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Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Re-opening has begun

Full of stories

By Michael Howell

Chapter One Book Store owners Shawn Wathen and Mara Luther receiving newly published books into the inventory system. “We share all the work, but we have different focuses,” Wathen said. “Mara does the sideline buying and we both do bookkeeping, cleaning, computer and phones. We have three part-time employees so we can have weekends off.” Wathen is the cornerstone of Chapter One. “Mara and I were talking recently about all of the people that have come into our lives and left,” he said. “On my first day here I started a conversation with David Perry, and the conversation continued every day for eight years until he died.” Luther uses social media to keep the store alive during the pandemic. She posts the ‘Daily Browse,’ highlighting books she thinks are worth a peek, and records herself reading kids’ books for storytime every Friday.

Chapter One Book Store weathers a pandemic

By Marnie Craig

In 1994, a team of book lovers with handcarts and strong backs wheeled bookshelves and boxes of books across Hamilton’s Main Street into the corner storefront on Main and Third, where Chapter One Book Store has stood for 26 years. This independent bookstore has survived the rise of Amazon. com, Barnes & Noble, the Great Recession and a pandemic. Some dust has settled on the shelves since Governor Bullock closed all non-essential businesses to slow the spread of COVID-19, so over the week-

end, employees and bookstore owners Shawn Wathen and Mara Lyn Luther cleaned the store for reopening on Monday. Signs on the doors say only ten people can be inside at one time. “We will have tape on the floor to show what six feet looks like and we will have a regular wipe-down schedule,” Luther said. “We will also offer curbside pickup.” The last day the store was open before the shutdown went into effect was the busiest day of the year. The community poured in to support the bookstore before they closed the doors. “It was like a wake,” Luther

said. “We couldn’t hug each other, and people walked out with tears in their eyes. Life was pretty scary. We didn’t know what temporary meant or what things would look like on the other side. Would we survive?” “We locked our door for what was supposed to be two weeks, but none of us believed it would just be two weeks,” Wathen said. “When we locked the doors, we were uncertain if they would ever open again.” Black and white handmade signs in a typewriter font hang from the ceiling to designate See BOOK STORE, page 6

The shelter-in-place directive that was instituted across the state to blunt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Montana expired on Sunday, April 26 for individuals and Monday, April 27 for businesses. Under that directive, Montana aggressively managed the virus with a series of actions including suspending nursing home visitation, closing schools, closing higher risk businesses such as bars, restaurants, gyms and movie theaters, and enacting a stay at home order. Last week Governor Bullock announced the implementation of a new planned reopening to be implemented in phases as certain benchmarks criteria are achieved and maintained. The plan calls for a gradual lifting of emergency measures and re-opening of businesses as certain benchmarks in countering the epidemic are reached. But officials emphasize that it will not mean going back to normal. It will be more like going

The new normal? Local restaurants, like Morning Star Caffeine and Cuisine in Stevensville, were allowed to open on Monday as long as they could accommodate for social distancing. Liz Cook photo. forward to a “new normal.” “It was only because we as Montanans decided to enter into this thing and act responsibly that we are now ready to enter this first phase,” Governor Bullock stated at a press conference last week announcing the new Re-Opening Plan.

“There are very few states in the country that can say they have seen the number of positive cases decline over these past weeks. Montana can say that because, together, we have made that decline in cases possible,” GovSee RE-OPENING, page 3

County Attorney clarifies county’s position on recall petition By Michael Howell

In a letter to the Stevensville resident who is circulating a petition to have the Mayor of Stevensville recalled for violating his oath of office, County Clerk and Recorder Regina Plettenberg noted that the petition had been found to meet the “grounds and form” required for a recall petition under state law and thus was approved for circulation. Several readers took this to mean that this meant that the county attorney in his review of the document found that the allegations had merit and that indeed the law had been violated. But that is not the case, according to Deputy County Attorney Royce McCarty, who reviewed the document for the clerk. McCarty said, according to statute, if you want to circulate a

petition to recall a public official, you have to submit it to the Clerk and Recorder before you circulate it so that she can determine whether it meets the proper form. “One thing we did not do is make any determination that he had violated anything. We simply examined the form itself,” said McCarty. One formal requirement, he said, is that it has to contain “specificity” of what they are claiming. McCarty said that if the petition had simply stated that it was for violating his oath of office, for instance, that would not be specific enough. The petition must be specific as to the facts that support the claim so that the official can offer a defense against the allegations. “They are simply allegations,” said McCarty. “The County doesn’t make a determination in

that regard. We are not a judge. A court would ultimately have to determine whether that allegation was true or not.” He said the county doesn’t look into the facts, it simply asks, “if true” would it be a violation of the statutes in question. Asked how this jives with the Clerk’s statement in her letter to the petitioner that the petition was found to meet the “grounds and form” of the legal requirements, McCarty said, “I guess what I’m saying is that according to statute it has to have grounds to it. You have to allege facts that, ‘if they are correct’ would be a violation of the oath of office. But we didn’t make any determination as to whether they were correct or not. We just made the determination that the alleged facts met the proper form.”

Marcus Daly Hospital Respiratory Services up and running

By Michael Howell

For Bitterroot valley residents experiencing acute respiratory distress, help is only a phone call away and, if appropriate, a same-day appointment can be made to be examined by a nurse or a doctor at the Respiratory Services center located at Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital in Hamilton. The medical facility’s entrance is through a tent where the care team privately and safely sees two patients at a time, eliminating any type of waiting area and exposure to staff or patient’s loved one. The parking area is set up by patient needs and services; it includes handicap, respiratory, and swabbing; patients receive care in their vehicle when appropriate. Patients that are experiencing respiratory symptoms, especially those at high-risk, are encouraged to receive care at the Respiratory Services location. Patients needing care should call the clinic first at 406-375-4762, giving the medical team the opportunity to determine if this is the appropriate location. Respiratory symptoms include chest congestion, chills, cough, difficulty breathing, fever, nasal congestion,

runny nose, shortness of breath and sore throat. The respiratory location is separated from the primary care and specialty clinics, making medical providers and specialists available for their patients needing care through an in-office visit and Daly Connect, the new telehealth service. The yellow tent is the first location where you meet medical personnel. According to April Weinberger, MD, Medical Staff Director at Marcus Daly Hospital, usually a person visiting a clinic or hospital is greeted by a person at a desk who asks them to wait. “We eliminated the waiting area,” said Dr. Weinberger, “so the process of determining what you need as a patient is being determined right at entry.” She said they ask screening questions and determine what level of service is really needed and if they need to be here. They could recommend anything from going home and getting some rest and drinking plenty of fluids to going directly into the Emergency Room or a number of options in between. They have access to x-ray machines, they can take swab samples, and they can do blood See HOSPITAL, page 2

Chief of Medical Staff April Weinberger, MD, and Robin Yeargan, FNP, are pictured in front of the Respiratory Services tent at Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital, where people suffering from acute respiratory distress, no matter what the cause, can receive immediate care from a licensed nurse and/or doctor. Michael Howell photo.

Page 2 -- Bitterroot Star

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Hospital

Please donate to the

Stevensville Business Relief Fund

continued

draws for lab testing. They can also test for COVID-19. Dr. Weinberger said they were seeing a lot of different kinds of issues all involving some sort of respiratory problem, such as asthma, allergies, upper respiratory tract infections, some pneumonias, some sinus infections. Since opening on April 15, Weinberger said the Respiratory Services has been seeing about 10 people per day on average. They have the capacity to see 25 to 30 per day. She said right now

Project59870 is collecting donations through our GoFundMe page to provide relief to Stevensville businesses that are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

people who call in can generally get an appointment and see a nurse within an hour if they chose to. “I’m really proud of the procedures we put in place to protect our medical staff and the community in general and I think that we have done that in a step wise approach,” said Weinberger. She said limiting access, no visitors, setting up a special reception location for respiratory, and implementing universal masking all help reduce the potential for transmission of the disease. Dr. Weinberger said that social distancing was working and was working on more the COVID19.

Moeller’s Nursery

Our goal is to help 59870 businesses stay afloat during this crisis. Applications for funding will be reviewed by the project59870 board of directors and, when approved, funds will be distributed immediately. If funds remain when businesses are once again fully operational, they will remain with project59870 and be used to provide continued assistance to our Stevensville businesses.

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“It works on all infectious respiratory diseases, not just COVID-19,” she said. She said they followed CDC criteria in testing for COVID-19 which includes ruling out other diseases first, like influenza and whooping cough. She said those cases have also significantly declined during the shelter-in-place directive. The last positive test for influenza at the hospital was last month, according to Weinberger. Weinberger said that as we move into the Phase I Re-Opening plan, she would recommend continuing the social distancing as much as possible and avoid large groups, wear a mask in public, especially where you think that social distance might be compromised, wash hands frequently, avoid touching your face, and continue to help others who are high risk and need to be protected. The yellow tent housing the Respiratory Services is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call first for a same-day appointment, 375-4762.

BURNT FORK VET CLINIC COVID-19 UPDATE 4.24.2019

You can also mail your donation to: Project59870, P.O. Box 8, Stevensville MT 59870. Put SBRF in the memo. Any amount is appreciated.

After considering Governor Bullock’s plan for reopening businesses in Montana, we are implementing the following procedure and timeline: Curbside Service will continue through Saturday, May 16th Monday, May 18th we will allow clients back in the building with the following guidelines Only 1 person may accompany their pet into the building. No more than 3 clients in the building at a time. Social distancing between clients and staff of 6 feet. Burnt Fork Veterinary staff will continue to wear masks while interacting with clients until further notice. Clients are encouraged to wear a face covering or mask while they are in the building until further notice. All common areas and surfaces will be disinfected twice daily. Clients are welcome to request curbside service at any time.

Call Victoria at 207-8793 for more information. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES! THE PROJECT59870 BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Cheryl Burgmeier Jaime Devlin Brandon Dewey Victoria Howell Joan Prather Maureen Wali Tonu Wali

We will monitor the rates of infection in the state of Montana and adjust our plan as more information becomes available.

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Re-opening continued

ernor Bullock said. “I am going to ask Montanans to continue to go to great lengths to protect one another, to continue looking out for our neighbors who need it the most, and to continue being vigilant in every step we take.” The plan to reopen gradually, he said, is based on the latest scientific evidence and data, and in consultation with public health experts, health care providers, business leaders, and emergency management professionals. The plan is detailed in a Directive and accompanying Appendix with guidelines for certain industries. Bullock presented a thumbnail sketch of the progression of the pandemic in Montana. It took five weeks, he said, for the epidemic to grow from its first reported case in the state to 426 (as of April 17). It took 13 days to reach a hundred reported cases. After that first 100 cases the rate of increase remained fairly steady, increasing by another 100 every five days up to 300 case reports. Since then the growth rate has slowed, taking nine days to reach 400 cases. Two weeks ago there were 49 new positive cases reported. Last week there were only 11. Reports show that the demographics involved are remaining consistent as well, with people from 20-29 years of age accounting for 20% of all COVID-19 cases in Montana. The next largest age group of people with COVID19 in the state are 50-59 years of age at 19%; followed by 30-39 at 16% and 60-69 at 16%. The ratio of men to women in Montana’s reported cases is roughly even with 48% male and 52% female. Of the 381 cases of known races at the time of the report, 93% identified as white and 5% as Native American. “Native Americans are not disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 in Montana at this time,” he said. He said transmission information and community acquired cases have stayed steady, meaning that there has not been an increase in community transmitted cases (as opposed to travel originated) over the last few weeks. Bullock said that the state was doing a very good job at contact tracing and cluster control. The investigations increasingly added to the case counts indicating that the disease control efforts through local public health staff are identifying those who are infected and isolating them appropriately. “Local public health officials have done a great job with contact tracing providing information to the state for making decisions,” said Bullock. “They are quarantining and isolating people as necessary. They also investigate

all positive cases to determine how people got infected, identify known contacts and require them to quarantine for 14 days.” The report compared the impacts per 100,000 people in Montana to neighboring states. As of April 17, Montana had 39.5 cases per 100,000 people. Wyoming had 71.2; North Dakota had 57.5; South Dakota 159.5; and Idaho had 92.6. Although it is important to recognize the number of infection cases, he said, it is also important to look at the number of cases recovering. For example, out of Gallatin County’s 140 reported cases, only five are still active and the rest have recovered. In Lewis and Clark County, out of 16 cases only 3 are still active. Ravalli County has had only five cases and three have recovered. Montana reached 445 cumulative cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, April 25 with 339 people recovered and 11 actively hospitalized. Bullock said that Montana has had the resources to do contact tracing on COVID-19 since the first case and will continue. This work will continue through Phase I of the Re-Opening. He said the state was ready to provide additional help to local governments if needed. “There are challenges that remain, and we will all do our part to mitigate those challenges,” he said. The impacts in most communities have been relatively the same, but statistics coming out of Toole County are surprisingly different in a number of ways. Approximately 86% of cases in Toole County are female and 22% of the cases were hospitalized. This differs significantly from the statewide statistics where 13% have been hospitalized and half are female. The mortality rate of 11.4% of cases in Toole County is also far greater than state’s 2.3% of cases. Bullock said the situation in Toole County was likely related to the higher average age of people in Toole County compared to the state as a whole. Bullock said the state was ready to fulfill its responsibility and test those who are symptomatic and trace contacts of positive results. He said they are asking all symptomatic people in the state to be tested. In addition to over 12,000 tests done at the state lab, 18 private labs reported 2,700 additional tests with 76 testing positive. All positive tests are reported on the state’s totals. He said this information is crucial to understanding where and how the virus is spreading. Phase I of the plan involves developing ‘sentinel sites’ to screen patients in at-risk communities. “You have my assurance that we will continue this work through Phase I to bolster that testing capacity. This work won’t end

HOPE

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

in Phase I. It won’t end at any time while I’m serving as governor,” said Bullock. Dr. Marc Mentel, president of the Montana Medical Association, said, “Because of Montana’s aggressive approach of shutting everything down early in the pandemic, we are in the fortuitous position of having a very low viral burden in the state. With that being said, I feel assured that a cautious, vigilant, and step wise approach to opening up our healthcare, commerce, and education sectors could be attempted. Keep in mind that for every two steps forward we might need to take a step back, but it is in everyone’s best interest that we try.” Bullock said, “Our new normal is going to look different. This virus isn’t gone from Montana. So as we turn to support our main street businesses and get more families back to work during this time – as we should – we must also be sure to continue looking out for those around us and protecting everyone around us. Once we begin to reopen, we want to be able to stay open. Our personal responsibility to protect those around us – particularly those most vulnerable – remains just as important as any time during this pandemic.” “This is not the time for celebratory barbecues or going out to dinner or bars or breweries each and every night. This is a time when we all need to be creating another new normal. In order to determine when we move into the next phase we need to see what happens with the virus in Montana. We won’t be moving out of Phase I unless the curve remains flat,” said Governor Bullock. “For a lot of Montanans,” he said, “especially our most vulnerable, this phase should be substantially the same as the staying at home period. The more protective actions that Montanans take now and in the coming weeks the more likely that we will keep that curve flat. In this new normal I will continue to emphasize all along the way that our personal responsibility is to adhere to strict social distancing and businesses have a responsibility as we begin to navigate to some form of normalcy in serving customers.” In the Phase I plan, visitation at nursing homes will continue to be suspended and older Montanans and those who are immunocompromised should continue to follow the stay-athome directive. The reopening also relies on Montanans to adhere to social distancing guidelines whenever possible and to continue to limit gatherings. Guidance remains in place for members of vulnerable groups to continue to shelter at home, though it is no longer mandatory. Main street and retail businesses could become operational on or after April 27 if they adhere to requirements to

IS THE

THING STRONGER ONLY THAN

FEAR - Robert Ludlum

Bitterroot Star -- Page 3

Board of Health agrees to abide by Governor’s reopening plan

By Michael Howell

The Ravalli County Board of Health last week acknowledged and agreed to abide by Governor Bullock’s recently issued directive implementing the first phase of a phased reopening plan designed to get the state’s economy rolling again without jeopardizing the public health. Dr. Carol Calderwood, leader of the county’s COVID19 Incident Management Team, told the board that the team recommended acknowledging and implementing the governor’s directive and saw no need to add anything more restrictive to the state’s plan. She said the governor’s latest guidelines for implementing the re-opening were extensive and detailed and that her team was working hard on getting that information distributed as widely as possible in the community. Commissioner Jeff Burrows, who serves as Chairman of the Health Board, questioned the rationale behind the plan. He said the dates for opening different businesses seemed to be chosen arbitrarily. He said restaurants should have been able to open from the day the governor made his announcement because there was no reason to wait. When it was suggested that limit capacity and maintain strict physical distancing. Employers are directed to develop policies to keep employees and customers safe including teleworking when possible, enforcing social distancing protocols, and other measures as provided in an appendix of reopening guidelines. Places of worship could become operational on April 26 in a manner consistent with social distancing between people who are not members of the same household. Restaurants, bars, breweries, and distilleries can begin providing some in-establishment services beginning May 4 if they can maintain social distancing requirements. Businesses where groups

it might be to give them time to re-design their seating and make other preparations to meet the distancing criteria that would still apply, Burrows said it doesn’t take 10 days to move some tables to get six feet of distance between them. “If you could show me some evidence that restaurants and bars are more susceptible to spreading virus than gyms or retail stores or anything else, I could buy it.” Without that, he said, “it’s a coin toss.” Burrows questioned rationale behind other parts of the plan as well. He said the governor was picking and choosing winners and losers with no reason and delaying the opening for 10 days instead of allowing it now could be the death blow to a small operation. Calderwood said she assumed there was a good reason behind the plan but that she had not seen any scientific evidence to back it up yet. Much of the discussion centered around the difference between “adopting” the governor’s directive or agreeing to “acknowledge and abide by” it. Deputy County Attorney Royce McCarty explained that the Board of Health could under state law adopt its own directive that either mirrors the state directive or

makes it even more restrictive, but it could not adopt a directive that was less restrictive than the state’s. According to McCarty, the directive from the state must be followed, as it is state law. It is enforced by the Attorney General’s office and the local County Attorney offices around the state. Those officers may file a restraining order in civil court to enforce the directive. However, if the Board of Health adopts its own directive that simply mirrors the state directive, it changes the enforcement capabilities by adding the potential for criminal enforcement as well as civil. McCarty said that from the county attorney’s perspective, after considering several “pros and cons” involved in each that it was simply at the discretion of the Board about how they wanted to handle it and that his office could deal with it either way. The final decision was to acknowledge and abide by the governor’s directive. Dr. Calderwood also made a surprise announcement that the machine used to test for COVID19 virus that the county commissioners agreed to pay for had been purchased and was being shipped. It will be able to test two samples per hour 24 hours a day.

gather without the ability to social distance including movie theaters, gyms, and other places of assembly remain closed. On May 7, all schools will have the option to return to inclassroom teaching delivery at the discretion of local school boards. The Directive does not preclude school boards from declaring local emergencies to continue to receive all appropriate state funding to continue to provide remote learning. Montana’s travel quarantine will remain in effect and out of state travelers and residents arriving from another state or country back to Montana for non-work related purposes are required to quarantine for 14 days.

The Directive does not prohibit more restrictive local ordinances and encourages local officials to work regionally and make local adjustments as local needs demand. The plan includes several phases and details the factors that will determine when it is appropriate to move to the second phase of reopening. This decision will be driven by conditions on the ground and the latest data. Governor Bullock and his task force will continue to monitor cases closely and carefully to analyze Montana’s work to contain the virus. The Directive and its Appendix with reopening guidelines are posted online at covid19.mt.gov.

Montana COVID-19 statistical update

As of Monday evening, April 27, there were 449 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Montana. Total number of tests completed – 13,033 Total hospitalizations – 61 Active Hospitalizations – 11 Total Deaths – 15 Recovered – 352 Highest number of total cases by county Gallatin – 146 Yellowstone – 72 Flathead – 37 Missoula – 39 Toole – 29 Lewis & Clark – 16 As of noon Monday, April 27, 2020, there have been no new cases. In total, there have been

five confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ravalli County. All of the cases have recovered. As of April 27, 296 tests have been submitted to the State lab – 290 were negative, five were positive, and one case is pending. Ravalli County Public Health Officer and Incident Commander Dr. Carol Calderwood issued the following statement: “We are slowly opening our community. This will be a telling time. It can take from 9 – 14 days before COVID-19 symptoms appear. We know that social distancing is the ONLY precaution against COVID19. It is up to us. Distancing and personal health recommendations are still in place. If you don’t feel comfortable, remove yourself from the situation. Remind people,

nicely, they are infringing in your space. “During the next two weeks, as we wait to see what happens, daily news releases will be scaled back to a couple of times a week, unless there are new COVID-19 cases. This doesn’t mean the county’s preparedness is less or there is less interest in our vigilance for the health and wellbeing of our County residents. We will let you know if something happens or we see a need for reminders and or education.” The Ravalli County Emergency Operations Center is open from 8am to 6pm, 406-375-6650. The Center is available to answer questions about COVID-19, and record out-of-state arrivals.

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Page 4 -- Bitterroot Star

Bitterroot Star Editorial Board Michael Howell Victoria Howell

Opinion

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Guest Comment

A responsible path to reopening

By Montana Governor Steve Bullock Over the past several weeks, Montanans have faced unprecedented visitation. The 14-day travel quarantine when entering Montana for nonwork-related purposes will remain in effect. challenges. Our way of life has changed rapidly. Like every corner of For the businesses that wish and are able to reopen, we are asking our country, our once thriving economy is ailing. We’ve lost family even more to protect employees and customers. Implement health members and friends. assessments and symptom screening. Keep telework in place wherever As we have aggressively managed the virus over the past five feasible. Implement proper sanitation practices and adhere to strict social weeks, we have bought time for our health care workers to prepare and distancing. Just like we’re now used to the markings on the floor of grorespond, we have protected those most vulnerable to illness from this cery stores, retail stores must be able to maintain physical distancing. disease particularly in our nursing homes, and we have been able to Our local school districts are diverse in size and circumstances increase our testing capacity and secure additional personal protective and they know what is best for their communities and their students. I equipment. Because Montanans took the virus seriously and acted responsibly, have no doubt they will figure out how to best serve our children and they have my support in making the right choice for their communities – Montana has the lowest number of positive COVID-19 cases per capita keeping kids home for the remainder of the school year or opening up in and the lowest number of hospitalizations per capita in the nation. There are very few states in the country that can say they have seen the number some capacity. I know that people are concerned with our level of testing and of positive cases decline over these past weeks. Montana can say that protective equipment. Over the last several weeks, I have been workbecause, together, we made it possible. ing with President Trump, the federal government, neighboring states As I have all along the way in response to COVID-19, I will and the private market to secure hundreds of thousands of face masks, continue to prioritize the health and safety of Montanans, guided by shields, and gloves and to source further testing supplies. That work ongoing data and science from public health and emergency response will not end in phase one; it won’t end at any time while I serve as your experts. The phased plan to reopen the Big Sky is guided by this same governor. You have my word that we will continue to bolster our testing decision-making. We are able to enter the first phase, under strict guidelines and by continuing to follow social distancing, because we flattened capacity. Additionally, just as local public health has done an incredible job reducing the spread by investigating cases and ensuring quarantine the curve. of those who have come in contact with a positive case, they will conBut let me be clear: we could very well be in the first phase for tinue to do so all along the way. a long time. We will not move out of phase one if the curve doesn’t Unlike almost every other state in the nation, we have flattened the remain flat. The reality is, this virus isn’t gone from Montana and it will curve the Montana way by taking care of our neighbors when things get continue to be with us, even as we work to contain it. This isn’t the time tough. I have no doubt that Montanans will take the phase one guidance for a celebratory barbecue or going out to the breweries and bars several seriously and continue to go to great lengths to keep our fellow Montannights a week. For a lot of Montanans, including our most vulnerable, ans healthy and safe. I will continue to put the well-being of Montanans this phase should be substantially similar to the stay at home period. first, continue to consult public health experts and business leaders, and Once we begin to reopen, we want to be able to stay open. use facts, not politics, to guide my directives. Together, we will do what We must begin to create a new normal. Montanans must continue is best for the state of Montana, best for Montana workers and business, to go to great lengths to protect one another. Follow hand washing and and best for the future of Montana’s children. sanitizing recommendations. Strongly consider using a non-medical face covering when in public. Nursing homes will continue to suspend

Taxes without your permission

Dear Editor, Like you, I received my mail-in ballot for the mill levy increase to support the Bitterroot College and the election of the Board of Trustees in yesterday’s mail. Several people have asked my opinion on the issue. Despite having a difference of opinion on the funding source for such a project, there’s no doubt that I would love to see a well-appointed Community College in Ravalli County. The benefits are many and I encourage each citizen to be as generous as you feel comfortable. But as you make this important decision, there’s additional information that you might not be aware of that should be considered. In 2017, your State Legislature passed SB 307, which allows school boards to impose up to a 10 mill permissive levy, annually on the taxpayers of their districts without a vote of the people. Despite Article VIII, Section 2 of our State Constitution making it clear that taxation is an inalienable right of the legislature, and shall never be surrendered, suspended or contracted away, the bill passed with flying colors. I voted against it. My opponent voted for it, and it is now law. I believe one of my most important jobs as your Representative is to interpose between you and potential government

Letters

overreach. That bill completely removed my ability to intercede on your behalf, as well as your opportunity to vote on the matter. With all due respect to School Board Trustees, the passage of that bill leaves our citizens with taxation without constitutional representation. A levy is a tax; and a tax by any other name is still a tax. So, what does the Bitterroot Community College and our local schools have in common, you ask? Your tax dollars are used as a large part of the funding source. Fortunately, the Bitterroot Community College is asking for your support and permission to raise your taxes. I encourage you to vote your conscience on the ballot issue, but do so with the knowledge that the legislature has given their permission for your property taxes to be raised as much as 10 mills per year without your permission for the funding of our local public schools. Theresa Manzella Rep HD 85

Response to Manzella

Dear Editor, Theresa Manzella’s recent letter to the editor is troubling. She obviously has no respect for Ravalli County’s elected school board members. But what is more shocking is her lack of understanding of the Montana Constitu-

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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tion and the basic principles of representative democracy. Yet she continues to loudly insist that she is a “constitutional conservative.” Manzella’s insinuation that the 2017 legislature violated the Montana Constitution when it passed SB 307 is ludicrous. Article VIII, Section 2 in its entirety reads as follows: “Tax power is inalienable. The power to tax shall never be surrendered, suspended, or contracted away.” It does not establish, as Manzella asserts, “an inalienable right of the legislature”—whatever that means. For school districts to function, the legislature has granted them taxing authority that is strictly limited by statute. The passage of SB 307 was well within the constitutional powers and duties of the Montana Legislature. Manzella also has a habit of leaving out facts she finds inconvenient. SB 307 did grant school boards the authority to levy up to 10 mills for maintenance projects. What she doesn’t mention is that the law mandates that all proposed permissive levies be publicly noticed several months prior to when school trustees establish tax levies, thus giving voters ample time to object. The bill also terminated an ineffective state grant program that was not responsive to local needs. In total, SB 307 provided for greater local control, which we would have thought any conservative would support. And what can Manzella

be thinking when she says that a school board’s decision to impose a mill levy constitutes “taxation without constitutional representation”? Did she miss Article X, Section 8 of the state constitution, which calls for each school district to be supervised and controlled by “a board of trustees elected as provided by law”? School district trustees are accountable to their voters. The remedy for overtaxation is to remove the offending trustees at the ballot box. This is an elementary application of representative democracy as envisioned by America’s Founders. Manzella evidently believes that sitting in Helena she is in a better position to make local decisions than are local elected officials (and voters). We disagree with her enthusiasm for centralized government. Theresa Manzella routinely shades the truth and interprets the constitution in whatever way suits her agenda. But misrepresenting the role of local elected officials to further her political career is beyond the pale. Is this the sort of person who ought to serve in the Montana Senate? We don’t think so. David Bedey, former chairman, Hamilton school board Demaris Moore, former chairman, Hamilton school board Mark Yoakam, former trustee, Hamilton school board

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Pandemic: an opportunity

Dear Editor, Even as we cope with and try to recover from the COVID19 pandemic amidst the immense human and economic losses and devastation to countless individuals and families, we have an opportunity. Whether it is a learning opportunity or a missed opportunity is up to us. The former leads to change for the better, the latter to doing what we have always done. The COVID-19 pandemic can be compared with climate change in many ways. In the interest of transparency, climate change did not directly cause COVID-19 to emerge as a human pathogen, but that does not mean there is no relationship between the two. USAID’s Emerging Pandemic Threats factsheet in 2019 estimated that about threefourths of new diseases in human originate in pathogens—bacteria, viruses, fungi—that come from animals. Deforestation, primarily related to agricultural uses, but also due to urbanization and extraction industries, is a major contributor to climate change. The same deforestation forces animals to move closer together due to habitat destruction, ultimately putting animal species that would not normally interact in close contact with each other. It also results in more people living near the edge of forests, thus putting humans in more intimate relationships with wild animals. If these same situations are combined with food insecurity, compelling people to hunt wild animals, termed “bush meat” in many parts of the world, to feed their families, that is yet another factor increasing the likelihood of a disease moving from wild animals into human populations as COVID-19 seems to have done. Warmer temperatures of even a couple of degrees as most areas of the world have already experienced allows many animals and plants to expand the range of places they can live. While this has primarily been studied on land relative to disease vectors, such as mosquitos and ticks, many researchers think similar migrations occur with larger animals, such as bats. Again, this puts certain animals in places where they previously did not exist thereby increasing the chances of transmitting pathogens they harbor to other species, including humans. Separately, air pollution, the main cause of climate change, has been shown to negatively affect peoples’ response to some infections. Both during the 2003 SARS outbreak and now with COVID-19 there is strong evidence that people who live in areas with more air pollution are more at risk to die when infected with the viruses than people in areas with less polluted air. Climate change is no less a pandemic than the one caused by COVID-19, it is just playing out over a matter of years and decades, rather than months. Unfortunately, there is not even the potential for a vaccine against climate change like there is for COVID-19, but there are positive steps we can take to lessen global warming and lessen our risk of future pandemics. These include ending our dependence on fossil fuels and transitioning to clean, non-polluting forms of energy, providing support for those whose jobs are lost in that transition in the process; reducing our consumption and, thus, the demand for products that lead to deforestation, instead advocating for sustainable agricultural and forest management; and maintaining environmental protections that have saved so many lives, rather than removing them in the interest of corporate profits. All of these will help reduce pollution, which not only saves lives by itself, but also slows climate change. Our world will be different once the threat of COVID-19 has passed. Whether anything good comes from the tragedies of COVID-19 is up to us. Hopefully, we can make this a learning opportunity, not a missed one. Robert Byron, MD, MPH, FACP, Vice Chair, Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate

Setting the Medicaid Expansion record straight

Dear Editor, The recent letter to the editor regarding Medicaid Expansion is fraught with misinformation that must not go unanswered. Medicaid expansion DID NOT increase by a single person the number of women eligible for taxpayer-funded abortion in Montana. Any woman covered under Medicaid Expansion is already covered under the traditional, federal Medicaid program. Manzella and her supporters must know that U.S. Senators and Congressmen vote on federal programs, state legislators do not. If Manzella and her supporters are arguing to repeal federal Medicaid, they should write their congressman. The letter writers cite as an authority a nefarious Political Action Committee, “Doctors for Healthy Montana,” which is comprised of one physician (whose ideas about modern medicine are, to say the least, unorthodox) and three legislators whose chief motivation seems to be gaining political power in the upcoming session. They should be dismissed outright. The letter also cited the Chief Legal Counsel for the Montana Family Foundation. Sadly, this once revered defender of the unborn, has demeaned itself by allowing its chief counsel to produce “legal” memoranda that are divorced from the law and are obvious attempts at obfuscation, a conclusion that any unbiased person would reach after carefully reading both her June 2019 and April 2020 memos. A few courageous, conservative Republicans overcame the opposition of Democrats to deliver a healthcare solution grounded by conservative principles and responsive to today’s needs of Montana’s low-income workers, small businesses, and rural hospitals. Rep. Nancy Ballance, HD87 Hamilton

SBA delivers support to rural America

Dear Editor, The devastating impact of COVID-19 has tested the will of millions of agricultural businesses and farms throughout rural communities all over our nation, but help is on the way. Congress just passed an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program which includes over $310 billion in new funding to help small businesses and agricultural related industries support their payroll costs. This program is one of the largest economic recovery efforts in our nation’s history and was built in just seven short days, a true testament to the American spirit and demonstration of what is possible when we come together to serve a higher cause. By leveraging the power of private lenders, the Paycheck Protection Program provides businesses with the capital and certainty they need to retain their employees and continue serving our communities. Of note to rural America, agricultural related industries such as production of food and fiber, ranching and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other independently owned farming and agriculture-related entities are eligible to participate in the program as long as they have 500 or fewer employees whose principal place of residence is the United States. In addition to program efforts, the SBA has over 690 men and women who work in 68 field offices all across the nation serving as the agency’s “boots on the ground” and the primary contact for delivering SBA’s programs directly to rural communities, businesses, and stakeholders. SBA staff also work hand in hand with our resource partners at the local level, including Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), SCORE counselors, Women’s Business Centers, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers to serve the needs of rural small businesses. In response to the impact More LETTERS, next page

Calendar

Hamilton Senior Center meals

Hamilton Senior Center is preparing meals for take out on the following schedule: Monday, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. call in to order meals for the week. Thursday, pick up between 12 noon and 1 p.m. For orders and info: 3635181.

AA meetings

Check for local meetings by calling the hotline 1-888-607-2000 or by visiting www.aa-montana. org.

Al-Anon

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.

Narcotics Anon

Narcotics Anonymous meets every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at St. Francis Parish Center, 411 S. 5th, Hamilton (north entrance).

that coronavirus COVID-19 has had on our country’s rural communities, and at the request of President Trump and his Administration, SBA’s District Offices have been working tirelessly to serve rural small businesses and agricultural industries. District staff are collaborating closely with rural Chambers of Commerce, local governments, and elected officials to provide information on SBA programs via virtual townhalls, webinars, and Facebook chats. The SBA has also worked to bring in additional lenders to provide Paycheck Protection Program loans including credit unions, farm credit lenders, USDA Lenders, community banks, and others that serve rural businesses. The Paycheck Protection Program is assisting rural businesses, farmers, ranchers, ag co-ops, nonprofits and the faithbased groups that serve those areas. While there’s certainly more work to be done, the SBA will continue to fight for America’s rural communities until this battle is won. For additional resources on the programs mentioned, and to find an SBA district office near you, please visit www. sba.gov. Dan Nordberg, SBA Director of Rural Affairs and Region 8 Administrator (Dan Nordberg serves as both the SBA’s Director of Rural Affairs and Region 8 Administrator, based in Denver. As regional administrator he oversees the agency’s programs and services in Colorado, Montana, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming)

Thank you!

Dear Editor, I would like to extend a big Shout Out to Mark Allen and Larry Hill for their awesome job completing the spring cleaning of Creamery Park, as clearly it was not going to get done due to Covid-19 and social distancing preventing our normal Town spring cleanup. They worked their tails off and your efforts have not gone unnoticed. Thank you gentlemen for stepping up to the task as the appearance of this park is a direct reflection of The Potton Insurance Agency due to its proximity to my office. We sincerely appreciate your efforts. Thank you! Brian Potton and the Staff of The Potton Insurance Agency Stevensville

Free Indeed

Free Indeed is a faith-based addiction support group. Contact Donald Layman at 203-8579 or Pastor Jim Landis at 642-9849.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

ST. STEPHENS EPISCOPAL CHURCH 203 Stevensville •• 777-0028 360-2661 203Main MainSt.• Stevensville

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

How to sign I-187 petition

Dear Editor, Montana Voters, please help put Montana-made affordable renewable energy on our fall ballot! Despite shelter-in-place restrictions, determined volunteers continue to offer Montana a bright future through I-187. This initiative provides clear goals for cheap renewable energy, supports fossil fuel industry employees and their communities, and reduces restrictions on locally produced power. Although limited in our ability to collect signatures in public, we are about halfway toward getting I-187 qualified. MTcares needs your support to reach the goal. To petition for more renewable energy: 1) go to our website mtcares.org, 2) click the “How to Sign” tab at the top and follow the instructions to print the I-187 petition and verification form, 3) get household registered voters to safely sign the petition, then 4) complete the verification form and mail both to your county election office listed with download forms. Act now to enable voters to ensure renewable energy does not slip away in this pandemic. Pamela June Morris Corvallis

Many good reasons to vote ‘NO’ for a community college

Dear Editor, For one, home owners are taxed enough, this money should come from the state or feds. Colleges, both 4 year and 2 year, are oversold and most come out working a $10/hour job at McDonald’s. All this will do is force more homeowners out of the state. Please help me understand what benefit it will help, the poor which cannot afford to go? And what benefit does it help many homeowners? • Excellent financial investment. please this is over inflated and just plan hog wash, in light of what is going on now. How is another $50 a year in taxes helping any of us? Many of us are retired and on fixed income! I went to a junior college, then on to a 4 year college, all paid for by me. This is just a ploy to fund a failing school. • Stimulate local business growth. With what, more $10 hr

Worship at 12:0011p.m. Sunday Worship AM In this Church there shall be no outcasts. In this Church there shall be no outcasts. 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. facebook.com/Ravalli-CountyWIC.

Family Shelter

The Family Shelter of the Bitterroot is dedicated to helping homeless and needy families in the Bitterroot Valley. If you are interested in helping or need help, call Gary Locke for more information, 239-8833. jobs?

• Accessibility for underserved students. • Profitable for students, taxpayers, society. https://collegeeducation.procon.org please the nation is failed empire, so are many schools. Annual wages for the bottom 25th percentile of college graduates are less than the median wages earned by a typical worker with a high school diploma, according to a 2014 study by the New York Fed. “While we can’t be sure that the wages of this group wouldn’t have been lower if they had never gone to college, this pattern strongly suggests that the economic benefit of a college education is relatively small for at least a quarter of those graduating with a bachelor’s degree,” economists Jaison R. Abel and Richard Deitz wrote in the study.” https://www.usnews. com/…/2019-06-…/is-collegeworth-the-cost • Lower unemployment rates. Another myth, most grads end up with $10-15/hour job if that and working at Amazon or Burger King. • Lifelong learning opportunities. Are you saying if we vote for this I can go to school for free? What good does learning do for me? Many of the classes I want are not even available in the state of Montana. Just like most public projects, you promise the world but the taxpayer gets zero. • The right thing to do. Wrong. The right thing to do is go to school, go to a junior college, then work like many of us did and pay your way to a 4 year college. And to the Ravalli County Workforce Alliance, Ravalli County Economic Development Authority, Wendy Campbell, Victoria “Tory” Clark, Julie Foster, John Grant, Steve Grover, Terri Johanson, Jennifer Johnson, Candy Lubansky, Susan Penfield, John Schneeberger, Dixie Stark, R. D. Walsh: feel free to contact me and change my mind. Paul Goeltz Victor

Community meals Family Shelter of the Bitterroot is providing free drive-thru meals to go Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Cornerstone Bible Church, 280 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton.

Stevensville kindergarten registration

Stevensville Primary School is having online Kindergarten Registration for the 20/21 school year. Visit the website at stevensvilleschools.org go to the Primary school, choose the link at the bottom to register your student online.

Got jewels?

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.

Free dinners to go

Free To-Go Soul Suppers are being served Wednesdays from 6 can continue to serve our community. But to simply discount the financial concern on many voters’ minds would be a big mistake. It’s a real concern and it deserves an honest response. Let’s face it—no one likes new taxes, and keeping our community college will cost something. The proposed mil levy will cost $11.95 per year per $100k taxable residential value and will enable Bitterroot College to be independent and viable instead of existing at the mercy of Missoula. I dislike taxes as much as the next voter. But we should look at this as an investment. It’s an investment in our children and grandchildren, first and foremost. But it’s also an investment in our local economy. Here are the facts: For every $1 invested in a community college, an average $6.8 returns to the local economy. That sounds unbelievable but that’s what communities across the country are reporting. It’s a combination of fewer demands on social services, tax revenue from businesses who start or expand because of a bettertrained workforce, and state funds coming back to the local communities. Does this pattern hold true here in Montana? Absolutely. One example is Flathead Valley Community College, an integral anchor in Kalispell for over 50 years, that has helped them develop a vibrant, diversified, and resilient local economy. But could a smaller community like our Bitterroot Valley really support its own community college? Yes! Some great examples are Dawson Community College in Glendive (4,935 residents), which serves about 400 students, and Miles City (8,410 residents) whose community college has closer to 500 students. Both of these counties have smaller tax bases than Ravalli County but they chose to invest in locally-controlled community colleges and it paid off! Even fiscally conservative voters saw that the returns a community college provided far outweighed the investment. Let’s keep it local and reap the benefits of an independent, locally-controlled community college. Eric Gren Hamilton

Locally-controlled community colleges greatly benefit Montana Support for communities that Ballance Dear Editor, invest in them For the last six years, I have Dear Editor, Bitterrooters would be wise to ensure that Bitterroot College

served in the Montana House of Representatives with Nancy

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.

Victor Community Garden

The Victor Community Garden has forty 20’ by 20’ plots with great sun exposure surrounded by a deer proof fence. Compost, mulch, tools and have an automated watering system that waters every night is provided as well as a paid garden manager who is always happy to help new gardeners. Organic methods are required. Pollinators abound with both fruit trees and a diverse native flower garden located in the

Ballance and Theresa Manzella. If there is one thing you should know: Ballance exercises good judgment and Manzella exercises bad judgment. We are currently living though the worst pandemic in nearly 100 years. The COVID19 virus is wreaking havoc on our state. Our schools are closed and people are losing their jobs. Ensuring that people have access to good health care has never been more important. In the 2019 session, Ballance stood on the side of Montanans and supported House Bill 658, the Medicaid expansion bill. House Bill 658 provides health insurance to 80,000 Montanans and ensures our rural hospitals remain open. However, if Manzella had her way, thousands of Montanans would be without health insurance in this time of crisis. The largest group of people utilizing Medicaid expansion are the working poor, the people stocking our groceries and cooking our food. Unlike Manzella, I don’t think it is a good idea to have the people handling my food going without health insurance. Moreover, Manzella would dramatically increase the cost of your private health insurance. According to testimony from representatives of Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, if Medicaid expansion is terminated there will be a $450 million cost shift to private health insurers. That is roughly a $6,000 per member tax on your health insurance to cover the cost of uncompensated care. Manzella isn’t just bad for your health and bad for your pocketbook, she is wrong on a whole host of other issues. Manzella voted against a bill to prohibit sanctuary cities, with radical environmentalists and liberal Democrats to kill Colstrip, and against the interests of Montana businesses. We need real leaders in the Montana Legislature. Nancy Ballance doesn’t just exercise good judgment, she is a key leader and an important voice in the Legislature. On the other hand, Theresa Manzella is not respected and is not regarded as anything other than a fringe voice who is best ignored. Ballance is the best choice for Ravalli County. I would encourage you to support her when you cast your ballot. Rep. Ray Shaw Sheridan

Bitterroot Star -- Page 5

center of the gardening area. There is also an innovative composting outhouse built by water systems designer Roger DeHaan with nearly all of the materials donated by local building supply businesses. (That compost is not for use in the garden, however.) Currently the Victor Community Garden has many available organic plots available for $35 for a whole year of growing. All revenue goes towards maintaining the Community Garden, paying the garden manager, and helping Sustainable Living Systems, a non-profit organization focused on local sustainability. Amenities for the garden provided by Hans McPherson donating straw bales, Bitterroot Valley Log and Timber donating wood peelings for garden paths and delivered generously by Montana Firewood, Jeanie Lippert doing tractor work as needed, the Trapper Creek Job Corps helping with workdays as needed, and the property is owned by the Church of the Nazarene, who does some of the mowing. The garden is located on 5th, just west of Victor. For more information on reserving plots, how to use the Community Garden, or about Sustainable Living Systems contact Jill Davies at 406-3601751.

St. Mary’s Garden

St. Mary’s Garden in Stevensville is open. There are plots available and the cost is $30.00 per plot per season. This includes water. If you are interested please contact Phyllis Green at pjbk55@ gmail.com for application and additional information.

More taxes

Dear Editor, I just received the Official School Election Ballot. Some in the Valley want to increase your taxes. They always use the $100,000 figure so as not too make it look bad. The average house in Ravalli County is between $300.00 and $350.000 so the taxes would increase by $42.00 a year. The average tax is around $1,401.00 so add another $42.00 to that. There are a lot of tax payers living on fixed income and could not afford that kind of increase, it would be pay more taxes and cut back on food and medicine. This will also affect those who rent because the monthly rent will also go up. The College In Missoula is only 40 miles away and they provide all the needs that a student could want. I also read in the January 10th paper that the Bitterroot Public Library wants more of your hard earned money. They say they have not asked for more money in 20 years BUT they get more money in taxes each year because of the new houses being built in the area. That would add another $14.17 to your tax bill. Then you look at the Corvallis School, they want over $25.00 a year in new taxes. The tax payers in Ravalli County cannot afford all the new taxes. Live with what you have. VOTE NO on the Community College. Al Sperry Hamilton

Just wondering

Dear Editor, I just wonder if Mr. Roubik would be so charitable to gophers if his horse broke his leg in a gopher hole. Frank Novotny Victor

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.

Page 6 -- Bitterroot Star

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Book store continued

book sections that Wathen and Luther have thoughtfully curated over the years. The store is filled with books, but books aren’t the only thing customers find inside. Wathen and Luther encourage conversations by providing what the community wants. “We want our community to know we are their bookstore and we want to be part of their conversation,” Luther said. She said it is the human-tohuman book recommendations and conversations that people come in for. Both owners support conversation as an art form, and they like to talk with people about books. “We could talk about books all day long, that’s why we work here,” Luther said. “We talk about books with the customers and we continue the conversation after they’ve left.” Wathen said Chapter One has a story, and the people that come in and make a personal connection are part of the story. “We are curating and narrating that story,” he said. “You can’t do that online. It feeds into the whole narrative of how a bookstore is part of the community. Bookstores remind people of the power of language to share ideas and concepts in a way they can have real discussions.” Wathen started working at Chapter One in 1996 because he was unemployed and hungry. He and his wife Laura had just returned to Montana after living in Paris and Poland. Bookstore owners, Russ Lawrence and Jean Matthews, were concerned that a

Ph.D. candidate of East-Central European Intellectual History wouldn’t stick around long at their small-town bookstore, so they asked him to commit to six months. Before long Wathen was hooked — he was vested in the community. Five years later he became a partner and in 2009 he bought the store. “I didn’t think anything in the world would make me want to be a business owner,” he said. “But there’s something a little different about books.” Wathen’s son Brendan said growing up in the bookstore made books and literature part of his personality. “When I was a kid, I would spend my lunches in the school library,” he said. “I would stay up late reading at night and my parents would often tell me, ‘no books at the dinner table’.” Brendan wrote a novel in high school. After graduation, he traveled and wrote a novel while living in Morocco. Today he lives in Eugene, Washington, and spends his time writing fiction. He recognized how important the bookstore was to the community when his parents took him to a dinner party. “The bookstore seemed to be the entity linking all these people together — whether they worked at the store, were friends of the owners, or just loved books and frequently stopped in,” he said. “I’ve been to a lot of bookstores and although I admit I am biased, I have yet to find its likeness.” Luther started working at Chapter One in 2005 because she loved books. In 2010, she bought into a partnership with Wathen. “If I had known I could have gone into the book business I would have done that in school,” she

Not everyone in town is a reader. Some come in for cards and calendars and to show off their small town. “Everyone has family who come to town and walk up and down Hamilton’s adorable Main Street,” Mara Luther said. “We are one of the shops people want their far-away friends and family to visit.” Marnie Craig photo. said. “Shawn was a progressive open-minded and charmingly curmudgeonly business partner who made it easy for me.” Luther’s daughter Mikaela began life in the bookstore as an infant. “She learned which books she could touch and pulled the used books off the shelf and surrounded herself with them,” Luther said. “Today she is six and

Mikaela Skye Downing shows off an Earth Day picture she drew while her mom unpacks book orders. She’s excited to receive the third book in the Amulet series, a graphic novel about a young girl who discovers a magical amulet in her great-grandfather’s house. Marnie Craig photo.

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a half and likes to read graphic novels. She is recognizing words and putting sentences together.” Becky Boykin is a longtime customer of Chapter One. She attends the once-a-month Saturday morning book club that Luther facilitates where readers spend an hour discussing a book and an hour Skyping with the author. She learned about books in translation and Eastern European literature by attending Wathen’s lecture series at the Bitterroot Public Library. “I learned so much,” she said. “There were books I never would have

read had it not been for his lecture series.” She attended the ‘book club at the bar.’ “It started at the Silver Coin Casino, but because it wasn’t accessible to me, they moved it to Taco Del Sol,” she said. “They brought in lower tables and chairs from the store so I could participate because I am a person who uses a wheelchair.” The store has had a website for two decades, but most people don’t know it’s there. Book recommendations, conversations, author

book signings, release parties and lectures are part of the intangibles you can’t get online. Wathen said this is why the store has thrived. “It’s one of the things Russ and Jean wanted to do when they brought the store to Main Street,” he said. “They wanted it to be a community space, a fundamental part of the downtown landscape, not just to sell books but to have people feel safe with divergent ideas. As long as the community wants us here and they value what we do, we will be alright.”

Mara Luther stands behind a counter piled with books. She uses Facebook to keep the store alive during the pandemic. She posts the ‘Daily Browse,’ highlighting books she thinks are worth a peek, and records herself reading kids’ books for storytime every Friday. Marnie Craig photo.

Bitterroot 50 Mile Garage Sale cancelled

As Montana tries to get back to normal, many folks have been forced to make some difficult decisions. The Bitterroot 50 Mile Garage Sale board has decided that this year may not be the best year to advertise and support having a number of large gatherings and out of area travelers that

are the result of the two-day sale. The board wants everyone to feel safe enjoying the sale whether they are selling, shopping, or a member of our Bitterroot community. Therefore, they will not have the sale this year and instead will focus on putting on an amazing event for 2021. The announcement follows a

prior decision by the Stevensville Western Heritage Days committee to cancel their event for this year as well. The two events, which were scheduled for June 26th and 27th this year, have been successful in partnering on advertising and promotion.

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Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Bitterroot Star -- Page 7

Gas prices continue falling Assistance for small businesses

Montana gas prices have fallen 3.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $1.81/g today, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 615 stations. Gas prices in Montana are 27.8 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 102.3 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Montana is priced at $1.59/g today while the most expensive is $2.14/g, a difference of 55.0 cents per gallon. The lowest price in the state today is $1.59/g while the highest is $2.14/g, a difference of 55.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 4.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $1.74/g today. The national average is down 25.6 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 115.1 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. Historical gasoline prices

in Montana and the national average going back ten years: April 27, 2019: $2.84/g (U.S. Average: $2.89/g) April 27, 2018: $2.68/g (U.S. Average: $2.80/g) April 27, 2017: $2.37/g (U.S. Average: $2.40/g) April 27, 2016: $2.06/g (U.S. Average: $2.15/g) April 27, 2015: $2.31/g (U.S. Average: $2.54/g) April 27, 2014: $3.34/g (U.S. Average: $3.70/g) April 27, 2013: $3.34/g (U.S. Average: $3.50/g) April 27, 2012: $3.76/g (U.S. Average: $3.82/g) April 27, 2011: $3.61/g (U.S. Average: $3.88/g) April 27, 2010: $2.93/g (U.S. Average: $2.84/g) Neighboring areas and their current gas prices: Idaho- $1.83/g, down 7.4 cents per gallon from last week’s $1.90/g.

Billings- $1.79/g, down 3.8 cents per gallon from last week’s $1.83/g. Wyoming- $1.82/g, down 7.7 cents per gallon from last week’s $1.90/g. “Unsurprisingly, for the ninth straight week average gas prices have fallen across every state in the country, with more downward potential likely, especially in today’s highest priced states,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “While much of the talk last week was about the West Texas Intermediate benchmark falling to $0 per barrel and then into negative territory, it was very isolated and oil eventually rebounded back to the current $15 per barrel level. As a result, gasoline prices will likely remain subdued until meaningful demand for petroleum returns, and that may not be for weeks or perhaps longer. “

Ravalli County Economic Development Authority (RCEDA) is offering assistance for small businesses dealing with the COVID-19 restrictions. RCEDA has been hearing from many business owners about their challenges dealing with restrictions on businesses in order to prevent the spread of COVID19. RCEDA’s staff have also been calling businesses throughout the valley to get a sense of the overall impact on the local economy. RCEDA is currently working with federal, state, local and

private organizations to see if we can mobilize more financial resources to help local business. Businesses who have submitted applications for EIDL loans can get information about the status of their applications by contacting the SBA disaster assistance customer service center at 1-800-659-2955, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. PPP loan status can be obtained through local lenders. If you have any ideas on assistance that could help your business, email or give RCEDA

a call. Business counseling and assistance with business planning is always provided at no charge. Set up an appointment by calling 375-9416 or emailing julie@rceda.org or john@rceda. org.

Support local!

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GRAND RE-OPENING SATURDAY, MAY 2ND 9AM - 3PM Come Join Us!

Barbecue Food Truck • Ford GT on Display Multi Family Sale

4039 Hwy 93 N. Stevensville, MT • 777-2822

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Page 8 -- Bitterroot Star

Times have been tough, we know! Proposed resurfacing project for Hwy 93 north and south of Darby

We can help!

If you have been affected by COVID 19 closures and want to boost your business, we will match your advertising dollars

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The Bitterroot Star 115 W. 3rd Ste 108 Stevensville • 406-777-3928

Call Jean - 406-239-4354 or Liz - 406-880-2007

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) would like to announce and invite the public to comment on a proposal to resurface about 12.7 miles of US Highway 93, north and south of Darby in Ravalli County. The project begins just south of the Rye Creek bridge, and runs north, ending approximately 0.2 miles north of the intersection with Camas Creek Loop. Proposed work includes

RE-ELECT

replacing the top layer of existing pavement, and seal and cover (chip seal) along the entire project. Other work will include upgraded sidewalk facilities, pavement markings, signage, delineation and shoulder rumble strips, centerline rumble strips in the rural areas, bridge deck crack seals. The purpose of the project is to preserve the existing roadway to extend the service life and enhance roadside safety.

The project is tentatively scheduled for construction in 2022, depending on completion of all project development activities and availability of funding. Minor utility adjustments and minor sidewalk agreements may be needed for the updating of sidewalks in Darby. An important part of properly planning for future projects See HWY 93, page 10

SHARON GREEF HD88

A NOTE FROM SHARON:

During this challenging time, I am so very thankful to live here in the Bitterroot. We are blessed to live in a beautiful, rural county where social distancing isn’t that hard. I’m thankful for the extra care given in grocery stores to protect us, for our first responders and those in the medical field. I’m thankful for friends and neighbors watching out for each other, helping. Going forward in the next 1-2 years, our county and state need the right leaders to guide us through the biggest challenge fiscally that perhaps we’ve ever faced. There is no doubt that 2021 revenues will be greatly impacted. We don’t know the extent but we do know that we will need to adjust accordingly. Proven leaders WILL rise to the challenge. VOTE PAID FOR BY SHARON GREEF, ED GREEF, TREAS. PO BOX 1327, FLORENCE MT 59833

Safe & Convenient! In these challenging times, the doctors, nurses and

staff at Sapphire Community Health want you to know that we will continue to serve you. However for our patients', staff, and community’s safety, we will be operating on an appointment only basis. Please call our office to schedule an appointment.

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Bitterroot Star -- Page 9

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

This is what we’ve been waiting for!

Cinco De Mayo TUESDAY May 5th

Your 21st Century Library Operates on 20th Century Funding Vote YES to Support Your Library! Ballots mailed May 8. Return by June 2.

Stock on A Up ll Favo Your r for Y ites Celeb our ratio n!

20%: growth of Bitterroot Pubic Library’s district (Hamilton, Corvallis, and Victor school districts) since last vote to increase funding 22 years ago. Current demands exceed current funding. 225: number of people (30% children and families) who use our library daily. New Roof: needed this summer to protect 104 year old building. 2022: library forced to reduce services if levy unsuccessful. $4.05: how much it will cost property owners per $100,000 valuation. Check Out 1 Book, DVD, CD, or Audiobook and the cost savings will more than cover your share of the levy.

301 Main Street, Stevensville (406) 777-5597

Paid for by “Bitterroot Public Library Levy Campaign” Committee, 500 Jorgy Way, Hamilton, MT 59840, Mary Ann Darby, Treasurer

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Page 10 -- Bitterroot Star

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Michele DeGroot of Big Sky Candy in Hamilton with some of the many hearts that have been placed in her business’s window showing the love and appreciation for the many doctors, nurses, first responders and even mail carriers who have been working through the COVID-19 crisis. Jean Schurman photo.

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Daniel Ray, Library Administrator, designs computer sign-ups at North Valley Public Library in Stevensville.

North Valley Library re-opens during Phase 1 Gov. Steve Bullock made clear that during Phase 1 of his reopening plan there is no expiration date. “The virus is still in Montana and will be with us for some time,” Bullock said. “That may mean we’re in Phase 1 for some time.” As the North Valley Public Library plans a limited re-opening during Phase 1 of the COVID-19 pandemic, the aim is to keep staff and patrons safe, and limit the transmission of the virus, while slowly returning to normal operations. As always anywhere, anytime, if you’re sick, please stay home. Library hours during Phase 1 have been modified to the following: Monday, Thursday & Friday 10-6, Tuesday & Wednes-

New Ways To Access Healthcare MARCUS DALY RESPIRATORY SERVICES

New Telehealth Service from Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital

is partnering with the community. The Montana Department of Transportation welcomes the public to provide ideas and comments on the proposed project. Comments may be submitted online at http://www.mdt.mt.gov/ mdt/comment_forms.shtml or in writing to Montana Department of Transportation, Missoula office at PO Box 7039, Missoula, MT 59807-7039. Please note that comments are for project UPN 9707000. The public is encouraged to contact Missoula District Administrator Bob Vosen at (406) 5235802 or Project Design Engineer Jessica Jenks at (406) 594 3904 for additional information. Alternative accessible formats of this document will be provided on request. Persons who need an alternative format should contact the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Transportation, 2701 Prospect Avenue, PO Box 201001, Helena, MT 59620. Telephone 406-444-5416 or Montana Relay Service at 711.

If you have any of the following symptoms, call Respiratory Services at (406) 375-4762 • Chest Congestion • Chills • Cough • Fever • Nasal Congestion • Runny Nose • Shortness of Breath • Sore Throat • Exposure to a COVID-19 Individual The respiratory location is separate from the primary care clinics for patients experiencing respiratory or flu-like symptoms. Medical providers seeing patients follow specific protocols to ensure patients receive the care they need in the most appropriate setting. This new Respiratory Services triage location helps control the spread of communicable diseases, such as influenza, pertussis and COVID-19, and makes the hospital’s medical clinics safer for patients receiving other types of care.

RESPIRATORY SERVICES Please call (406) 375-4762 to determine if this location is right for you. Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm

TOP

100

CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL

Hwy 93 continued

AN EXTENSION OF BITTERROOT PHYSICIANS CLINIC

• Difficulty Breathing

day 11-7, Saturday and Sunday closed. Limited patron services are now available. They are as follows: • Materials available by curbside pickup. Call to request materials or place holds online. Patrons may not come into the building to browse the collection. • Wear a mask to curbside pickup or stand back 6 feet from the door. • 30-minute computer sessions by appointment only provided you wear a mask. • Maintain 6 feet social distance at all times. No computer assistance available. • Call 777-5061 during the hours above. The library will disinfect computer stations in between patrons. However, due to the inability to disinfect the entire library, during Phase 1 patrons will not be allowed in the building except for computer appointments. North Valley Public Library is located at 208 Main Street, Stevensville. Stay safe. The library reminds you to practice social distancing and wash your hands. For more information visit northvalleylibrary.org.

THE EASY WAY TO CONNECT WITH YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER Yes, stay home; we will bring your doctor to you! Find out if you’re next appointment can be a video visit in your own home. Contact your doctor today. Bitterroot Dermatology

375-2949

Bitterroot Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

375-4868

Bitterroot Physicians Clinic

363-1100

Bitterroot Physicians Clinic North

375-2990

Bitterroot Physicians Clinic South

375-4142

Bitterroot Surgical Associates

375-2930

Corvallis Family Medicine

961-4661

Hamilton Obstetrics & Gynecology

375-4777

Marcus Daly Rehabilitation Center

375-4570

Marcus Daly Sleep Center

375-4801

Rocky Mountain Neurosurgery Center

375-4714

Location: 1150 Westwood Drive, Suite C Hamilton, MT 59840

Get local!

OR reach out to your medical provider via the HealtheLife app.

mdmh.org/covid-19 follow us on facebook We are a partner in your health and your insurance network, accepting all forms of payment.

Quality Care Close to Home

For information about advertising in your local paper, call the Bitterroot Star at 777-3928!

Bitterroot Star -- Page 11

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

How high’s the water, Mama?

How high’s the water, mama? Remember that old Johnny Cash song? Every chorus it was another foot high and risin’. That’s where the Bitterroot is headed for the next few weeks. Exactly when it will be blown out beyond being fishable is anybody’s guess. Between those surges toward the ultimate peak of

Flyfishing with Chuck Stranahan runoff, typically we have intermittent stages where the river will settle in for a bit, maintain its level for a couple of days before it starts to roll again. We’re lucky. Worms My friend Gerald tells me that his Purple Squirmito has been the hot fly for him lately. As usual he experiments with different flies, notes his results, and zeros in on what works. For him the trips to the river are enmeshed with his scientific mindset and inquiring nature; the delightful path of discovery that he follows yields productive and often surprising results. Me? I’m a little more casual about such things. I just tie on something that I think will work, and if it doesn’t, I tie on something else. In any event I’d never think to tie on a Purple Squirmito. Besides, Gerald hasn’t given me any. Maybe that’s because he knows that flies he could otherwise fish would go to waste in my fly box. The color purple Purple sits right next to the ultraviolet band of the light spectrum. Trout can see into it; we can’t. What burns our skin and damages our eyes helps them to sort out food from the rubble that drifts downstream. And this bit of information is especially important as rising water dislodges all sorts of debris from the bottom, much of it trout food. Here’s another interesting tidbit: All mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies, the trout’s chief sources of food, reflect the ultraviolet spectrum. Put those two pieces of

information together. Tie some of your favorite food-form nymphs with some UV dubbing added to the mix. Or fish something purple – maybe UV purple. You won’t catch fewer fish because of it. And I wonder: Was the gooey, squishy stuff Gerald use for his Squirmito a UV material, or was it merely purple and that seemed to work, or did Gerald suddenly get lucky? Only the trout know for sure. The rest of us are left to guess.

Methods Some of my dry fly friends shudder at the notion of fishing a double nymph rig. When there’s zilch on top, why not give it a try? One way is to run a heavy nymph off your tippet, and tie a smaller nymph off the hook bend on about two feet of tipped suitable for the smaller fly. You can stay close to your work, fishing only a few feet of line and an extra-short leader, or use an extra-long leader so the nuisance of having the line-leader connection foul in the guides is not a problem. The extra leader is in your hand as you fish as the rest strings out the guides and into the water. You can add an indicator to this rig if you wish – my preference is to do it without; in this kind of fishing I’m attempting to maintain contact with the fly as it drifts by having just enough tension on the line to detect strikes. That lets the flies probe and work the depths at their own speed. The bobber tends to pull them downstream as it floats through the faster surface current. This is now called Euronymphing. We have specialized tackle for the style, which is also surprisingly more effective than conventional gear for dry flies on fast water. In the backwoods rivers that flowed recklessly from the snowfields of Mount Shasta, we called it dredging, or fishing Ted Fay style. Later some outdoor write renamed it high-sticking and sold an article. All the same thing, as far as the trout are concerned. As the water comes up, trout get crowded out of their usual lies. They move out of heavy current into softer flows along the edges. The dry gravel bar you walked on a few days ago might be under water now, and fish might be holding on it. The water you fished successfully might be running too fast for the fish to hold comfortably. Current speed Trout like to hold in water that is moving from one to three feet per second. As water levels rise, they seem to like current speeds on the slower end of that spectrum.

The inside edges, the calm triangle at the heads of a riffle corner, or right up against a bank if the water’s deep enough, are places you’ll find trout, And don’t forget obstructions. In this river, most of the obstructions are wood. You’ll find that slowed-down narrow seam of slow-moving water beside a fallen tree, or in the pillow of current that slows down above a root ball turned

upstream. It doesn’t take much. If a trout has room for 1 ½ times its body length it can take up lodging in a place you might miss if you’re looking for that perfect 40 yard pool. In high water, there usually aren’t many of those. Community college footnote If you haven’t done so already, for goodness sake, please get your mail-in ballot in the mail. And please, if there’s still time, vote yes for the bond that will give us an effective community college. Today Bitterroot College is dying on the vine. Budgeted funding from UM, set aside for Bitterroot College, is not forthcoming. Necessary repairs to the facility are not being budgeted or implemented. There is no heat in the gym, converted for multiple uses to serve a wide variety of educational needs. We’re not offering a full curriculum to our young college aspiring high school graduates who can’t afford full-boat enrollment at UM. We’re not offering the slate of vocational offerings that would enable more of our students to enter a productive job market, nor give aspiring adult workers the opportunity to move from public assistance into a career. In short, we’re shortchanging ourselves if we don’t vote yes for the affordable levy that will pay so much more back into our community through a revitalized Bitterroot College. Author and flytyer Chuck Stranahan can be reached at chuck@chuck-stranahan.com or visit his fly shop at 109 E. Main in Hamilton.

Crossword Puzzle

ACROSS 1. Revolutions per minute 4. Transporting by bus 10. Boxer Muhammad 11. Bayer’s competitor 12. Summer mo. 13. Cola brand 14. Very tiny animal 16. Mesh 17. Frau’s husband 18. __ box 20. Air conditioner, for short 22. College head 26. Thai 29. Program 31. Snub 33. Male cat 34. 1/1000 of a millimeter 35. Before, poetically 36. Endue 37. Scarlet

DOWN 1. Indian prince 2. Feather 3. Not life threatening 4. Wire projection 5. Take off the lid 6. Pocket 7. Computer picture button 8. Egyptian river 9. Annoying insect 15. Epoch 19. Poem of praise 21. Noel 23. Make a record of 24. Dote 25. Termed 26. What a clock tells 27. Against 28. S.A. Indian 30. DNA component 32. Bolus

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FARM & GARDEN ORDER ONLINE AT moellersnursery.com OR CALL IN FOR CURBSIDE PICKUP! Bareroot trees and shrubs, Montana certified seed potatoes, asparagus roots, onion sets, bareroot raspberries and strawberries. Boost composted manure. Pro-Mix potting soil. Grain-fed beef and pork and eggs. Moeller’s Nursery, 946 Eastside Hwy, Corvalis. Open daily. 961-3389. 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. FRESH FARM EGGS from pastured free range chickens, delivered daily to the Bitterroot Star, Stevensville. Severson’s natural grass fed ground beef (1-lb packages, $5/lb), also steaks! Call 777-3928 for availability or just stop by Bitterroot Star at 115 W. 3rd (blue door).

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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. HARD WORKER NEEDED to clean up the yard and for several projects throughout the summer. $11.50/hour. 363-8061. HOME CARE SERVICES is hiring caregivers and CNAs. Flexible schedule, competitive pay. Apply at 925 N. First Street in Hamilton. Call 375-8637. IDAHO FOREST GROUP NOW HIRING: Boiler/Kiln Operator, Industrial Elect 2, Industrial

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SERVICES BITTERROOT MOWER REPAIR - Mobile service and repair of lawn and garden equipment. Serving the Bitterroot Valley. Call: (406) 518-1986. PLANTING, PRUNING, TRIMMING, MOWING, shrub and tree services. Property clean up. All quick and affordable. 406-3608699. ALL SEASONS LAWN CARE. Affordable rates. Call Tom at 529-0465 or Laurie at 381-3106.

Hamilton, MT 59840, or filed with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court. DATED this 7th day of April, 2020. /s/ Nichole Annette Smith, CoPersonal Representative /s/ Pamela Basnaw Goodwin, CoPersonal Representative BS 4-15, 4-22, 4-29-20. MNAXLP Mattaya Smith/Dalton Dvorak P.O. Box 152 Darby MT 59829 Petitioners appearing without a lawyer MONTANA 21ST JUDICIAL DISTRICT, RAVALLI COUNTY In the Matter of the Guardianship of LILLI SMALLEY, MATTAYA MACKENZIE SMITH, DALTON DVORAK, Petitioners Case No. DG-19-32/13 Dept 1 NOTICE OF HEARING ON GUARDIANSHIP OF A MINOR CHILD This is notice that Petitioners have asked to become the guardians of a minor child. The hearing will be April 29, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the courthouse in Ravalli County. Dated March 19, 2020. /s/ Paige Trautwein, Clerk of Court By: Mary Fliss, Deputy Clerk of Court BS 4-15, 4-22, 4-29-20. MNAXLP RICHARD A. WEBER, P.C. 345 West Main Street Hamilton, Montana 59840 Telephone: 406/363-6888 Fax: 406/363-2972 Attorney for Plaintiff MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT, RAV ALLI COUNTY Allen C. Peterson, and Jackie R. Peterson, Plaintiffs, vs. Curtis W. Peterson, Carol W. Peterson, Joanna L. Booth, and all other persons, unknown, claiming or who may claim any right, title estate, or interest in or lien or encumbrance upon the real property described in the complaint adverse to Plaintiffs’ ownership or any cloud upon Plaintiffs’ title thereto, whether such claim or possible claim be present or contingent, Defendants. Case No.: DV-20-136/8 Dept. 2

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SUMMONS FOR PUBLICA-

TION

THE STATE OF MONTANA TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS GREETINGS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Verified Complaint in this action, which is filed in the office of the clerk of this court, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, and to file your written answer and serve a copy thereof upon the Plaintiffs’ attorney within twenty-one days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default, for the relief demanded in the Verified Complaint. This is a proceeding to quiet title to the real property described below. The real property affected by this suit is situated in the State of Montana, County of Ravalli, and is described as follows: A portion of the SE 1/4 of Section 32, Township 7 North, Range 20 West, P.M.M. Ravalli County, Montana, being more particularly described as Tracts C and D of Certificate of Survey No. 733294-Witness my hand and the seal of said court this 23rd day of April, 2020. Paige Trautwein Clerk of the District Court By: Janenne Sorenson, Deputy Clerk BS 4-29, 5-6, 5-13-20. MNAXLP MENT

AUDIT PUBLICATION STATE-

An audit of the affairs of the Stevensville Public Schools, Stevensville, Montana, has been conducted by the firm of Denning, Downey & Associates, P.C. Certified Public Accountants. The audit covered the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. Section 2-7-521, MCA, requires that this publication concerning the audit report is on file in its entirety and open to public inspection at Stevensville School District Business Office, 300 Park St. Stevensville, MT. Sincerely, William F. Schiele Business Manager/ Clerk BS 4-29-20. MNAXLP

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Naomi J. Cheeney Cheeney Law, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840 Phone: (406) 363-9060 Attorney for Co-Personal Representatives MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY In the Matter of the Estate of BILLIE ANNETTE BASNAW, Deceased. Case No.: DP-20-37 Department No. 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 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 Nichole Annette Smith and Pamela Basnaw Goodwin, Co-Personal Representatives, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law, PLLC, PO Box 212,

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Obituaries Robert Earl ‘Bob’ Daniels Billings - Robert Earl Daniels died on April 15, 2020 in Billings, MT, with his family by his side. He was born July 11, 1943 in Missoula, MT. His parents were Elizabeth (Betty) and Roy Daniels. Bob was raised in the Bitterroot and attended grade school and high school in Stevensville, MT. Upon graduation, he enrolled at the University of Montana and received B.S. degrees in Forestry and Wildlife Biology. On October 2, 1965 he married his soul mate and best friend, Phyllis. They had two children, Brenda and Craig. He worked on the Bitterroot National Forest, the Medicine Bow, and the Bighorn as a Forester. He was employed as a Wildlife Biologist in the Tongass Forest. Bob received many awards for exceptional and outstanding work. He was an avid sports fan and loyal supporter of his Griz. He attended Griz basketball and football games for over 50 years. He often reminisced of his Dad taking him to the first basketball game played in the Adams Field House in 1955--the Griz played Indiana-there was sawdust along the court sides and he was in awe of the size of the building. His loyalty and love of his Griz started then and never wavered over the years. He loved sports and coached Peewee and Little League baseball, then Junior High football for four years and enjoyed working with children. As a small boy, he fished and hunted with his father and was very adept at both. Many wonderful times were spent with friends ice fishing. Bob was a recognized

guru for telling people what bait to use--the best time to fish, depths in particular areas of the lakes, etc. He developed a shrimp trap for himself and his friends. His smoked salmon was known throughout the¬ fishing community for its taste and quality. When the computer age dawned, Bob was determined to be adept and knowledgeable with the technology. Through reading and practice, he became extremely competent and skilled. He was the person his circle of friends would call when they were having computer problems, when they were going to buy a computer, and when his wife could not get the computer to work, which was often. Upon retirement, Bob began to experiment with cooking. He made outstanding chili and had a delivery route to friends who would receive his chili when he made it--his seafood chowder was awesome and received rave

reviews. His delectable smoked turkey was in high demand whenever there was a family function. In addition to culinary skills Bob enjoyed golf, watching sports, travel, especially to Jasper National Park in Canada, genealogy, reading, and was a Civil War buff. He thought the very best times were those spent with family and grandchildren. He treasured these times and held the memories close to his heart. He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Betty Daniels, his wife Phyllis Daniels, brother-in-law Jack Pfau and nephew David Roberts. Bob is survived by his daughter, Brenda (Aaron) of Miles City MT, son Craig (Cori) of Keizer, OR, grandsons Robert Kneeland of Miles City, MT, Bradley Kneeland (Cory Harman) of Billings, MT, granddaughter Emily Daniels of Keizer, OR and grandson, Tanner Daniels of Keizer, OR, sister Linda Pfau of Stevensville, MT, brother-inlaw Ken (Diana) Roberts of Bend, OR and brother-in-law Dennis (Sandra) Roberts of Renton WA and three nieces and four nephews. The family sends special thanks to the caring and loving staff of Tender Nest, LLC in Billings, especially Melissa. In lieu of flowers, Bob requested donations be made to the Humane Society. A memorial celebration of Bob’s life will be held at a later date due to COVID-19 concerns at the Florence-Carlton Community Church in Florence. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.

Diane Rosalie Stanich Stevensville – Diane Rosalie Stanich, 68, of Stevensville passed away Sunday morning, April 19, 2020 at home due to complications associated with Parkinson’s Disease. She was born on September 24, 1951 in Albuquerque New Mexico, and was the daughter of JD and Rosalie Griffiths. Diane’s family moved every 3 to 5 years because of JD’s profession, and she lived in many different places including: Woolton, England; Rantoul, Illinois; Longbeach, Mississippi; Jefferson City, Missouri; Sherwood, Arkansas; Great Falls, Montana; and Downey, California. Diane went to high school in Great Falls MT, where she met her future husband (Chuck) and graduated from Charlie M. Russell High School in 1969. After graduation, she moved to Downey, California and was employed by Ralph M. Parson International Engineering firm. Chuck and Diane were married on August 21, 1971 and moved back to Montana, where they raised their two daughters,

May 5, 2020 – School, Special Purpose District & Special Elections

NOTICE OF VOTING SYSTEM EXHIBITION, BALLOT PREPARATION & COUNTING OF BALLOTS Notice is hereby given that the following elections will be conducted solely by mail ballot: SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTIONS Corvallis School District #1 Trustee Election Florence-Carlton School District #15-6 Trustee Election Lone Rock School District #13 Trustee & Levy Election Stevensville School District #2 Trustee Election SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICT ELECTIONS Florence Rural Fire District Trustee Election Ravalli Park District No. 2 Trustee Election SPECIAL ELECTION Community College of the Bitterroot Valley Election (Creation/Levy/Trustee) Ballots were mailed on April 17, 2020 to active electors who reside in the district. If you did not receive your ballot, contact the Election Office at 375-6550. VOTING SYSTEM EXHIBITION/PUBLIC TEST A public test of the ES&S DS850 high-speed vote tabulator and the ES&S ExpressVote ballot marking system will be conducted at 10 AM on Friday, May 1, 2020, in the basement of the Ravalli County Courthouse (205 Bedford Street, Hamilton, Montana). Upon request, the voting system will be demonstrated to any inquiring elector. The ES&S ExpressVote is a ballot-marking device that is available at the Election Office in order to assist voters with disabilities in marking their ballot privately and independently. Other arrangements for reasonable accommodations can be made by contacting the Election Office at 375-6550. PREPARATION, RECONCILIATION AND COUNTING OF BALLOTS Early preparation and reconciliation of ballots will be held on May 4, 2020, at approximately 10 AM, in the basement of the Ravalli County Courthouse, 205 Bedford Street, Hamilton. Ballots will be counted by a counting center board on May 5 (Election Day) beginning at approximately 10 AM, in the basement of the Ravalli County Courthouse (205 Bedford Street, Hamilton). No results will be released until after the polls close at 8 PM. Public is welcome to observe on either May 4 (early preparation/reconciliation of ballots) or on May 5 (Election Day); however due to COVID-19 and social distancing recommendations, we will limit the number of observers.

Outstanding in his field Merle Unruh

Margaret L. “Marge” Blietz, age 76, of Stevensville passed away unexpectedly on Monday, April 20. Arrangements are pending and will be announced. A full obituary will follow.

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Lolo - Dennis D. Becker, 74, passed away in the night, Friday, April 24, 2020 at his home in Lolo. Brothers Mortuary and Crematory is honored to care for the family. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary.com. 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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daughters were accomplished hikers and hiked all the trails from Carlton Ridge to Blodgett Creek. She enjoyed and relished the time spent around the campfire at the cabin in Seeley Lake. Diane was preceded in death by her parents, JD and Rosalie Griffiths, and her daughter, Caitlin Rose Stanich. She is survived by: her husband, Chuck of Stevensville; daughter and granddaughter, Heather and Addisson of Hamilton; sister, Tina Griffiths in Mexico; brother, Mark Griffiths of New York; and brother, Bill Griffiths of California. There was a simple graveside service for Diane on April 25, 2020 in St. Mary’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Watson Children’s Shelter, 4978 Buckhouse Lane, Missoula MT. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.

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Heather and Caitlin. Diane worked for Boone Karlburg Law Firm for roughly 20 years. Diane was a member of the St. Mary’s Parish. Her pride and joy was centered around her family, and her eyes would light up when her granddaughter, Addisson, entered the room. Grams and Addisson made many fine messes in the kitchen cooking and baking. Pre-Parkinson’s, Diane and her

Death Notices Margaret Blietz

Dated this 22nd day of April 2020 Regina Plettenberg, Election Administrator 215 South 4th Street, Suite C Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 375-6550 Display Ad Publish: April 29, 2020 Size: 3 columns wide x 8” long (format to fit) Bill: Ravalli County Clerk & Recorder 215 South 4th Street, Suite C Hamilton, MT 59840

Bitterroot Star -- Page 13

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

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Fourth Grade Farm Fair will be virtual this year A couple of weeks ago, Colleen Meyer wasn’t sure the 28th annual Fourth Grade Farm Fair was going to happen. Meyer, along with her husband, Jay, were instrumental in organizing the event from the beginning. After having the event at Corvallis for a couple of years, they graciously opened their ranch to fourth graders from all the schools in the valley for a day to learn about agriculture. The event normally has about 200 volunteers who lead groups of students from station to station where the students have a chance to learn about chickens, beef, swine, irrigation, beekeeping, and the favorite station, how to make ice cream. But this year, with the pandemic, schools have moved to an online format and are no longer in the classroom. When faced with the fact the Farm Fair wasn’t going to happen, Meyer was upset but turned to Josette Hackett, the Stevensville FFA adviser. Hackett said that if she created something, it was going to be more than just a ‘couple of videos to be viewed one time.’ Her ag students and FFA members have been doing a ‘choice board’ and selecting 10 items each week to study and do. Normally they would be working on engines, building items for the

FFA banquet and working on other projects. This gave the students another avenue to study. Hackett said that most publishers are letting teachers use book creator programs for free right now so they decided to create a book that could be used beyond this year, as sort of an introduction to Farm Fair. Once the students selected a topic, they then spent time looking for appropriate aged videos or created their own. A couple of topics were ‘how to make ice cream in a zip lock bag,’ and livestock brands in Ravalli County. Once the students turned in their work, Hackett edited it to give it all a similar look. Her fifth grade son, Teigen, has been going to Farm Fair since before he was in school and has a very good idea of what happens at the event. Hackett said he was her age appropriate editor to make sure fourth graders would be able to understand it. “There was only one page that he didn’t like,” said Hackett. “He thought the color was not right on the weeds.” Hackett said that the pandemic has show exactly how important agriculture is to our society. “Without what we do, there is nothing that anyone can do.” Farm fair has always been her favorite day of the year and

Last year, fourth grade students had the chance to watch how irrigation water moves through the ground at the Fourth Grade Farm Fair. Star file photo. the class and FFA have worked since last fall on the event. “We didn’t want the fourth graders to

miss out. The kids can choose what they want or the teacher can work with them.”

Meyer concluded, “It’s not the real thing, but at least it’s

towns, counties, schools and tribal newspapers dated 1873 to 2018. The newspapers on the two sites don’t overlap and Hollenbach noted that the Montana Historical Society continues to add content to both. “Digitized newspapers have greater value as more titles are included, which is what makes Chronicling America and Montana Newspapers such important resources for a wide range of people,” Hollenbach said. “The MHS newspaper collection is primarily microfilm, which often is challenging to work with. Having

material online provides access for people who might not otherwise have been able to access the collection due to travel costs. “Previously, researchers had to know the date and location of an event to find an article, or they had to spend days looking page by page on microfilm. Now they can search more than one million pages from Montana newspapers and find things they never would have known to look for.” Molly Kruckenberg, Program Manager of the MHS Research Center, noted that newspapers are an incredible source for

researchers, genealogists, students, communities, and anyone else who wants to look at the past. With the 1 million-page milestone, people can easily search to find coverage of events in different newspapers. “Instead of spending days on microfilm looking at only one paper, people can look at coverage in various newspapers with just a few searches that would have taken months on microfilm, if it could have been done at all,” Kruckenberg said. “Newspapers were the social media of their time.”

something, and next year we’ll be back at it.”

One million Montana newspaper pages, including Star’s, now online A whopping 1 million pages of Montana’s newspapers including the Bitterroot Star, and the stories they carried about lives, deaths and everything in between, are now available with the click of a few computer keys through a Montana Historical Society project. The Digitized Montana Newspapers project involves two free online resources that allows the public to search newspapers dating back to 1864. These titles come from 76 communities representing 46 of the 56 Montana counties. Natasha Hollenbach,

Digital Projects Librarian, said newspapers are one of the most used collections at the Montana Historical Society, which is why the organization started digitizing them in 2009 through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through that program known as Chronicling America, more than 314,700 pages from at least 92 Montana newspapers from 1864 to 1963 can be found online. The second resource is Montana Newspapers, which is a searchable database containing more than 685,000 pages from 114 Montana

Montana Newspapers’ content selection is based on a geographical town or county, while Chronicling America focuses on a theme or topic. For example, content from after 1922 was digitalized on Chronicling America with an eye on the boom and bust cycles in mining, logging, agriculture and the oil industry. For more information on the project, call Hollenbach at 406/444-7428 or email her at nhollenbach@mt.gov. The collections can be found at mhs.mt.gov/ research/collections/newspapers.

We’re celebrating!

Years!

The Bitterroot Star Totally local since 1985

Thank you for your support Michael & Victoria Howell

Bitterroot Star -- Page 15

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

It is in times of need that we see the best in people. There are many online groups offering help to those who are unable to do so themselves. However, if you’re in need of something and don’t have the support, we are here to help.

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Real Estate agents are still working and can help if you have concerns about your listing, search or transaction.

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BHHSMT.com/Hamilton 120 South 5th Street, Suite.201 406-375-0166 ©2019 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.

Page 16--Bitterroot Star

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Fast Facts on Reopening

Helpful Phone Numbers: â€¢ Ravalli County Health Department:

375-6672 375-6650 For more information follow us: https://ravalli.us

RAVALLI COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH . 205 Bedford Suite L . Hamilton, MT 59840 . (406) 375-6672