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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!”
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Volume XXXIV, Number 40
Could have been worse...
Established 1985 - Locally owned & independent
By Michael Howell
Social media was ‘ablaze’ as a slash pile fire on the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge spread out of control on Friday due to high winds, creating big flames and heavy smoke. Refuge manager Tom Reed said the hardest hit were the old growth cottonwoods that benefit many species. Tom Reed photo.
Grammar teacher gets national award
Ann Ellsworth, a Montana State University education professor, has received the 2019 Grammar Teacher of the Year Award, a national award presented by the Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar and GrammarFlip. The assembly is a branch of the National Council of Teachers of English, and GrammarFlip is an interactive grammar and writing program designed to individualize student learning while saving time for English teachers. Although she is employed as a professor at Montana State University, Ellsworth lives in Stevensville. She has worked with many teachers and administrators in Stevensville, Florence, Corvallis and Hamilton school districts. One of her former students, Tracey Rogstad, is now the principal at Stevensville Middle School. “I’m incredibly humbled,” Ellsworth said of the honor. “There are so many amazing teachers who
have committed their life work to advancing students’ understanding of how our English language works. I’ve always believed that knowledge is power. … Once you understand how something works, you’re able to use it as a tool.” Ellsworth, who began teaching at MSU in 1990, is a professor of English language arts in the MSU College of Education, Health and Human Development’s Department of Education. According to a student letter written in support of the award, Ellsworth is known as a caring, encouraging teacher who has high expectations for herself and who makes it her goal to present difficult grammar concepts in ways that are accessible but also fun. For Ellsworth, teaching grammar is a blend of art and science. Her innovative course on teaching English grammar – informally dubbed “Grammarland” – seeks to transform a subject
See AWARD, page A3
Ann Ellsworth of Stevensville, a Montana State University education professor, has received the 2019 Grammar Teacher of the Year Award.
Highfill to serve as Stevi District Ranger Danelle (Nell) Highfill, the current Recreation Program Manager on the Boise National Forest, has been named acting Stevensville District Ranger on the Bitterroot National Forest while current Ranger Tami Sabol completes a four month assignment as National Forest Service Liaison to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Prior to her current position on the Boise National Forest, Highfell served as recreation field supervisor on the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado and recreation program manager on the Ashley National Forest in Utah. Highfill, who grew up in Nebraska, has worked for the Forest Service for more than 18 years, including a detail as program specialist in recreation, heritage, and wilderness resources for the Intermountain Region of the Forest Service, which includes Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and Idaho. She also detailed as the Operations Staff Officer on the Boise National
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Fire scorches Metcalf Refuge An accidental wildfire scorched about 391 acres on the west side of the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge north of Stevensville last Friday when a slash pile fire was blown out of control by high afternoon winds. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fire management team was burning ditches and some slash piles last Friday when one of the slash pile fires north of Burnt Fork Creek was blown out of control by high winds. Metcalf Refuge Manager Tom Reed was working elsewhere in the refuge when he saw the smoke rising up over by the river around 1:20 p.m. He drove over and saw the slash pile fire had jumped out in some strong winds.
By Michael Howell
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Danelle ‘Nell’ Highfill has been named acting Ranger on the Stevensville Ranger District.
Forest supervising engineering, minerals, lands, GIS, heritage and recreation programs. Highfell graduated from Doane College in Nebraska with degrees in Environmental Studies and Biology. She has already started her temporary position at the Stevensville Ranger District and is looking forward to the next four months. “I’m excited to get more experience in all areas of land management,” she said. “This is a special place with spectacular scenery, outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities, and friendly people who are very engaged with their National Forest. I have enjoyed getting to know the employees as well as meeting new folks in the community. I am looking forward to the variety of projects on the Stevensville District and working together with the people of the Bitterroot Valley.” For more information, contact the Stevensville Ranger District at 406-777-5461.
He called the Bitterroot National Forest, which responds to wildfire on the refuge and “the response was immediate,” he said. But the wind was too strong and the fire already too big to stop at that spot. It raged northward between the river and an interior roadway running through the refuge. Reed said they were able to get out ahead of it and back burn, essentially containing the fire by Friday night. Reed said the rain that came Friday night and Saturday helped a lot. Mike Granger, USFWS Fire Management Officer for the State of Montana, whose crew was implementing the burn when it got out of control, said that the number of very large burned cottonwood trees represent an extreme danger following the fire and the area would probably remain off limits to everyone for a number of days. Reed said that it was not a total disaster. No one was injured and no structures were burned. He said the grassy areas would grow
back and the pine forest would regenerate and recover well. He said burning off the 18” to 24” thick pine duff on the forest floor was probably a good thing. But the loss of so many big old cottonwoods, especially near the river, was “an incredible loss.” He said several species of animal on the refuge use those cottonwood galleries. He is already making plans to try and begin the regeneration by finding good specimens that might be protected with fencing until they grow beyond browsing size. “I wouldn’t choose this,” said Reed. “These old cottonwoods that burned will take decades to replace. But maybe we can make some lemonade out of this lemon.” Reed said that he was especially thankful to the Bitterroot National Forest and Three Mile Volunteer firefighters that responded to the scene. “The response was tremendous, very appreciated and very quick,” he said.
Phillips resigns from Stevi council
By Michael Howell
Stevensville’s town hall has been plagued by bitter disputes between the Stevensville Town Council and the Mayor’s office. Town Clerk Audrey Tribbensee recently resigned due to what she called “harassment and bullying” by council members. Now the council’s newest member, Jerry Phillips, has tendered his resignation effective April 18, 2019. In his resignation letter, Phillips stated, “Due to the continued in-fighting within the Town of Stevensville, I feel that I cannot be an effective council member. As I stood alone, I have tried to overlook the contention that has been going on. I thought I could make a difference for the Town of Stevensville. Now that I have received threats for not doing what some in the commu-
nity wanted me to do, I have no other choice but to resign.” According to the agenda for this Thursday, April 25, the council will discuss procedural guidelines and interview questions for council candidates. Some other agenda items include council reconsideration of the approval of the mayor’s Employee Reorganization Plan; restricting access to Town of Stevensville work area; potential benefits of consolidating the office of Town Clerk and Finance Officer into one office, with the addition of a Deputy Clerk; direction to the mayor to not use zero-based budgeting during the next budget process, and rescinding Resolution 444, the town’s recently approved Code of Conduct. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the town hall.
Stevensville spring cleanup planned
Volunteers will join Stevensville Public Works crews and Mayor Brandon Dewey at the Community Cleanup event on Saturday, April 27 to support a town-wide cleanup initiative. Volunteers will work along Main Street and in Stevensville’s parks performing greening and cleaning projects. They will remove weeds and litter and spruce up amenities such as benches and picnic tables. The work will take place around playgrounds, community parks and commercial corridors. The Saturday event will kick-off at Veterans Park, 100 Main, with breakfast provided by the Stevensville Civic Club and Burnt Fork Market. Mayor Dewey will rally the volunteers with some remarks before the cleanup begins at 9 a.m. Plenty of trash is dumped on town lands every year. The garbage includes plastic bottles, plastic bags and packaging, food wrappers and cigarette butts – detracting from the natural beauty of parks and harming wildlife. Stevensville Community Cleanup is part of a town-wide campaign focused on keeping trash out of
streets, parks and rivers. “We’re very excited to partner with both the Civic Club and Main Street Association for this year’s event!” said Mayor Brandon Dewey. “The opportunity to give the community a way to again come together and make a difference everyone can see is extremely gratifying for our organization.” Everyone is welcome to participate in the cleanup efforts. In order to ensure enough supplies are available, participants are asked to register at cleanup. townofstevensville.com. Following the clean-up, Public Works will commence its bi-annual curbside debris pick-up program beginning May 6th. The program happens each spring and fall and is a service provided to residents of the town to dispose of organic debris on their properties. The curbside pickup program will take leaves, sticks and other lawn debris for disposal. Household trash and building materials are not collected. Residents can find more information about the curbside yard waste pick-up program, on the Town’s website at www. townofstevensville.com.