are also working remotely one-on-one with the individuals and their families. The school will continue to fine tune their programs up to and through Spring Break which ends April 14th. The school board has extended Darby’s school closures to this date.
We are doing our part to stop the spread & conserve important resources As always we will continue to see patients on an EMERGENCY basis Stay healthy Wash your hands Support local
Barry Yaskus D.D.S. 201 Barbara St, Stevensville 777-5582
Darby currently has 329 students enrolled from kindergarten to 12th grade. They have also participated in the SFSP program and are set up for home delivery of breakfasts and lunches. Last Thursday they served 85 students. Now they can serve anyone 18 years and younger in the Darby district. The meals may be picked up from 5 to 7 p.m., curbside, in front of the school. Victor School closed their doors to students on March 16 in order to prepare for distance learning. While the students weren’t there, the teachers and staff were preparing for this, according to Superintendent Lance Pearson. “The cooks put in a big order for shelf stable foods and we applied for the SFSP,” said Pearson. “Now we are delivering using vans which follow the bus routes. We did 160 breakfasts and lunches this week.” Victor School will also be using Google Classroom as their platform. Teachers who have compromised immune systems have been working from home for the last week. He said that Principal Diane Woodard has a strong background in technology and has worked hard to get all the teachers’ platforms up to date. Pearson said the first thing they did was to identify who doesn’t have internet and try to find solutions for them. Students have been able to come by the school and pick up their Chrome books and packets. Students from sixth grade up are given Chrome books at the beginning of the year. Students with special needs will still have those needs met through the teachers and para professionals. Those who may use special services such as mental health services will be more difficult to set up programs for because of a higher degree of confidentiality. But the school is working with these professionals and may use tele-therapy to help these students. Victor School finishes up the third quarter on Thursday. The students began online classes on Monday. They were scheduled to be off for Spring Break from Friday through next Tuesday. This gives the district two weeks to work out any problems that may come up this week, according to Pearson. “After this week, we should be able to move to a distance learning model, provide meals, and figure out how to provide ser-
vices to those students with special needs. We want to have everyone practicing social distancing for the next 15 to 30 days.” Like the rest of the schools, Hamilton is providing breakfasts and lunches to students in the district. As of now, they may be picked up at Daly School in the new foyer. They are working to deliver homebound students meals on a case by case basis, according to district spokeswoman Justine Stewart. Stewart said the district’s special education teachers are contacting families and are continuing to individualize education as needed for each student through work packets as well as Google Classroom. “We are learning to adapt to our students’ needs as we adapt to a new way of teaching,” said Stewart. Stewart also said HSD3 is utilizing social media as much as they can. Superintendent Tom Korst went live last week on Facebook and outlined three phases. The first one, just get something started and provide an educational platform whether it’s through digital, Chrome books, or paper and pencil. Phase 2 is to develop this program further to get it to what they’d like it to be. To achieve this, Hamilton schools will be reaching out to families to provide more instructional support and meaningful instruction. The final phase is to integrate these new approaches into the existing system. Korst said on the video, “I see this becoming part of our system and this is a good opportunity to practice it and maybe perfect it, even though the circumstances are unfortunate.” For those who don’t have computers, more Chrome books have been ordered. The WiFi at the schools will stay on and be available in the guest parking lot. For those on Facebook, there are several activities that help connect the students during this social distancing. They recently had a spirit day and encouraged students to post a photo of themselves in Bronc or Colt apparel. All the schools are trying to make their students’ educational experience meaningful and give them a sense of being connected. Contact your child’s district office with any questions.
Page 6 -- Bitterroot Star
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Event cancellations Quantum Group
The Quantum Group of the Bitterroot has stopped meetings with an indefinite restart date in view of the Coronavirus pandemic. See the website www// Quantumgb, e-mail blaise. favara@gmail or call 363-0683 for more information.
Accordion Club
Five Valley Accordion Club has cancelled its dance/jams until further notice, due to the Gover-
nor declaring a state of emergency in regards to the coronavirus. This includes the annual meeting and dinner/dance.
See’s candy sale
The Soroptimist Easter See’s candy sale has been cancelled. They thank you for your support and will ‘See’ you for Christmas!
Quilters Guild
Bitterroot Quilters Guild has cancelled their regular meeting,
originally slated for Wednesday, March 25. Meetings will resume on April 22, if the general quarantine has been lifted by that date. Membership in the Guild is open to quilters from beginner through advanced; contact Tena Chapman, Membership Chair, at 406-3814755. For more information, visit the Bitterroot Quilters Guild on Facebook.
‘Lamb of God’ production
The performance of “Lamb of God” scheduled for March
26-28 at First Presbyterian Church in Missoula has been cancelled.
Lecture Series
The Lecture Series “St. Mary’s Mission - Then and Now” scheduled for Thursday, April 2 at Ravalli County Museum and Saturday, April 4 at North Valley Public Library in Stevensville has been cancelled.
Farmers market meeting
A meeting for vendors and
potential vendors of the Stevensville Farmers Market scheduled for Sunday, March 29 has been cancelled. For more information contact Stacie at 381-6145.
Center for Spiritual Life
All activities at the Center for Spiritual Life are cancelled until further notice.
Elks Lodge
concerns.
Bluegrass Festival
The April 18th MRBA Bluegrass Festival has been rescheduled for Sept 26th.
Garden Club
The Stevensville Garden Club meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 1 has been cancelled. Call Colleen at 273-3973 for more info.
The Elks Lodge in Hamilton is now closed due to virus
We're all in this together
so let's support each other!
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FIGARO'S PIZZA
1151 N 1st St. Hamilton, Open for Pick-up & Delivery in the Hamilton & Corvallis area Open 7 days a week • Order online at figaros.com or call 375-0164
TIRE RAMA
500 N 1st St, Hamilton
Still open for business!
Will pick up your vehicle in the Hamilton area! Call 363-2995 for more info
MOOSE CREEK BBQ
104 Kootenai CK Road Stevi To go orders & Delivery Bell Crossingto Florence to 3 Mile Store Mon-Sat 4pm-7pm view our menu at moosecreekbbqmt.com or call in at 363-9152
TACO DEL SOL
225 W Main St, Hamilton To-Go orders, curb side pick up Delivery in the Hamilton area Large order please email hamiltontacodelsol@gmail.com 375-8226
WBC STEVENSVILLE We are open for business!
3956 Highway 93 N 777-1452 M-F 8-5, Sat 8-2 Our doors are open, but we are happy to take phone orders for curbside service Some orders are eligible for free scheduled local delivery (restrictions apply)
LUBE QUICK
1000 N 1st St, Hamilton Don’t want to go out? Free pick-up & Delivery in Hamilton Monday-Friday • 8am-5:30pm • 363-4221
COFFEE CUP
500 S 1st St Hamilton Open for To-Go orders 7 Days a week! 363-3822
CORVALLIS NAPA AUTO PARTS
1001 Main St, Corvallis Open as normal for all your essential parts! Open 7 days a week Call for availability of parts 961-3031
BITTERROOT BUS
6:30 AM Shuttle for Seniors & people with compromised immune systems Tuesdays & Thursdays until further notice This bus will be for SENIORS to get to Albertsons for 7-9 senior shopping Please call 363-7484 to schedule your ride. You MUST call in advance! Bitterroot Bus is still open for general rides as well!
CJ'S DEN
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BITTERROOT WIRELESS Curbside Pickup • Delivery Batteries • Phone Repair and more 3920 US 93 • Stevensvile
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BITTERROOT STAR
Local News • Doorstep delivery Hamilton, Corvallis, Stevensville www.bitterrootstar.com
777-3928
BITTER ROOT LAUNDRY EASY CLEANERS Bring it in, do it yourself. Or we can do it for you! Drive through window Drop Off and Pick Up Dry Cleaning • Laundry Wash, Dry, Fold WE ARE OPEN 500 Main St • Stevensville 777-7002 115 Pine St • Hamilton 363-6550
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Bitterroot Star -- Page 7
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Page 8 -- Bitterroot Star
WE ARE OPEN!
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
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Bitterroot Star -- Page 9
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
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Page 10 -- Bitterroot Star
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
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Burnt Fork Veterinary Clinic Effective Wednesday 3/18/2020 Curbside Service At this time, we are implementing curbside service to help minimize the impact of COVID-19 on our hospital staff, clients, and community. Please CALL from your vehicle and DO NOT ENTER the clinic. Prescriptions and food pickup will be handled in the same manner. If you have ANY symptoms please cancel your appointment and DO NOT bring your pets in. We will keep you updated to the best of our ability as this situation changes.
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Bitterroot Star -- Page 11
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
It’s spring stonefly – in Latin Climate change documented
The first few reports are usually over-optimistic: “I saw one! I saw one! The hatch is on!” When it’s up to three or more verified reports totaling seventeen actual insects, then it’s official. Maybe that’s a stretch, but you get the idea. That’s the way the skwala hatch is heralded every spring, and this year is no exception.
Flyfishing with Chuck Stranahan Some people are eager to go fish it on the West Fork. No. I tell them, the water temps are too cold up there and rainbows are up there for pre-runoff spawning. Their spawning habitat has taken a hit in recent years and it’s best to leave them alone. The better fishing is right here in town, I tell them. They seem disappointed. Fishing in town doesn’t seem like much fun. The town stretch Never mind that the water around Hamilton and downstream through Stevensville has been the best skwala stonefly water historically for decades, and never mind that the water temperatures are right in the middle and lower river for those bugs to come out. Never mind that some of the stretches behind town are as wild as Yellowstone Park – you’ll see all sorts of bird and wildlife, much of it in the newly-acquired Skalkaho Bend Park. And never mind that the size of the rocks the bugs hide under, and the stream flows, and the bankside willows on the outside of bends all make ideal habitat for these and other prerunoff stoneflies. Habitat is the key. Habitat for bugs is as important as habitat for the trout. Abundant bug habitat produces robust bug populations that in turn feeds robust trout populations, with greater numbers of healthy fish with faster growth rates than marginal bug habitat, other factors being equal. Bitterroot bug habitat On the Bitterroot, the variety of water types and attendant bug habitat drives the production of a wide variety of bugs. Some of our take-it-for-granted hatches are marginal on other rivers. We have all the major ones – and then some.
The pre-runoff skwala stonefly, represented by a #8 or #10 dark brown-olive dry fly and a #8 suitably dark stonefly nymph, causes a major flurry here every season. The widespread hunt for premier springtime skwala fishing, I think, began here and spread to other waters throughout the west. It’s that good. Andy Carlson was among the first to key this insect out and begin fishing it in earnest. Instead of publicizing it as the early olive stone or some such, he called it by its Latin name in his marketing releases. The name – and the fine fishing it produced – were first heard significantly on the Bitterroot and spread from here. A skwala by any other name The branding stuck. Now we all call them skwalas. We don’t do that with the other major stonefly hatches. Never mind that in Oregon the skwala is called the willow fly. Even though we might know the Latin name, we call the big orangish ones that hatch post-runoff salmonflies – not pteronarcys. Salmonfly is more universal and it’s been used for years. On the Madison here in Montana or on Oregon’s Deschutes, everybody knows what you’re talking about when you say salmonfly. Pteronarcys, anyone? Besides, try to say pteronarcys real loud, pronouncing both the p and the t, without spitting. It’s a real challenge after the second beer in a bar where anglers gather after a day on the river. That’s a word you don’t want to mispronounce in a big stranger’s face. It could get you in trouble. Best to call them salmonflies. Then there’s the golden stone. The common name, golden stone, beautifully describes the insect and has sort of a romantic ring to it. The dry flies we use for the golden stone can be beautiful in themselves. The Latin designations, several of them for a family of look-alike insects we call golden stones, are tongue-twisting verbal oddities that sound more like geriatric disorders or fertilizer for geraniums. I’ll stick with golden stones. Spring stone willow… And so, for better or worse, we’re stuck with skwala as the name for our spring stoneflies. It coulda been the willow fly. And following suit, we’re also stuck with capnia for those itty-bitty black stoneflies that hatch earlier. In Colorado they call them snowflies. They’re real skinny and can run from a #20 imitation up to a #16. And they’re easiest to see when they’re crawling around on a snowbank near a river. On the water they’re less visible to us
Crossword Puzzle
ACROSS 1. Held 4. Plasm 10. Flying saucer 11. Made a grating sound 12. Ml 13. Defend 14. Checks over paper 16. Convert into leather 17. Frau’s husband 18. Former spouse 20. Shot 22. Island 26. Shirt protector 29. Scolded 31. Rewriter 33. Southwestern Indian 34. Soften 35. Chewy stuff 36. The milky way is ours 37. Hotel
DOWN 1. Expressing dislike word 2. On fire 3. Sorrow 4. Professor (abbr.) 5. Slipup 6. Viper 7. Blemish 8. Tableland 9. City in Yemen 15. Bolus 19. Roman twelve 21. Manhattan’s neighbor 23. Counterfeit coins 24. Lull 25. Water retention 26. Floating ice 27. Thought 28. Poster 30. Pretentious 32. British drink
© Feature Exchange
than a small ant or spent mayfly later in the year, but the trout see them and eat them. Plenty of them. They’re still around, and when conditions are right where you’re fishing the trout can get on them and ignore everything else. Better have some along. It doesn’t hurt to run one behind a larger fly when the fishing is slow, just in case. You
might discover that those hardto-detect rises, so subtle as to be virtually non-existent, are on a little black capnia that you can’t see. I’d like to settle for snowflies for the designation of these insects, but capnia is in use and so capnia it is. Namoura, gray or brown Never mind that there are fifty-three identified species of capnia in the western United States and that the taxonomy is incomplete. We’ll call some capnia the Latin name namoura if they’re about a #16 or larger and gray. Namoura is what we call the gray stoneflies that are thick on parts of the river now. Never mind that some of those grayish medium-sized bugs can be large gray capnia. The trout eat them both. They also eat a little dark brown stonefly that can also appear, and that many anglers call a namoura. It isn’t. Sometimes the fish want the brown one and that’s it. Throwing the gray one at them won’t help – even if you know its name in Latin. See where this is going? It means that I’ll carry the following bugs in addition to the skwala, just in case I might need one: For sure a gray stone and maybe a brown, size #12 or #14, and a skinny little black stonefly #18. Simple, isn’t it? And by the way – the Latin name for that little brown stonefly is taeniopteryx. I think I’ll stick with brown. Author and flytyer Chuck Stranahan can be reached at chuck@chuck-stranahan.com or visit his fly shop at 109 E. Main in Hamilton.
Looking for the Bitterroot Star? It’s FREE on more than 100 newsstands from Lolo to Conner. Or call us at 777-3928 and we’ll let you know where the closest stand is.
By Michael Howell
At a recent talk in Hamilton sponsored by the Bitterroot Climate Action Group, retired fisheries biologist Chris Clancy discussed the scientific evidence concerning climate change. Being a scientist himself, he decided to look to the scientific community for an answer to two simple questions: Is it happening? What is causing it? The answer to both questions, according to Clancy, is clear. The earth is warming at an unprecedented rate and the change is being brought on by human activities. “It’s now more certain than ever, based on many lines of evidence, that humans are changing our climate. This is not from some advocacy group, this is from the Royal Academy of Scientists and National Academy of Scientists, and other scientific academies around the world,” said Clancy. Clancy said scientists started measuring carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere 120 years ago and recognized what is called the greenhouse effect, the trapping of heat in the atmosphere by a “blanket” of CO2. “This is not new science,” said Clancy, “this is well established and well accepted science.” According to Clancy, a number of studies have been done comparing available data on global warming which found that 97% of scientists from academies all over the world are in agreement that the recent changes in the earth’s climate are primarily human caused. He noted that the 3% in disagreement are not necessarily wackos. He said there are some pre-immanent scientists that have problems with certain aspects of human caused climate change. “Scientists are trained skeptics. They are arguing all the time,” said Clancy. To find them 97% in agreement over this is a big deal.” He said the most published scientists are the ones most in agreement. The earth’s temperature has been tracked by scientists since 1850 and shows a rapid climb beginning at the start of the industrial revolution and the massive contribution of CO2 by burning fossil fuels. Since the 1990s the average temperature of the earth has gone up basically about .75 degree centigrade and 2019 was recorded as the third warmest year on record. According to Clancy, there is a very strong correlation between atmospheric temperature and the amount of CO2 in the air and graphs of the CO2 concentration show the same dramatic upward jump in modern history as we see in the historic temperature trends. The highest concentration of CO2 in the past 800,000 years related to warm interglacial periods was 300 parts per million. In the last 100 years that concentration has jumped to over 400 ppm. The US Global Carbon Project (GCP) is an organization that seeks to quantify global greenhouse gas emissions and their causes. Established in 2001, its projects include global budgets
Chris Clancy, retired fisheries biologist, has been collecting scientific data regarding climate change in the Bitterroot, which he shared in a recent public presentation. Michael Howell photo. for three dominant greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide — and complementary efforts in urban, regional, cumulative, and negative emissions. The project has brought together emissions experts, earth scientists, and economists to tackle the problem of rising concentra-
See CLIMATE, page 14
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Crossword Answers on page 13
tions of greenhouse gases. What they have documented, according to Clancy, is the incredibly huge and unprecedented amount of CO2 being contributed to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. It has raised
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Page 12--Bitterroot Star
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WINTER SQUASH, POTATOES. Pro-Mix potting soil. Grain-fed beef and pork and eggs. Moeller’s Nursery, 946 Eastside Hwy, Corvalis. Open daily. 9613389. BAGGED WHOLE-GRAIN livestock feed: wheat, oats, barley. Cracked 3-Way (barley, oats, wheat), new crop hay. GRAIN-FED LOCKER BEEF. Call Russ, 3601125 or 961-3528. PRIVATE TREATY HEREFORD BULLS. MC brand MCMURRY CATTLE BILLING. WEBSITE: mcmurrycattle.com . REASONABLY PRICED PROVEN BALANCED TRAIT GENETICS Delivery available. HP (406) 254 1247. CELL. (406) 697 4040 Email mcmurrycattle@gmail.com
MTFWP is hiring seasonal AIS Watercraft Inspectors statewide. $13.78/hour. High School Diploma or equivalency and Valid Drivers License required. Apply online at statecareers.mt.gov. HOME CARE SERVICES is hiring caregivers and CNAs. Flexible schedule, competitive pay. Apply at 925 N. First Street in Hamilton. Call 375-8637. MONTANA CONSERVATION CORPS is not your typical summer adventure! Join us for no cost one to four week summer expeditions working on trails. More information and apply: https://mtcorps.org/ join/youth-programs/high-schoolexpedition/
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BITTERROOT MOWER REPAIR - Mobile service and repair of lawn and garden equipment. Serving the Bitterroot Valley. Call: (406) 518-1986.
BUILDINGS
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WANTED LEGAL NOTICES
AUTHENTIC TIMBER FRAMED BARNS. Residential and Commercial Timber Packages. Full Service Design - Build Since 1990, (406) 581 3014 brett@bitterrootgroup.com, www.bitterroottimberframes.com
FOR SALE 7 USED MOBILE HOMES 2010 and newer, in great shape. Call now, they won’t last long! $44,800 - Price includes delivery within 100 miles, blocked, leveled and central air conditioning. Call Jason at (406) 855-2279.
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Naomi J. Cheeney Cheeney Law, PLLC P.O. Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840 Phone: (406) 363-9060 Attorney for Personal Representa-
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL ENGLISH, Deceased. Case No.: DP-20-25 Dept. No. 2 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-
PROFESSIONAL OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT Downtown Stevensville includes: • 24 hr access $300/mo + $35/mo • Remodeled utilities • High visibility • Free parking • Garbage service Call Max 406-360-5728
named Estate. All persons having claims against the Decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to Alyssa English, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, to Cheeney Law, PLLC, PO Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or filed with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court. DATED this 2nd day of March 2020. /s/ Alyssa English, Personal Representative BS 3-11, 3-28, 3-25-20. MNAXLP Kenneth Bransby Bransby Law Firm, P.C. 515 Main Street Stevensville, Montana 59870 Phone: (406) 777-1000 bransbylaw@gmail.com Attorney for Co-Personal Representatives MONTANA TWENTY FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN RE THE ESTATE OF: LILLIE KATHRYN RICKEY, Decedent. Cause No.: DP-20-18 Dept. No.: 1 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned have been appointed Co-Personal Representatives of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the decedent are required to present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to the Co-Personal Representatives, Susan Love and Stephen Rickey, c/o Bransby Law Firm, P.C., 515 Main Street, Stevensville, Montana 59870, return receipt requested, or filed with the Clerk of the above Court. DATED this 11th day of March, 2020. /s/ SUSAN LOVE DATED this 16th day of March, 2020. /s/ Stephen Rickey State of Montana County of Ravalli This instrument was signed or acknowledged before me on March 11, 2020 by SUSAN LOVE. /s/ LISA RADCLIFF WALLACE NOTARY PUBLIC for the State of Montana Residing at Florence, MT My Commission Expires April 09, 2022. State of Idaho County of Canyon This instrument was signed or acknowledged before me on March 16, 2020 by STEPHEN RICKEY. /s/ Renee’ Hukill ADVERTISING Notary Public of the State of Idaho BS 3-25, 4-1, 4-8-20. MNAXLP MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE
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ESTATE OF DON P. SCOTT, Deceased. Also known as Don Perry Scott Cause No. DP-20-27 Dept. 2 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned have been appointed Co-Personal Representatives of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the said deceased are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to Judy Wall and/or Virginia Baldwin, the Co-Personal Representatives, return receipt requested, at the Law Offices of LAWRENCE D. JOHNSON, Attorney at Law, P.O. Box 500, Hamilton, Montana 59840, or filed with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court. Dated this 17th day of March, 2020 /s/ Judy Wall Co-Personal Representative 7861 FM 2410 Belton, TX 76513 /s/ Virginia Baldwin Co-Personal Representative 89 Northwoods Trail Whitefish, MT 59937 BS 3-25, 4-1, 4-8-20. MNAXLP
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Naomi J. Cheeney Cheeney Law, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840 Phone: (406) 363-9060 Attorney for Personal Representa-
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF VINSON LOUIS MARLIN, Deceased. Case No.: DP-20-29 Dept. No. 2 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the abovenamed Estate. All persons having claims against the Decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to Barbara C. Russo, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law, PLLC, PO Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or filed with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court. DATED this 19th day of March 2020. /s/ Barbara C. Russo, Personal Representative BS 3-25, 4-1, 4-8-20. MNAXLP
tive
Naomi J. Cheeney Cheeney Law, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840 Phone: (406) 363-9060 Attorney for Personal Representa-
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF IRENE MARY SIMONSEN, Deceased. Case No.: DP-20-28 Dept. No. 2 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the abovenamed Estate. All persons having claims against the Decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.
Claims must either be mailed to Barbara L. Simonsen, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law, PLLC, PO Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or filed with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court. DATED this 19th day of March 2020. /s/ Barbara L. Simonsen, Personal Representative BS 3-25, 4-1, 4-8-20. MNAXLP Montana 21st Judicial District Court, Ravalli County In the Matter of the Name Change of Charity Rae Winn, Charity Rae Winn, Petitioner Cause No. DV-20-63/3 Dept. No.: 2 NOTICE OF HEARING ON NAME CHANGE This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a change of name from Charity Rae Winn to Charity Rae Beeler. The hearing will be on April 2, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the Courthouse in Ravalli County. Dated: February 18, 2020 /s/ Paige Trautwein, Clerk of District Court By: Janenne Sorenson, Deputy Clerk of Court. BS 3-4, 3-11, 3-18, 3-25-20. MNAXLP NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Thursday, March 26, 2020 7:00 p.m. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town of Stevensville Town Council will hold a public hearing on Thursday, March 26, 2020 at 7:00pm to hear and consider public testimony regarding the request to vacate an alley. The Town has received a petition from Stevensville Public Schools requesting the Town Council to vacate, with a utility’s easement, the Phillips Street right-of-way of the May Addition of Stevensville. Stevensville Public Schools is proposing that the right-ofway for Phillips Street be relocated to the south of the existing street. Written comments may be emailed to clerk@townofstevensville. com or submitted in person or mailed to the Clerk of the Town of Stevensville, ADVERTISING 206 Buck Street, P.O. Box 30, Stevensville, MT 59870, on or before 5:00 p.m. March 26, 2020 or may be given orally at the hearing scheduled at 7:00 p.m. on March 26, 2020, at Town Hall. Questions may be asked or more information may be obtained by contacting Town Hall at 406-777-5271. Attest: Monica Hoffman, Town Clerk BS 3-18, 3-25-20. MNAXLP NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE SPECIALIZED LOAN SERVICING, its successors in interest and/or assigns, Plaintiff, v. UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DEVISEES OF ARDYCE E. KELLEY; ARDYCE E. KELLEY, deceased; JAMES RODNEY KELLEY; TIMOTHY ALLEN KELLEY; RAVALLI COUNTY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION; and all other persons unknown claiming or who might claim any right, title, estate or interest in or lien or encumbrance upon the real and personal property described in the complaint for foreclosure adverse to plaintiff’s ownership or any cloud upon plaintiff’s title thereto, whether such claim or possible claim be present or contingent, Defendants. Cause No. DV-18-68 Department 1 Hon. Howard E. Recht
TO BE SOLD AT SHERIFF’S SALE: On the 8th day of April 2020 at 10:00 a.m. on the front steps of the Ravalli County Courthouse, 205 Bedford Street, Suite D, Hamilton, Montana 59840, that certain real property situated in Ravalli County, and more particularly described as follows: Lot 1B-1 of Amended Subdivision Plat No. 323, being a portion of Lot 1, BIG CREEK MEADOWS, Ravalli County, Montana, according to the recorded plat thereof. Together with a 60 foot wide road and utility easement on the West line and a 30 foot wide road and utility easement along the South boundary of Lot 1-A of Amended Plat No. 193, and also shown on Amended Plat No. 323. KNOWN AS 124 Tarkas Lane, Victor, MT 59875. Dated this 25th day of February, 2020. STEPHEN HOLTON Sheriff of Ravalli County, Montana By: Stephen Holton, Sheriff BS 3-18, 3-25, 4-1-20. MNAXLP (RFP)
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
MANAGED IT SERVICES TOWN OF STEVENSVILLE, MONTANA The Town of Stevensville is requesting bids for IT managed services. The organization has historically worked with an outside IT provider and incurred services on an as needed basis. The Town has identified the need for a comprehensive 3rd party IT service in order to meet the growing digital operations of the municipality including the IT and security needs of local police/criminal justice, water, wastewater, airport, fire department and community pool. Vendors understand that in addition to serving the operational IT needs of the Town, that the organization also needs to improve its cybersecurity and continuity posture given its role in criminal justice, key local infrastructure and data sets: personal/financial/payment information. Full details for this request for proposals can be viewed on the Town’s website at www.townofstevensville.com by clicking on BIDs/RFPs. Proposals are due via email to Finance Officer Robert Underwood at robert@townofstevensville.com by 5:00pm on March 27, 2020. BS 3-25-20. MNAXLP CALL FOR BIDS Stevensville School District has the following property declared as obsolete and available for bid: Log house located at 800 Phillips Street Stevensville MT 59870. The successful bidder is required to remove/cleanup and dispose of any residual debris. The entire structure and any residual debris must be removed from the property by April 30, 2020. After April 30, 2020, the District will dispose of said obsolete property by any means deemed appropriate. Interested parties may submit a sealed bid to the Stevensville School District by 4:00 p.m., April 3, 2020. BS 3-25, 4-1-20. MNAXLP LEGAL NOTICE Brian Munly, Samuel Brown, Angela O’Connell, Tyler Blackwell and Samantha Bilben: Notice is now given, pursuant to the provisions of MCA 70-6-601 et. seq. and the contract you signed, the contents of your storage units are subject to an operators lien. Unless the accruing balance is paid in full, the contents of your storage units will be removed and sold at three auctions in Hamilton, MT 59840 on April
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4, 2020. Register for the auctions at 10:30 AM, 4/4/20 in the office at Xtra Space RV & Mini Storage, 350 Old Corvallis Road, Hamilton, MT. The first auction is held there at 11 AM, 4/4/20. The second auction is at 12 NOON, 4/4/20, at Fairgrounds Road RV & Storage, 537 N. Daly Ave. The third auction is at 2 PM, 4/4/20, at Custom RV & Storage, 381 Old Corvallis Road. BS 3-25, 4-1-20. MNAXLP
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VICTOR SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 7 NOTICE OF INTENT TO INCREASE NONVOTED LEVIES March 09, 2020 As an essential part of its budgeting process, the Victor School Board of the Trustees is authorized by law to impose levies to support its budget. The Victor School Board of Trustees estimates the following increase/decrease in revenues and mills for the funds noted below for the next school fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, using certified taxable valuations from the current school fiscal year as provided to the district: The Board passed this resolution at the Regular Board Meeting held on March 09, 2020, in Room B. Fund
Est. change in Revenues
Bitterroot Star -- Page 13
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Est. change in Mills
Est. Tax impact, Home of $100,000
Est. Tax Impact, Home of $200,000______
Adult Education Transportation Tuition Flexibility Building Reserve
$6,552 ($6,247)
0.86 (.82)
1.16 ($1.11)
$2.32 ($2.21)
Total
$305
0.04
$0.05
$0.11
The District intends to use the permissive Building Reserve levy listed above for general repairs as listed in the FCA report to address safety and maintain building codes and standards. These estimates are the Districts best estimates at the current time. They are based on the current year’s taxable value, as required by SB307. Please contact the District Business Office at (406) 642-3221 if you have questions or need additional information.
NOTICE OF CLOSE OF REGULAR VOTER REGISTRATION AND OPTION FOR LATE REGISTRATION Notice is hereby given that regular* voter registration for any special purpose district elections, any school elections, and the Community College District of the Bitterroot Valley election, held on May 5, 2020, will close at 5:00 PM on April 6, 2020. *NOTE: If you miss this regular registration deadline, you may still register for the election by showing up at the Ravalli County Election Office up to and including on Election Day. Between noon and the close of business on the day before Election Day, you can complete and submit a voter registration card, but you will need to return to the Ravalli County Election Office on Election Day to pick up and vote a ballot. All qualified active and inactive registered electors of each district are entitled to vote in said elections. Special purpose district elections, school elections, and the Community College District of the Bitterroot Valley election are being conducted solely by mail ballot. Ballots will automatically be mailed to Active Electors only. If you are a registered voter and do not receive a ballot, contact the county election office to update your information as necessary and receive a ballot. Persons who wish to register and who are not presently registered may do so by requesting a form for registration by mail or by appearing at the Ravalli County Election Office, 215 South 4th Street, Suite C, Hamilton, Montana. If you have moved, please update your registration information by filling out a new voter registration card and submitting it to the Ravalli County Election Office.
Obituaries John ‘Bill’ Wilmer Sperry Corvallis - John “Bill” Wilmer Sperry passed away Friday, March 20, 2020, just two weeks after his 101st birthday. Bill was born on March 6, 1919, to William Van and Sadie Ann (Yotter) Sperry in Clover, Idaho. Bill fought in WWII from 1942-1945. He was in the 4th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group. He was the ordnance supply technician and camera repairman. He was involved in several battles and companies such as: Air Offensive Europe, Air Combat Balkans, Rhineland, Tunisia, Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, Southern France, North Apennines, PO Valley and Northern France. Bill married the love of his life, Lillian Mae Snyder, on January 25, 1945. After the war, he became a farmer; milking, planting, harvesting, general farm chores along with some light trucking. Then Bill went to work for the State of Montana, as a ditch rider on the Daly Ditch. He retired from the Darby Ditch after 24 years.
Sanders service
A memorial service for Patricia Sanders scheduled for Thursday, March 26 has been postponed. It will be rescheduled for sometime later this summer.
Death Notices Robin F. Twogood Darby - Robin F. Twogood, 82, passed away in the afternoon, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, at his home in Darby. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary.com.
The Frame Shop
Bill loved gardening and growing the biggest watermelons for the fair. In his spare time, he also enjoyed wood working and turning. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William Van and Sadie Ann Sperry; his wife, Lillian Mae Sperry; brothers, Paul, Orville, Milford, Eugene, and Glenn; and sister, Margaret. He is survived by his children, Darrel (Carolyn Mitchel) Sperry, of Corvallis, Allen Dean Sperry, of Corvallis, Judith (David) Rickett, of China Springs, TX, and John William Sperry, of
Corvallis; grandchildren, Kristi (Dale) Pliley, Shayne Sperry, Renee (Glenn) Bowman, Leo Noakes, Lisa (Eric) Shackelfor, Benjamin Rickett, and Tabitha Rickett; great-grandchildren, Duel (Reid), Tashenna (Andy), Tyrell (Marissa), Tenaya, Bridon, Bryce, Chance, Creston, Teneeka, Drianna, Shannon (Lane), Jasmine, Xavier, Abraham, and Rylan; great great-grandchildren Kaliesta, Tiegan, Chase, Kayden, Braylon, Malia, Hezekiah; and one great great great-grandson, Kole. Visitation will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday at the DalyLeach Chapel. A graveside service will be held Saturday, March 28th at 1:30 p.m. in the Corvallis Cemetery with military honors presented by the US Army and the Corvallis American Legion. Donations may be made in Bill’s name to the Corvallis Community Church Building Fund, PO Box 222, Corvallis MT 59828, or Veterans Monument Inc., PO Box 1391, Hamilton MT 59840. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com
Michael S. Wemlinger
William T. ‘Bill’ Shannon’
Conner - Michael S. Wemlinger, 60, passed away in the morning, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, at his home in Conner. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www. brothersmortuary.com.
Helen ‘Joyce’ Chicoine
Missoula - Helen “Joyce” Chicoine, 89, passed away in the afternoon, Saturday, March 21, 2020, at the Marcus Daly Hospice Center in Hamilton. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary.com.
Stevensville - William T. “Bill” Shannon, 87, of Stevensville passed away Sunday, March 22, 2020 at St. Patrick Hospital. A full obituary will appear next Wednesday. Whitesitt Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Obituary Information There is no charge for publishing death notices in the Bitterroot Star. The cost for publishing obituaries in the Star is $20 which includes a photo. The best way to submit obituaries and photos is by email to: editor@bitterrootstar.com. For more information contact Victoria at 777-3928.
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Page 14--Bitterroot Star
Climate continued
the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere to unprecedented proportions and is pushing global temperatures higher than any time in the earth’s history. Burning of fossil fuels has increased CO2 in the atmosphere by 40% since the industrial revolution. If not for this human activity, climate would have cooled slightly over the past 50 years. All of our government agencies are in agreement on this, according to Clancy, including Departments of State, Commerce, Transportation, Defense, USGS, NASA and others. Clancy said that, using proportional units of measurement, it was found that the biosphere (forests and other vegetation) absorbs -2 units of CO2 from the atmosphere and the oceans absorb another -3 units, basically removing a total of -5 units from the atmosphere. Meanwhile, deforestation is adding +1 unit of CO2 into the atmosphere and
CO2 building up in the atmosphere yields a “fingerprint” consistent with that produced by the burning of fossil fuels. Clancy cautioned that people often confuse climate change with
series exhibited a steady warming of the whole earth. Starting with lots of blue and cool with islands of brown, then turning gradually brown, with only a few isolated islands of cool blue.
burning of fossil fuels contributing another +8 units. In other words, humans are adding enough CO2 to the atmosphere to overwhelm the earth’s natural cleansing actions. A chemical analysis of the
the weather. He showed a series of pictures of the globe flattened out with relatively cool average temperatures shown in shades of blue and relatively warm areas shown in shades of brown. The
Data indicates that Montana is following along with these global trends. Average temperatures in every sector of our state measured from 1950 through 2015 show a
Forest
rienced a guided forest therapy walk with Goslin. In an invitation to notice what was in motion, I watched dried grasses with ringlet curls spiraling in the breeze and ponderosa pine needles in sets of three straddling branches like children swinging on monkey bars. I saw a tiny long-legged spider hanging from a thread off a tree branch. As I drew near, it
continued
she said. “I realized I could make a career of being outside when I moved to the Bitterroot Valley and discovered the refuge.” Not long ago, a book in the window of a local book store caught her attention. The illustrated cover showed a hand reaching upward with a finger gently touching the tip of a tree leaf. Intrigued, she bought the book. “The Biophilia Effect,” by Austrian biologist Clemens G. Arvay, is an exploration of the scientific and spiritual bond between humans and nature — Goslin discovered forest bathing. She searched online and found the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. Looking deeper, she learned that the ANFT offered forest therapy certification classes all over the world. She signed up and attended forest therapy training in northern California last October. “Forest therapy guiding is the next step in sharing my love of natural places,” she said. The science behind forest therapy began in the 1980s, when Dr. Qing Li, president of Japan’s Society of Forest Medicine, performed extensive research on how spending time in nature counteracts chronic stress-related illnesses. The studies showed that humans who spend mindful time in nature experience the effects of decreased blood pressure, lower blood sugar, decreased heart rate, decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increased immune function. Amos Clifford, a psychotherapist and wilderness guide from California, heard about Dr. Li’s work and traveled to Japan to meet the doctor and learn about the Japanese practice of Shinrinyoku, bathing in the energy of the forest. Clifford came home and founded the ANFT in 2012, creating the framework for the forest therapy being offered in America today. Goslin’s intensive training
similar upward trend According to Bruce Maxwell, one of the lead authors of the Montana Climate Assessment, these rising temperatures are going to lead to reduced snow
pack at higher elevations and an earlier snowmelt. Peak runoff in the rivers and streams will come earlier and late summer flows will be lower and for longer periods of time. With the average air temperature rising as it is, it is not surprising to discover that most every stream and the river itself in the Bitterroot valley are also gradually warming. Montana FWP has documented the rising temperatures of the Bitterroot watershed from 1993 to 2019 and found that all the tributaries are gradually warming. It’s not the end of the world, according to Clancy, but it does mean big changes for the different species of fish that currently occupy the waters. Trout love cold water. Some more than others. The difference of just a few degrees in water temperature can mean a lot. Bull trout, for instance will begin looking for colder waters when the water temperature gets above 59 degrees F. Brown trout, on the other hand, find water in the low 60’s quite comfortable. As a result, as a stream
warms up, like Sleeping Child Creek, it has been documented that the Bull trout are moving farther and farther upstream in search of colder water and the Brown trout are moving in to fill the area left behind. What we find is that Brown trout range is increasing as Bull trout range is decreasing. “It’s not a rush upstream by these non-native warm water species,” said Clancy, “but it is a slow steady movement.” These rising temperatures are especially hard on the native species like Cutthroat trout which also prefer cooler water, though they do better than Bull trout in higher temperatures. Clancy doesn’t believe that we will necessarily lose our cold water fisheries, but they will be shorter stretches found at higher elevations. Clancy said that in the years ahead it was going to become more important than ever for irrigators and recreationists in the valley to get together and work together to preserve and share our water resources.
scrambled up the silk and flattened itself onto the branch. If I hadn’t stopped to follow the motion I wouldn’t have known the spider was there — like many things in the forest we rarely notice. Even though Goslin was aware of many forest details before her forest therapy training, she feels validated by the practice.
“It’s ok to sit and watch a spider or a bird, for quite some time,” she said. “It’s ok and I’m getting healthier the more I do it.” Goslin is busy finishing the requirements for forest therapy guide certification. If you are interested in forest bathing for better health, email her at naturespeake@gmail.com.
Deborah Goslin hosts a tea party at Maclay Flat Nature Trail west of Missoula, with tea made from Douglas fir needles. She ends her forest therapy walks with tea made from local plants to deepen the connection to place, and to access our more-than-five senses. Deborah Goslin photo. certifies her to facilitate immersive forest bathing experiences for increased health and wellness, and to promote a deeper appreciation for nature. As a forest therapy guide, she invites participants to slow down and observe nature using all of their senses. “We start with getting quiet, going within and becoming aware of our breathing,” she said. “We focus on our five senses as well as our imaginal sense, and our heart sense — that feeling of connection. One result of forest bathing is becoming aware of what our heart is feeling.” She uses invitations as suggestions, such as wondering what you would notice if you sat quietly beneath a tree for 20 minutes. “Some people have never done that before,” she said. “It’s all about being mindful in the forest. Slowing down and being aware of how your steps fall on the ground,
the sounds, the big and small things, using all the senses, even taste.” Goslin said that slowing down and connecting to nature allows our parasympathetic nervous system to counterbalance the stress in our lives. “When parasympathetic activity dominates, the body performs activities like digesting, detoxifying, eliminating and building immunity,” she said. “This is where healing and regeneration occur.” Dr. Li’s studies in Japan show that forest bathing provides another way to improve our immunity. When we are surrounded by nature we breathe in phytoncides, antimicrobial compounds emitted by plants and trees. The phytoncides activate and enhance our natural killer (NK) cell activity, the cells of our immune system that fight tumors and viruses. This reporter recently expe-
Deborah Goslin hugging an old-growth western red cedar near Ward Creek on a visit to St. Regis in 2015. This was a favorite hike when she and her husband Bill lived in Mineral County in the early ‘80s. Bill Goslin photo.
Bitterroot Star -- Page 15
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
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Wednesday, March 25, 2020
FACING CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 Call your doctor if you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms such as cough or difficulty breathing
WATCH FOR SYMPTOMS
The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure
• Fever • Cough • Shortness of Breath
If you are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 or you are a resident in a community where there is ongoing spread of COVID-19 and develop symptoms of COVID-19, call your healthcare provider and tell them about your symptoms and your exposure. They will decide whether you need to be tested, but keep in mind that there is no treatment for COVID-19 and people who are mildly ill may be able to isolate and care for themselves at home.
PREVENTION IS YOUR BEST DEFENSE
The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus If you are sick stay home Make sure you are washing your hands Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth Avoid close contact
Learn more about COVID-19 & Stay up to date www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE RAVALLI COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR QUESTIONS OR MORE INFORMATION CALL 375-6650