Bitterroot Star - May 10, 2023

CORVALLIS: Principal recognized state-wide

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ally allows them to have the greatest impact on the students.

Among the programs and initiatives she helps to facilitate for her students; Knapp fnds community involvement to be at the top of the list. “It’s good for the community to see our kids at work,” she said. “We always try to give back to the community.”

Many clubs and organizations within the school conduct internships and community service within the town of Corvallis. On Earth Day, Knapp had the entire student body conduct a campus-wide clean-up and beautifcation project, “Helping kids understand how it’s important to become involved in your community and do things for others,” she said.

When asked what the biggest issue facing her school and students is, Knapp said, “I feel we’re on the verge of climbing out of what the pandemic did to us.”

She said the transition from online learning, which students became familiar with during the pandemic,

back to in-person learning has been difcult. “We’re starting to see a turnaround with our attendance,” she said. “It was important to get them back into the building and back to that interaction with their peers.”

Knapp highlighted the importance of fnding creative ways to help kids through school. She said, before the pandemic, they had started a separate independent high school in 2019 to help students who needed to learn remotely graduate.

Knapp said the key to getting kids to graduation relies heavily on the connection the students have with the teachers. “I assigned staf to some kids that were at risk of not graduating, making sure they develop a connection and check in with those kids.”Knapp credits the award to her staf, who she says is responsible for the continuing success of the students. “All of us have an impact on these kids.”

The 2023 National Principal of the Year award banquet will be held in October in Washington DC.

Corvallis High School Principal and 2023 Montana Principal of the Year award winner, Cammie Knapp.

Photo by Sean Malcom.

FAIR: Fourth Grade Farm Fair ends another year

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Mule and Draft Horse Club. The hay rides included 12 wagons with

narrators and drivers. Each wagon carried a group around the fair -

grounds and spoke to them about horses, breeds and their uses in agriculture. The wagoners also spoke on branding.

A relatively new station was the watershed station. This employed an interesting trailer that simulated the flow of water through an environment. The trailer allowed participating youth to place riparian vegetation and learn about its effects on the aquatic environment, as well as how water helps shape a landscape. Brienne Kuchel, a teacher of one of Stevensville’s fourth grade classes that participated in the watershed station, said she loves the farm fair. “It’s such a cool field trip. It’s my favorite every year.”

All the food for lunch for everybody at the event came from products that could

be traced back to agriculture. “Agriculture is the number one industry in Montana, and a lot of kids don’t have that in their background,” said Colleen Meyer, who helps organize the event every year. Her husband started the fair in his fourth grade classes in the early eighties. It started with a program called Agriculture in Montana Schools, that worked to introduce youth to the industry. Jay Meyer, Colleen’s husband, then took that program a step further, as he was also a rancher. He started with class projects, then moved to field trips. Eventually, the event moved to the Meyer family ranch and other schools wanted to get involved. Over the course of the 31 years, the event now involves all the fourth graders in the valley, coming out to learn about agriculture. The event has now been held at the fairgrounds, in the center of the county, for several years.

“It has been well received in the county,” said Jay. He explained that the lunch has become a large part because every part of the food can be traced back to agriculture. Colleen said, “We hope they take this knowledge beyond that this is just the field trip for the day.”

Michael ‘Bosco’ Cembalski gives a presentation, while wearing his Johnny Appleseed costume. Photo by John Dowd.

Veda McCarthy, Olivia Zane, Haley Berg, and Sadie Summers, from Stevensville race the water as they try to support the bank with vegetation. Photo by John Dowd.

Groovz end-of-year recitals scheduled

by Nathan Boddy

With the end of the school year comes the big night for many Bitterroot Valley dancers and performers. Over the next two weekends, and again in June, Groovz Studio of Dance and Fitness will be showcasing the hard earned skills of their dancers at recitals in Victor and Hamilton. The end of the season recitals give the dancers an opportunity to place their skills before an appreciative audience. Michelle Post, owner of Groovz, says, “The talent that these kids have will blow your mind. It’s really amazing. They are all so passionate and they’ve worked really hard.”

Post started Groovz Studio of Dance and Fitness in 2009, and has seen it grow substantially over the last 14 years. She began with a small gathering of 30 students practicing in the basement of a local church, but now gives instruction to over 250 in her Hamilton location, and another 100 in Stevensville.

“It’s been quite the growth and quite the journey,”

says Post about the growth of Groovz. She also acknowledges the beneft that artistic and physically demanding performance can have within a community.

“I personally believe that dance is very therapeutic to people of all ages,” says Post. “We have dancers from age 2 all the way up to 92. Just the competence it builds in kids is huge. They learn to be a part of a community of accepting, nurturing and talented instructors and kids around them.”

The training and re-

hearsals are an important component of what dance students gain, but the recitals are also very important.

“Something just clicks inside kids sometimes,” she says. “It lights a fre in them, like they are proving to themselves that they can do it. It takes a lot of guts and bravery to get up there on that stage.”

The frst recital will be held on May 12th at 6:30 p.m. at the Mary Stuart Rogers Performing Arts Center in Victor. That recital will showcase solo/duo/ trio performances and is free to the public, although donations are greatly appreciated.

On May 17th and again on May 18th, ‘Legends and Icons’

will take the stage at the Hamilton Performing Arts Center at 6 p.m. each evening. The identical shows will spotlight the talents of 235 dancers and a multitude of styles. Tickets for the shows are currently on sale, and expected to sell out quickly.

The Stevensville recital will take place on Friday, June 9th at 6 p.m. and Saturday, June 10th at 3 p.m. in Victor. The reserved seating will be available shortly.

For more information about the recitals, tickets, and to see the schedule for the summer program which is now available for registration, visit: https:// www.groovzdance.com.

Instructor Reyna Post with her Tiny Dancer Class: Paisley Donaldson, Cece Reinbold, Ryleigh Nye, Alicynn McLane, Eisley Tinztman, Lauren Vosburg, Valentina Jessop, Remington Bryers, MacKenzie Merwin, Cedar Higgins.

Photo courtesy of Groovz.

Avery Dowdy, Josie Wolfe, Tylin Sorensen, Robbyn Horlacher, Kathryne Welsh, Max Naidl, Violet Stuart, Betty Neuschwander, Lily Toenjes, Reyna Post, Ella Child. Photo courtesy of Groovz.

Kate Falagan, Kijana Nottingham, Hana Cotton, Emmalee Kinzel, Zoe Wedel, Meline Gardner. Photo courtesy of Groovz.

Most people don’t know, but one of my biggest forays into the wilderness was through scuba and free diving. By the age of 15, I was a certified diver, and I had been going every year since I was nine years old. The water has always felt like home to me, and some of my greatest adventures in the natural world have come from being under the water.

by John

The aquatic world was introduced to me in no small part by my mother. She has been scuba diving for many years and wanted to bring me and my brother along. I remember camping in the Florida Keys near boat launches with her and family friends, wading out into the shallows to try on the tanks. She practiced with me in pools to get me ready to go on my own steam.

I particularly remember that first open water dive at nine. A family friend was a scuba instructor and master diver. He was unsure if I was ready and my mom convinced him to take me out. We went on a short boat ride over the reefs. This was going to be several days or so of dives, where we would do at least a couple more difficult dives after this test one. This was going to be my first time in open water with my own tank and no tether, so he had to make sure I could hack it, even if something

went wrong. On the ride out, there was so much pressure from the waves that we were constantly being thrown around on the surface. As we want into the water, I remember going down into a murky world of an underwater sand storm. Just he and I went down and, after doing a check near the surface, we departed into the deep. It was so thick that we needed to be nearly three or four feet from anything to see in any detail.

At near 40 feet on a reef, we finally reached the bottom. There, we did another skills check and started looking around the coral. After some time we came to a small clearing of sand and stopped

around us. I could hear the faint crackling of thousands of particles of sand washing around each other, a constant sound familiar to all scuba divers.

for another check. Sand was being pushed around as the waves pushed us back and forth, and water raged

Before I knew what happened, the instructor smacked my goggles from my face and knocked out my regulator, which provided me needed air. As bubbles streamed through the water from my regulator and the salt hit my face, I closed my eyes and the world went black. All around us was a storm of murky water and sand. My heart picked up and started racing, however, the feeling didn’t last long. I thought back to lessons from my mother. She would always tell me to “calm your heart and your mind,” even and especially in moments of danger. I stopped trying to reach out sporadically for the regulator and my goggles. I calmed myself for a second, then worked through what I needed to do. I had only minutes of air to work with.

I reached behind my head to the octopus of tubes coming from the top of my tank. There, I found one of the tubes, and slid my hand down it until I hit part of my buoyancy compensator, or the vest that held the tank to me and controlled how I floated in the water column. Wrong one. I reached back again and grabbed another tube and followed it out again. I ended with the regulator in my hand. I put it in my mouth, and purged it of salt water. I could now breathe.

I then started opening my eyes for brief seconds to the harsh salt water. At the same time I began to put my hands together on the ground below me and spread them in wide arches. Eventually, I saw a dark shape that

looked right and I arched my hand towards it. I made contact with the goggles and quickly grabbed them. Putting them over my head and holding them off my face, I looked up with them positioned above me. I blew bubbles to fill them, and to create a pocket of air within them. Lowering them to my face, I could now see.

Once I checked that everything else was ok and still attached, I looked around for my instructor, who had not moved far from me. He was watching intently to see what I would do. He smiled behind his regulator at the nine-year-old in front of him and gave me the thumbs up. I had passed his test. We finished the dive and returned to the surface. There are many tests we all face in our lifetimes. If it were not for the many lessons my mother taught me, I would not have made it through to where I am today. “Keep yourself calm, don’t panic, even when things get crazy. Relax in the storm, and just do what you need to make it out okay. One step at a time. Calm your heart and your mind.” That advice has saved my life many times. We should never forget the lessons our mothers teach us, they make us who we eventually grow up to become. They also protect us every day, even long after they can.

Dowd

My mother, Nanette Mayfeld (left) sitting at home. She is also pictured at the far right putting on some of her scuba gear. To her left is my stepfather, Rick Mayfeld.

Scuba diving with my mom (right) as a reef shark came in to check us out.

My mom leans on a kayak on the edge of Swan Lake, near Bigfork. I am the child on the right. Robert Dowd, my father, stands behind me. Next to me is my brother, Joseph Dowd.

Report from the Senate Democrats deliver, while Republicans waste session

The 68th Session of the State Legislature has ended, but the harm done by a Republican supermajority drunk on power will continue to be felt for a long time.

From the very beginning of the session, Montana Democrats made it clear that our priority was fghting for longterm solutions for our state’s working families. We introduced a set of bills to achieve that goal: cutting taxes for Montana working families, investing in housing real Montanans can aford, strengthening nursing homes and community health care providers, providing long term property tax relief; and defending Montanans’ constitutional rights to reproductive freedom. But while we were hard at work trying to lower costs for working Montanans, Republicans spent their time blowing a billion dollars on handouts to the wealthy, ignoring the real crises facing Montana families and workers, and instead wasting time trying to pass anti-worker legislation and unconstitutional attacks on Montanans’ liberties and personal privacy.

As Montana Democrats, we fought to hold the Republican supermajority accountable for these attacks, and in some places we succeeded. Despite Republicans’ reckless drive to tear up our state’s Constitution, we defeated every amendment they proposed to chip away at the rights that the Con-

stitution defends. We took down the Republicans’ 21 anti-worker bills, staving of union-busting for another two years and defending Montana workers’ right to organize for better pay and fair working conditions.

Montana Democrats fought tirelessly for a fair budget that works for Montana families. While the Republicans’ and the Governor’s budget failed to meet the scale of the crisis facing Montana, our Democratic legislators fought tooth and nail to scrape a few wins out of that budget for Montanans. We secured investments in pressing needs, like removing lead from drinking water in schools and increasing reimbursement rates for nursing homes and community health care providers. It wasn’t easy, but it was our priority to secure these wins for our constituents.

Meanwhile, the Republicans launched an unprecedented assault on the foundational principles of our democracy. They passed bills to limit our freedom of speech and expression. They rolled back Constitutional guarantees for public education, privacy, and a clean and healthful environment. And they limited participation in our democratic process, not just when they ejected one of our members from the foor of the House of Representatives, but when they closed that House to the public to whom it belongs.

While Republicans were fghting

these pointless and harmful crusades, they ignored the true scale of the housing crisis, the need for long-term property tax relief, nursing home closures, and child care deserts. While Democrats worked hard to make progress on addressing these crises, Republicans proved that there are no limits to the lengths they will go to consolidate their power over every aspect of Montanans’ lives. They focused their energies on attacking the freedoms of Montana’s women; Montana’s LGBTQ+ community; Montana’s health care providers, Montana’s educators and librarians, and Montana’s business owners.

Despite holding a minority of seats, Montana Democrats delivered real solutions for Montana workers and families. We passed bills that were bipartisan, fscally responsible, and directly focused on the real problems hitting Montanans in our wallets. Our bills will expand access to child care and stabilize care providers; stem the tide of nursing homes closing their doors; protect mobile home residents from abuses by landowners looking to make a quick buck on their backs; improve mental health crisis interventions by frst responders; combat the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous

School/special district election results

people; get poisonous lead out of school drinking water; and strengthen teacher recruitment in rural and understafed schools. We wanted to do a heck of a lot more, but Republicans were not interested in practical solutions for working Montanans. Over the next two years, we’ll keep fghting to mitigate the harm from this session, and to make further progress on making this state a place where everyone has the freedom and the opportunity to live a life of success and happiness.

Senator Pat Flowers (D-Belgrade) is Minority Leader in the Montana State Senate.

Representative Kim Abbott (D-Helena) is Minority Leader in the Montana House of Representatives.

Sundays at 6 p.m. at Ambrose Park Community Center, 4415 Sunnyside Cemetery Rd., Stevensville. Education and discussion about how to be independent and sustainable as a community, in our food, our economics, and our choices.

Kiwanis

Kiwanis meets every Wednesday at 12 noon at BJ’s restaurant in Hamilton.

John Birch Society

The John Birch Society Ravalli County Chapter meets every Monday at 7 p.m. at 330 3rd Avenue, Victor. For info contact Terri, 406-880-2492.

TOPS

TOPS Club (Take Of Pounds Sensibly) meets every Thursday morning at Kootenai Creek Village, 43 Club House Way, Stevensville. Guests are welcome, including men. Weigh-in is from 8:30 to 9:10 a.m.; meeting follows until 10:30. A program on sensible eating and weight loss is presented every week along with incentives for weight loss. TOPS is an afordable non proft weight loss support group. For more information call Diana Grifn at 406-5310785.

Victor AA

Alcoholics Anonymous presents The Promises Group discussion meeting on Sundays at 4 p.m. at the Ravalli County Weed District, 121 S. Tudor, Victor. Open to all alcoholics with a desire to stop drinking.

Gamblers Anonymous

Gamblers Anonymous

Meeting: Weekly, Thursdays at 7pm - Community Baptist Church, 409 Buck St, Stevensville, MT 59870. Contact Tom for more information, 406 830-4454. See you there for the best life change ever!

Ravalli Dems North County

Join North Ravalli County Democrats for “Burgers and Beer” on Thursday evenings from 4 to 6 at The Backyard Taphouse, 281 Rodeo Drive, of the Eastside Hwy in Florence. This is a rather regular event on Thursdays, BUT not on May 4th. Check online at ravdems.com/newsletter for any changes and other information or on Facebook. All welcome.

Coding for Kids Registration is now open for the Coding for Kids summer programs. Register at www.codingbitterroot.org.

Women Newcomers Club

Are you new to the Bitterroot Valley? Perhaps you are recently retired? Or you have been living in the valley for quite some time but would like to meet new and interesting women? If so, the Bitterroot Women Newcomer’s Club is for you! You are welcome to attend the next meeting on Thursday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Ravalli County Museum, 205 Bedford St., Hamilton. After a short business meeting there will be a presentation by the Museum Director and time to explore the Museum. Come and join this great group of women!

Emergency Preparedness Classes

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is hosting free monthly Emergency Preparedness classes. They are held at 7 p.m. at the Church building located in Hamilton at 401 N. 8th Street. Upcoming topics of discussion include: May 11:

“What to Have In Your Food Storage & How To Store It”; June 8: “Planning A Garden—Saving Seeds”; July 13: “Can’t Use Your Stove?

Cooking With Alternative Methods Using the Cookers

We Assembled Earlier As

Well As Other Methods”; August 10: “Water Bath Canning & Pressure Canning”; September 14: “Basic First

Aid & Kits: What to Have and How To Use Them”. You can attend any or all classes.

Classes typically run 60-90 minutes. For the “Alternative Cooking Methods” classes, class size is too large to complete assembly in class, so sign ups will be made during class for items to be made/completed at a later date. Call 513-312-5494 with questions.

North Valley Library activities

Science Squad for Ages 8-12 – Wednesday, May 10 at 4pm Explore the universe, both micro and macro, and learn the science mysteries behind the natural world. Expect fun activities with Legos®, paper planes, food, and more. Children will soon be formulating their own hypotheses, experiments,

and documentation in order to participate in a gradefree science fair at the end of the summer. Registration required. This program is for ages 8-12.

DIY Garden Crafts:

Plant Tags & Garden Stakes – Thursday, May 11 at 6pm

Spring is here and planting season has arrived! Take a break from yard work and create your own plant tags and garden stakes. A variety of design options and materials will be available, so let your creativity run as rampant as dandelions. Materials provided.

Art for Kids Ages 5-10 – Monday, May 15 at 4pm

This week, join us at NVPL for shaving-cream paintings of Memorial Day freworks. Ages 5-10, parent helpers welcome. Registration required.

For Women Only Introduction To Defensive Handguns

May 13 & June 10

This 2 day course is for women with little or no experience with handguns, who may be frightened of handguns or who are considering acquiring a handgun.

The frst day course is designed to assist you in choosing the right handgun –for you. It will also introduce you to the facilities of the Whittecar Range.

There will be discussions on handgun safety, basic operation of revolvers, semi-automatic handguns, and the cartridges used in each type of handgun.

The legal aspects of the use of force will be presented and discussed.

Handguns will be provided so that you may handle the diferent types and models. Ammunition will also be provided for a live fre session on the range. A self defense book, specifcally for women, will also be provided.

The second day course will teach basic defensive shooting using the students own equipment. Safe gun handling will be taught and stressed. Various types of ammunition and the performance of each type will be discussed.

The class will be held at the Whittecar Range on Blodgett View Road. The class is limited to 10 participants. For an application or further information call Lee at 642-3590 or Jim at 360-8392.

Successful completion of this two day course meets

the education requirements for application to the state for a concealed carry permit.

Spring Carnival

The Spring Carnival on May 13th at The Homestead at McVey in Victor will have fun activities for individuals of all ages! There will be face painting, giant bubble making, cake walks, cornhole tournaments, potato sack races, maypole celebrations, edible planting station, locally sourced food, live music, dancing, diferent animals, and more carnival games! There will also be a silent auction, rafe tickets, and lots of prizes! The money raised will be put back into the community with new projects and programming. These projects will focus on parent coaching, social-emotional teaching, student learning materials, and expanding enrollment opportunities.

A recent census done showed that 47% of families in Ravalli County have their needs met with childcare. This is something that needs to be addressed by all members of the community. Available, afordable, and quality childcare needs to be a priority for our community. After all, childcare (or lack thereof) directly correlates with how many people are participating in the labor force. According to a census released by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Montana businesses lose nearly 55 million dollars annually due to inadequate childcare, mainly from reduced revenue due to lower employee productivity and increased employee recruitment costs caused by unwanted employee turnover. Visit the website at www. evergreenpreschool.org/ community to learn more about the carnival.

BCH Lake Como project

Bitter Root BCH members will be assisting the Forest Service to install new planks for the picnic tables at the Rock Creek Horse Campground at Lake Como on May 13, from 9 am until mid-afternoon. The club members installed new fre rings last fall but had to wait until this spring for supplies to arrive to complete the campsite upgrades. Remember that designated sites prioritize campers with stock who arrive before 6 pm each day.

Ukelele concert

Ukephoria Montana will perform in concert on

Saturday, May 13 at 7 p.m. at 328 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton. Get ready to hear ukuleles played and harmonies sung like you’ve never heard them played and sung before! Ukephoria Montana consists of four professional musicians from Bozeman with a plethora of ukuleles and a song list that spans the 1930s through the 2000s, featuring rock, folk and jazz. Admission is free; donations are accepted. The event is sponsored by Hamilton Center for Spiritual LIfe.

SAFE beneft

SAFE is hosting an 80s-themed fundraiser to celebrate its 35th anniversary and raise funds for a new shelter expansion.

Supporters of AbuseFree Environments, Inc. (SAFE), emergency shelter in the Bitterroot Valley serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence, will host a frst of its kind fundraiser on Saturday, May 13 at the Bitterroot River Inn in Hamilton. Doors open at 6:30 and the event will take place from 7-10 p.m.

Returning for the frst major in-person fundraiser since 2019, this adult-only event will feature retro appetizers, a cash bar, photo booth, live and silent auctions, and 80s themed games and prizes. Live entertainment will include a DJ playing 80s dance hits, a lip sync battle, and costume contest. Guests are encouraged to wear on-theme attire.

Tickets are not yet sold out, but SAFE anticipates the event to hit capacity soon. For those not able to attend the fundraiser, the silent auction will be taking place online and kicked of on Sunday, May 7, where supporters can register for free. Funds raised from the online auction and in-person event will go toward SAFE’s building expansion project, which is in the fnal stretch of meeting its capital campaign goal.

SAFE’s building expansion will double the size of its current emergency shelter housing, providing trauma-informed community and family spaces at their current site in Hamilton. In 2022, SAFE served 353 adults and 55 children. Due to lack of capacity, SAFE’s emergency shelter was at an average capacity of 119%, meaning that they had to turn away 87 adults and 75 children in crisis who had nowhere else to turn. Expanding their shelter and program spaces will allow them to serve more of Ravalli County’s most vulnerable residents and fll a gap that no other service in the Bitterroot Valley can.

Since its inception in 1988, SAFE has grown to meet the community’s needs, with their last major construction being completed in 2000. SAFE’s mission is to respond to the fundamental need in our community to reduce domestic and sexual violence and their impacts in Ravalli County, MT through the provision of direct services to survivors and by working to decrease those condition that support violence against women. For more information, visit www. safeinthebitterroot.org

Assistance for Business Clinic

Registration is now open to attend the Assistance for Business Clinic in Hamilton on Tuesday, May 16th. The Assistance for Business Clinics are designed to provide new and established businesses, accountants, bookkeepers, human resource professionals and attorneys with updated information on topics such as: Montana Department of Revenue’s new Form MW-4 and their E-Services, Unemployment Insurance Tax requirements, workers’ compensation coverage, Independent Contractor regulations, using Labor Market Information to make business decisions,

the Registered Apprenticeship Program, tax incentives, minimum wage, overtime, new hire reporting, child support services, USERRA laws and regulations. The Clinic will take place at Bitterroot College from 8am-5pm.

Light breakfast options and lunch will be provided with your registration.

All interested business professionals are encouraged and welcome to attend!

Summer Gun Show

The Hamilton Summer Gun Show will be held May 19-21 at the Hamilton Senior Center, corner of Adirondac and N. 4th. Public hours are Friday, 12 to 6, Saturday 9 to 5, and Sunday, 9 to 3. Admission is $5 which covers all 3 days. Children with parents are admitted free. Dealers are wanted. 8-foot tables are $35 each. For more information contact Mike Gouse, 406-363-0254 or Steve Wheeler, 406-3690593.

Secret Garden Tour

The Bitterroot Secret Garden tour is proud to present a new event - the lecture series “Getting the Dirt,” on Saturday, May 20 from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at the historic Daly Mansion, Hamilton. Tickets are $20 each. Two guest speakers will be presenting: Michael Wharton from Polson will deliver a presentation on successful alpine gardening plus wildfower identifcation while hiking in the Bitterroot. Michael recently presented at the Denver Botanic Garden. Nina Eadie from Corvallis will present a Garden to Table program on how to turn the wonderful harvest from your garden into delicious meals for family and friends. Nina is a cook extraordinaire. Tickets are $20 each. Net proceeds from ticket sales will go to HEARTism Community Center, Montana’s frst Certifed Autism Center and the benefciary for this year’s Bitterroot Secret Garden Tour. For more information visit the facebook page: bitterrootsecretgardentour.

Driver safety course

Bitterroot Health (formerly Marcus Daly Hospital), located at 1200 Westwood Drive, Hamilton, will host an ALL NEW 2023 AARP Driver Safety Course on Friday, May 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. While this new safe driving course is designed for drivers age 50 and over, all drivers are welcome. The new program features laws and up-dates specifc to Montana, Defensive Driving, Winter Driving, new Vehicle Technologies to name a few. Class size is limited; pre-registration is advised. There are no driving tests or written exams and Montana mandates insurance discounts for qualifed drivers. Certifcates are good for 3 years! Class fee: $20.00, AARP members; $25.00, for non-members.

For class sign up: Call Jones Korman Insurance at: 406-363-6583. For further information: Call Thom Ainsworth, Instructor, at 369-0149.

Call for nominations

The Florence Civic Club is inviting nominations for its Community Service Award for 2023. The award honors a local person for outstanding contribution of service to the Florence community. Such service may be individual or through involvement in community, church, or nonproft organization, or the schools. Please send your nomination with a description of the nominee’s activities to: Florence Civic Club Attention Community Service Award P.O. Box 544 Florence, MT 59833

The deadline for receipt of nominations is Saturday,

Obituaries

Jean A. Anderson

Jean A. Anderson (Paulson) passed away May 3, 2023 at Community Medical Center. She was born December 10, 1933 in Poplar, MT to Clarence and Irene Paulson. At the age of three the family moved to Stevensville and she was a proud resident of the Bitterroot for the remainder of her life. Jean graduated from Stevensville High School in 1950. Jean was a licensed insurance agent and long-time secretary at Siphers Insurance. She was a long-time member of the St. Mary’s Saddle Club and a member of the Stevi Women’s Bowling

Association. Jean was a devoted wife to Bill Anderson and a loving mother to Stephen and Jeffery Rodda and stepmother to Stacey, Larry and Doreen Anderson. Together they enjoyed many fishing and horseman adventures while enjoying their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. In memory and tribute to Jean please take a family member or friend camping or fishing. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.

Selway-Pintler Wilderness Backcountry Horsemen Prepare for Riding Season

Riding and trail project season is fnally here and we’re all excited to get out and enjoy the beauty and adventure nature has in store for us. Before we hit the trails, it’s a good idea to make sure our stock are in good condition and ready to meet the challenge. An honest evaluation is critical for both safety and enjoyment for us, our riding buddies and our horses and mules. Take a good look, be honest, did they lose or gain weight over the winter? How are their feet? Hopefully they had regular trims over the winter and their hoof balance and condition is in good shape. Look for cracks, broken hoof wall, or unusual wear. Repairs, balance and growing out take time. Check for any sign of lameness or joint swelling. Work with your veterinarian and farrier to make sure your partner has a good foundation to carry you where you want to go.

Take a good look at riding and pack saddle ft. This can change with age, health and ftness level. A bad ftting saddle can be painful and unstable, and can put you and your animal at risk for injury. Just because it’s a “mule” saddle doesn’t mean it will ft every mule, and a beautiful custom made saddle honestly may not work for your horse anymore as he ages or becomes more ft.

Consider mental conditioning. Does the animal have holes in training that could be unsafe? Be honest and address these issues. Don’t ignore them. Can you pull your rain gear out and put it on without him spooking?

Does he stand quietly to get on and of? Does he have any problem meeting bikes, dogs, hikers or backpackers on the trail? Does he behave well with other horses? Will he walk over bridges and through water and stand quietly when tied? Spooky things may be unavoidable, so make sure you have methods in place to gain control and calm him down. These are all things that we should work on at home, before we get out on the trail.

Commit to conditioning your stock physically. Gradually increase difculty and length of rides. It takes time to build muscle and cardiovascular endurance. Address any small concerns such as soreness, swelling, abrasions. Excessive sweating, fared nostrils, reluctance to move forward, and quivering muscles are all indications that you need to stop, take a break and reevaluate the condition of your friend. Time spent on evaluating and conditioning our trail partners is invaluable. It builds trust and confdence for both you and your animal and makes for a safe and enjoyable riding season.

Come join the Selway-Pintler Wilderness Backcountry Horsemen at our next meeting at 6 pm, Thursday, May 11th at the Hamilton Forest Service Building (come in the back door). We will continue to make plans for this season’s trail projects and plan a fun ride or two.

For additional information, Please contact Kathy Hundley @ 406-363-8230

by Scott Sacry Sports Editor

Valley tracksters edge toward post-season

The track teams from Victor, Darby, and Florence competed alongside 22 other schools in the KLH Track

Meet in Missoula on Saturday, May 6th. For Florence, William Wagner won the 100m (11.46) and the 400m (51.17), and took 2nd in the 200m (23.66). Kyler Harris won the 3200m (9:49.77) and took 2nd in the 1600m (4:35.01).

Quinn Lue won the high jump (5-10). Trista Williams took 2nd in the shot put (31-03) and 3rd in the discus (96-05). For Darby, Lily Adair took 1st in the 1600m (5:33.91) and 4th in the 800m (2:30.87).

William Martin took 2nd in the 110m Hurdles (15.83) and 300m Hurdles (40.67) and 3rd in the 200m (23.74).

The Hamilton and Corvallis track teams, along with Polson, competed in the Hamilton Triangular on Saturday, May 6th.

For Hamilton, Andrew

Burrows won the discus with a throw of 167’5 - this is the best throw in the state this year, regardless of class.

Burrows also won the shot put (5505). Taylor Searle improved his state best pole vault, clearing a height of 15 ‘1. Searle also won the 200m (23.14). Mya Winkler won the shot put (35-01), discus (122-05), and javelin (106-06).

Baseball Roundup

Florence scored 4 runs in the last two innings to defeat Corvallis 6-2 on Tuesday, May 2nd. Pitcher Trapper Oster got the win, allowing one hit in 5 innings and striking out 8. At the plate, Gabe Philbrick went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI’s and Patrick Duchien went 3 for 4 and scored a run.

Then on Friday, Florence defeated Hamilton 8-6. Florence’s Drew Wagner went 3 for 3 with a home run and 3 RBI’s and Patrick Duchien was 3 for 4 and also hit a home run.

Corvallis lost to Florence 2-6 on Tuesday, May 2nd. Corvallis pitcher

Mason Anderson struck out 9 batters and Bobby Truc went 1 for 3 and had an RBI.

Then on Friday, Corvallis defeated East Helena 6-1. Corvallis pitcher Brandon Brenneman struck out six batters. Charlie Chavez went 1 for 3, scored 2 runs, and stole 3 bases, and Mason Anderson went 1 for 3 with an RBI and 3 stolen bases.

Hamilton defeated Stevensville 7-5 on Tuesday, May 2nd. Hamilton’s Conner Ekin went 3 for 4 and scored 3 runs, Emerson Widmer went 2 for 3 with an RBI, and Tyce O’Con-

For Corvallis, Rylee Herbstritt won the 110m Hurdles (16.02) and 300m Hurdles (46.78). Amara Auch won the 1600m (5:24.02) and 3200m (12:17.61). Farah Wyche won the 100m (12.89), the 200m (26.98) and got 2nd in the long jump (15-01.5).

Solomon Morgan won the 100m - his time of 10.95 is the 2nd best in Class

A this year. Aiden Reed won the 110m Hurdles (15.90) and the 300m Hurdles (41.04).

Stevensville joined 10 other schools in Helena for the East Helena Invite on Saturday, May 6th. For Stevensville, Brogan Gard won the 100m (11.22). Hunter Gum took 1st in the Shot Put (47’5) and 2nd in the Discus (132’0). Stevi’s 4x100m relay team of Marin Masar, TJ Brown, Erik Potter, and Brogan Gard won the event (45.47). Claire Hutchison took 1st in the 100m (12.57), 200m (25.56), and the high jump (5’4).

nell had 2 RBI’s. Then on Friday, Hamilton lost to Florence 6-8. Hamilton’s Jacob Westberry went 2 for 2 with a solo home run and scored 4 runs. Jackson Jessop went 2 for 4 and scored a run.

Stevensville lost to Hamilton 5-7 on Tuesday, May 2nd. Stevensville’s Drake Springer went 2 for 4, and Kellan Beller went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI’s.

Then on Friday, Stevensville lost to Dillon 1-5 and 6-13. In the second game, Stevi’s Evan Montague went 3 for 4, scored a run, and had 2 stolen bases, and Jeffrey Berryman went 2 for 2 and scored 3 runs.

Top 2 Florence Invitational

The golf teams from Florence and Darby, along with fve other schools, competed in the Top 2 Florence Invitational at the Stock Farm in Hamilton on May 1st-3rd. The invitational pitted the top two boys’ and girls’ golfers from each school against each other.

On the girls side, Florence’s Alexa McLean fnished in 5th place with an average score of 97, and Kipley Solari fnished in 8th with an average score of 104.

On the boys side, Florence’s Brody Duchien took 10th with an average score of 88, and Ethan Alexander took 11th with

an average score of 90.

For the Darby boys, Austin Ward shot an average score of 100 and Atticus Atkins shot an average score of 115.

The Florence golf team competes in the Class B Divisional tournament at Indian Springs in Eureka starting on Monday, May 8th. The Class B State tournament is in Shelby on May 16th-17th.

The Darby golf team competes in the Western Class C Divisionals at Cottonwood in Bozeman starting on Monday, May 8th. The Class C State tournament is in Great Falls on May 16th-17th.

Hamilton’s Mya Winkler throwing the shot put. Winkler won the shot put, the discus, and the javelin at the Hamilton Triangular on Saturday, May 6th in Hamilton.

Photo by Scott Sacry.

Hamilton shortstop Conner Ekin making a throw to frst base in Hamilton’s 7-5 victory over Stevensville on Tuesday, May 2nd. Ekin went 3 for 4 and scored 3 runs in the win. Photo by Scott Sacry.

Florence’s Alexa McLean and Kipley Solari showing of their medals. McLean fnished 5th and Solari placed 8th in the Top 2 Florence Invitational at the Stock Farm in Hamilton on May 1st-3rd.

Photo by Keri Briney.

Local draft horse rescue opens their doors

by John Dowd

For six years, 1 Horse At a Time Draft Horse Rescue, a nonproft out of Corvallis, has been striving to protect the lives of numerous draft horses and similar breeds. Recently, the organization gathered more interest after posting a video that went viral, getting over 13 million views within only days. Now, the organization is seeking more local attention and has begun hosting open houses the frst Saturday of every month.

With over 27 draft horses on site, the organization, among others like it, is constantly in search of funding. According to organization founder and president, Jasmin Shinn, each horse when fully healthy can weigh over 2,000 pounds, and can eat over 60 pounds of hay a day. Each year, with feeding, care, medical bills and legal fees, it can cost the rescue hundreds of thousands of dollars to see to the horses’ needs and that they live a healthy happy life. Most of the organization’s funding comes from private donations and much of the rescue’s campaign for horses is publicized through the use of Facebook. Currently, the rescue has over 200,000 followers on the social media platform.

“Thankfully, it always works out,” said Shinn, who explained that every time the organization needs money they reach out. There is also funding available to the rescue through grants, which they try to seek out as well.

The rescue works mostly by buying horses from auctions. The horses they acquire are often past their prime and come with medical or attitude complications. Last year, the rescue took in over 80 horses. After taking a horse in, the rescue will see to the horse’s immediate needs and medical requirements. Then, the rescue will work on re-establishing a horse’s health and will then try to fnd each one a forever home. This often means selling the horse at the cost it was originally purchased for, in order to fnd each one a serious home. Buyers often don’t pay medical bills, check ups, or anything else involved during the transfer, so the rescue is out money for every one they rehome. Each horse is also then attached to a contract, wherein should the buyer fail to be able to continue to take care of the horse until the end of its life, the rescue will repossess the horse. 1 Horse At a Time Draft Horse Rescue adopted out over 60 horses last year, and has over 100 out on contract across the United States.

Shinn explained that she is the main workforce for the organization, working full-time, unpaid, to keep the rescue running. She is aided

by fve board members, and a small handful of volunteers.

Shinn explained that she is often commended for her eforts, but likes to say that “Anybody can do what I do, you just have to really want it.” Originally from Germany, Shinn married and eventually found herself in Montana. When she was little she had always loved horses, and though she didn’t grow up owning them, she always tried to get them into her life. “Horses always kind of stayed with me.” She especially always wanted a draft horse. At some point after she moved to Montana, she attended a horse auction, where she learned about the fates of horses that were past their prime, lame or undesirable. Often, these horses ended up getting stuck in auction after auction, or inevitably at the butcher. That is when she decided to start trying to rescue them.

Shinn, and her fellow board members, express a deep love for the draft horse breeds. Though there are always critics, Shinn says, “I have to remind myself we have more supporters than naysayers.” However, much of the notoriety and support comes from the followers on Facebook. To reach locals, 1 Horse At at Time Draft Horse Rescue is welcoming everyone to their open houses. Every month, on the frst Saturday, between 12 and 2 p.m. people are invited to visit the rescue,

and “just fall in love with the draft horses,” said Shinn. “Come out and see what we do,” she added. Visitors will get a chance to meet the horses in the rescue, and even see the project horses, some of which may never see positive human touch after difcult lives.

According to Shinn, the rescue tries to fnd all their horses a home,

however, many are difcult to home as they are wary of people. These may never leave the rescue.

For more information about the rescue and their open houses, interested parties can visit www.1horseatatime.com, or can search the name of the rescue on Facebook where numerous videos and photos are posted every day.

Bitterroot Health, Stevensville to host grand opening event

Bitterroot Health is excited to announce the opening of its new location in Stevensville which will begin seeing patients at the end of May (patients can begin making appointments now at 406-777-6002). To celebrate, the community is invited to attend a Grand Opening Event on Thursday, May 18th from 3 to 6 p.m.

This new Stevensville location aligns with Bitterroot Health’s overarching mission of providing quality, accessible, and personalized health care to the Bitterroot Valley.

“With this new location we are furthering our mission of caring for everyone in the Bitterroot Valley, it just made sense to bring more care to Stevensville. We believe that people in our communities deserve the care they need where they live. This new facility will bring more health care options to the residents of Stevensville and the surrounding communities,” said Bitterroot Health CEO, John Bishop.

This new, 20,275-square-foot facility, designed and built by Neenan Archistruction, links Bitterroot Health doctors, medical teams, and patients to the latest technology and innovative resources, in a spacious and soothing environment designed for healing and wellness.

Featured services will include: Primary Care, Urgent Care/walk-in care, 7 days a week, Rehabilitation Services: Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy services featuring a hydrotherapy pool, Lab and Phlebotomy Services, Imaging: X-ray, CT, Ultrasound, 3D Mammography, Bone Densitometry (DEXA) 24/7 ambulance staging, Specialty Services (Orthopedics, Urology, Women’s Health-OB/GYN Services and more!).

“With the variety of services being ofered under one roof, we paid special attention to the design and layout of the space,” said Pete Dunn, Senior Director of Regional Services at BH Stevensville. “From a large, waiting area with a centralized registration; to an open facility layout accommodating multiple services in one setting. There are two clinic ‘care pod’ stations, one for Primary and Urgent Care, the other for Specialty Care Services. Each pod is designed so our patients’ experiences are convenient and comfortable. The care team has resources readily avail-

able to them so they can provide seamless care.”

The new BH Stevensville team includes many folks who grew up and still live in Stevensville or surrounding areas. Meg McGraw will be working as a Patient Access Lead.

“As a Bitterroot Valley resident and close to this community, I’m proud and excited to be a part of providing innovative, professional, and compassionate care to the people of Stevensville,” McGraw said.

To celebrate completing this project, Bitterroot Health Stevensville is hosting a Grand Opening Event on Thursday, May 18 from 3 to 6 p.m. Everyone is invited to visit the new space, meet the new care teams and providers, and learn about the variety of services available under one roof. Parking for the grand opening will be onsite and at Stevensville Super One, with free shuttle service to the clinic.

Patients will be seen at this new location by the

end of May after the Grand Opening event. Book appointments now by calling Bitterroot Health Stevensville – (406) 777-6002.

For more information, please visit www.bitterroothealth.org/Stevi, or call (406) 375-4589. Bitterroot Health has been providing care to the Bitterroot Valley since 1931 and is committed to providing the Bitterroot Valley quality, accessible, and personalized healthcare. Bitterroot Health operates 14 clinics, operates a critical access hospital, and employs more than 75 Clinicians and 800 caregivers.

Jasmin Shinn (above and below) stands with a few of the draft horses in the rescue. Photo by John Dowd.

Penny Murray 406-581-1382 penny@pennylanebuilders.com www.pennylanebuilders.com Look us up on Houzz.com

Designing functional, delightful, energy efficient homes since 2006. Site planning, residential design, energy consulting and construction support

High Water Chronicles, 2023 ed. vol. 1

“I could hook a trout right there!”

Jan called me over to where she was standing, on a medium-high bank above the slow current of an eddy that moved along a foam line at an ideal 2 feet-per-second rate. The foam separated where half of it broke back to the inside to form the eddy after pillowing up against a root ball about ffty feet further downstream.

We were checking out the activity at the fshing accesses a few days ago; since recent rains brought the river to bank-full there wasn’t much.

by Chuck Stranahan

I joined her and said something about the fsh that had to be on the edge of the foam line. The water was deep enough, moving at just the right speed. The trout that had been pushed out of their more comfortable lies just a day or two before could cluster up here and make an easy living. Virtually all the food in the river at that point had to drift by them.

“No,” Jan said, “There.”

She pointed toward the pillow, the term I’ve given to confgurations like this one, where the current backs up and is slowed above a root ball or other obstruction and seems to stand still. A collection of small pieces of bark and sticks gathered in the thick foam patch above the exposed snarls of root.

That pillow marked by the foam patch was the choice lie. A big trout could just lay there, fnd that just-right current speed for respiration up-front, while doing practically nothing to maintain itself in the slower current by its tail. To feed all it would have to do is move a few inches and open its

mouth occasionally as the food came slowly drifting by.

She chose the better spot. If I were fshing I’d have probably worked my way down to it, watching my fy go downstream as my line drifted upstream in the eddied water between me and the foam line, lifting of ever-so-carefully and placing each successive cast just a bit further downstream.

Comb it out – don’t spook. Fish every cast out, make the next one land softly, gently, on target. No unnecessary false casts.

This eddy had to be a honey-hole, now. For the breadth of the river and the parts we could see immediately upstream and down, the scattered lies that held plenty of fsh just a few days ago and will hold plenty of fsh again after runof were blown out. Those fsh had to be somewhere – and the better fsh would claim the better lies for themselves.

Jan knows how all of that works – and when she’s motivated, she’s deadly about getting that frst cast in.

The frst cast is often your best shot at the best fsh.

“And what would you do if you hooked a big one in there?” I asked.

“Wait and see what happens next,” she said as she started to laugh. I laughed with her.

We both saw the predicament.

If the fsh took a run into the heavy, brawling main current, there would be no way to follow it down the steep brush-choked bank. Game over.

A quick turn straight downstream puts the fsh comfortably into the root tangle immediately below and leader breaks or fy pulls out.

The only chance is to strike to the right, pulling the fsh momentarily into the upstream-moving current of the eddy where its instinct is to run downstream, and in this case the fsh’s sense of downstream is really the upstream direction of the eddy

as it moves toward us. Fish who put themselves in this situation often seem to get confused and bore to the bottom of the eddy – if you can keep them from heading the “real” downstream direction, away from you.

It’s a chance worth taking.

We were relieved to see no boats on the river. It would have been foolish to go out and will be for a while. Walking the shoreline, looking for eddies that might have fsh tucked into them, might still be worth a shot. Those eddies can disappear as quickly as they were formed, though, as they get covered by deeper and swifter water as the river rises.

If that eddy is still there this Sunday and she’s up for it, Jan gets the frst cast – and the second, and the third, and so on. I’m lucky. It’s something Jan would appreciate on Mother’s Day.

Big Hole during full runof. Rivers are now bank-full, and rising. Photo by Jan Stranahan.

MOVING? GARAGE

SALE? SPRING CLEAN-

ING? S.A.F.E. Thrift Store in Hamilton is accepting donations! We would appreciate receiving gently used home decor, dishes, cookware, glassware, and more. Please consider donating to us at 153 Old Corvallis Road, Hamilton and support our cause of helping survivors of domestic and partner abuse in the Bitterroot!

FARM FRESH EGGS Wild chickens. $5 dozen. (406-579-2556). Hamilton of of Ricketts.

Corrine Campbell, Physical Therapy/ Myofascial Release, 406-777-2679. Elizabeth Harper-Schurman, Counseling, Coaching, Hypnotherapy. 406-3042517. 5501 Hwy 93N, Ste. 101, Florence, MT.

SPRING ON THE

WORK! Licensed residential electrician at your service. We also ofer raw goat milk, and baby goats for sale. Call 406880-5996, email forsakenranch@icloud.com or

visit facebook forsakenranchandelectric. RENTAL IN STEVENSVILLE: 1 BDRM. APT. FULLY FURNISHED, utilities, trash included. Additional combo couch/ double bed. Separate ofce space. Photos upon request. Streaming setup.

locations. Call Heritage for the Blind to donate your vehicle today - 1-855-9012620.

NOTICES WANTED

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DONATING YOUR VEHICLE? Get more! Free towing. Tax Deductible. Plus a $300 restaurant voucher and a 2-night/3day hotel stay at one of 50

RESPONSIBLE property improver looking for rental. Call Bruce at (406) 381-9925.

Legal Notices

SUMMONS SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA, COUNTY OF COCHISE Case Number:

CV202200556 Person Filing:

Anthony Ramsey 9319 180th St E. Puyallup, WA. 98375

(253) 227-7658 Representing Self Plaintif: Anthony Ramsey vs. Defendants:

Sean Ackerman, Cochise County Treasurer, JOHN DOE

I-X AND JANE DOE I-X, The unknown personal representatives, heirs and devisees of any of the above named Defendants, if deceased, THE STATE OF ARIZONA TO THE ABOVE NAMED PARTIES OF INTEREST: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to appear and defend, within the time applicable, in this action in this Court. If served in Arizona, you shall appear and defend within 20 days of service of you of the Summons and Complaint, excluding the day of service. If served outside of Arizona, you shall appear and defend within 30 days of service on you of the Summons and Complaint, excluding the day of service. Direct service is complete when made. Service by publication is complete 30 days after the frst publication.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that if you fail to appear and defend within the time applicable, judgment by default may be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint. YOU ARE CAUTIONED that in order to appear and defend, you must fle an Answer or other proper response in writing with the Clerk of this Court, accompanied by the necessary fling fee, within the time required, and you must serve a copy of any Answer or response to the Plaintif.

Requests for reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities must be made to the division assigned to the case by parties at least 3 working days in advance of a scheduled court proceeding.

SIGNED AND SEALED this date: April 4, 2023 Clerk of Superior Court s/ Deputy Clerk BS 4-19, 4-26, 5-3, 5-10-23.

DAN O’BRIEN

Cole, Amestoy & O’Brien, PLLP P.O. Box 1280 113 South 2nd Street West Malta, Montana 59538 Phone: (406) 654-2541

Attorneys for Personal Representative danobrien@coleamestoyobrien.com

MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JAMES RODNEY KELLEY, Deceased.

Probate No. DP-2023-30

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above named estate. All persons having claims against the said deceased are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the frst publication of this Notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must be mailed, return receipt requested, to:

Timothy Allen Kelley, Personal Representative, c/o Cole, Amestoy & O’Brien, P.O. Box 1280, 113 South 2nd Street West, Malta, Montana 59538, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court.

DATED this 5th day of April, 2023.

/s/Timothy Allen Kelley Timothy Allen Kelley

Personal Representative BS 4-26, 5-3, 5-10-23.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL OF BIDS on new / slightly used backhoe loader (=<100 hrs)

The Board of Bitter Root Irrigation District Commissioners (BRID) is soliciting Request for Proposals for a new or slightly used backhoe loader.

Proposals will be received by Bitter Root Irrigation District ofce located at 1182 Lazy J Lane Corvallis, Montana 59828 until 4:00 p.m. on May 17, 2023. Proposals will then be opened and reviewed by Chad Zander who will then present them to the BRID commissioners at 10:00 a.m. on May 18, 2023, in the BRID Conference Room at 1182 Lazy J Lane

Corvallis, Montana. For a copy of the Full Request for Proposal and Specifcations for the new or slightly used backhoe loader, contact Bitter Root Irrigation District ofce located at 1182 Lazy J Lane Corvallis, Montana 59828. during regular business hours or by calling 406-9611182.

For questions concerning the Request for Proposal process. contact John Crowley / Chad Zander at Bitter Root Irrigation District ofce 406961-1182. BS 4-26, 5-3, 5-10-23.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE HAMILTON ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT

Conditional Use Permit (CUP) Request #2023-02, 150 Morning Star Way – Applicant City of Hamilton, on behalf of property owner Supporters of Abuse Free Environments Inc. (SAFE) represented by Colin Lane of MMW Architects, requests to expand the building footprint of the property’s existing use. This request falls under Sections 17.88.040(R), 17.88.050, 17.88.060 and 17.88.070 of the Hamilton Municipal Code, which allow “Charitable, philanthropic, non-proft organization facilities” in the Public and Institutional (PI) District, subject to a public hearing and approval of a CUP that establishes building site area, minimum yard setbacks, and maximum building height. The property is a developed lot of approximately 2.51 acres located at 150 Morning Star Way adjacent to Fairgrounds Road, identifed by Ravalli County Tax ID # 610352 and legally described as Lot B-2B, Amended Subdivision Plat No. 779, being a portion of Lot B2, Four Square Lots, Ravalli County, Montana, according to the ofcial recorded plat thereof. The purpose of this public hearing is to take public comment on and consider the proposed CUP.

The Hamilton Zoning Board of Adjustment will hold

a public hearing on this matter Monday, May 22, 2023 at 5:30 PM at City Hall, 223 South 2nd Street, Second Floor, Hamilton, MT. The public may attend and make comment in person, or on the Internet / by phone through Zoom. Instructions are available at www.cityofhamilton.net or by contacting mrud@cityofhamilton.net.

Written comments may be emailed to the Planning Department at mrud@cityofhamilton.net, or mailed or hand delivered to 223 South 2nd Street, Hamilton, MT 59840. Application and related materials are available by contacting the Planning Department.

BS 5-3, 5-10-23.

NOTICE THAT A TAX DEED MAY BE ISSUED IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE, YOU WILL LOSE YOUR PROPERTY.

TO: Richard L. Huston

953 Spring Hill Road, Hamilton MT 59840

Richard L. Huston

538 Diamond 3 Road, Corvallis MT 59828

Richard L. Huston

436 Vista Way, Corvallis MT 59828

Richard L. Huston

106 Viewpoint Drive, Hamilton MT 59840

Richard L. Huston

1132 Daybreak Lane, Mesquite NV 89027

Richard L. Huston 3052 N Snow Canyon Pkwy Unit 194, Saint George UT 84770-7032

Richard L. Huston 929 S 1st ST, Hamilton MT 59840

Pursuant to section 15-18212, Montana Code Annotated, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN:

1. As a result of a property tax delinquency, a property tax lien exists on the following described real property in which you may have an interest: Lot 3, Block 16, Pine Grove Townsite, Ravalli County, Montana according to the ofcial recorded plat thereof. Excepting therefrom that portion deeded to the State of Montana on October 7, 1985 in Book 173 of Deeds, page 483. Also shown

on Retracement Certifcate Survey No. 542061-TR ,Tax id # 457910.

2. The property taxes became delinquent on 6-1-2019

3. The property tax lien was attached on 8-3-2020

4. The lien was subsequently assigned to Garrick Grover

5. As of the date of this notice, the amount of tax due is:

TAXES: 10,296.83

PENALTY: 205.93

INTEREST: 3,462.20

COST: 283.09

TOTAL: 14,248.05

6. For the property tax lien to be liquidated, the total amount listed in paragraph 5, plus additional interest and costs, must be paid by August 1, 2023,which is the date that the redemption period expires or expired.

7. If all taxes, penalties, interest, and costs are not paid to the COUNTY TREASURER on or prior to August 1, 2023, which is the date the redemption period expires, a tax deed may be issued to the assignee or county that is the possessor of the tax lien on the day following the date that the redemption period expires.

8. The business address and telephone number of the county treasurer who is responsible for issuing the tax deed is: Ravalli County Treasurer, 215 South 4th street, Suite H, Hamilton, MT 59840, (406) 375-6600.

FURTHER NOTICE FOR THOSE PERSONS LISTED

ABOVE WHOSE ADDRESSES ARE UNKNOWN:

1. The address of the interested party is unknown.

2. The published notice meets the legal requirements for notice of a pending tax deed issuance.

3. The interested party’s rights in the property may be in jeopardy.

DATED at Stevensville, MT this 2nd day of May 2023.

/s/Garrick Grover

IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE, YOU WILL LOSE YOUR PROPERTY.

BS 5-3, 5-10-23.

Naomi J. Cheeney

CHEENEY LAW, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840 Phone: (406) 363-9060 Attorney for Personal Representative MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JOAN P. VAN VELZER, Deceased. Case No.: DP-23-44 Dept. No. 2 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named Estate. All persons having claims against the Decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to Teri Lynn Clark, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law, PLLC, PO Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court.

DATED this 27th day of April 2023.

/s/ Teri Lynn Clark

Teri Lynn Clark, Personal Representative

BS 5-3, 5-10, 5-17-23.

Montana 21st Judicial District Court, Ravalli County In the Matter of the Name Change of Delaney McKeen, Kendra Schulz, Petitioner. Cause No.: DV-23-133

Dept. 1

NOTICE OF HEARING ON NAME CHANGE

This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a change of name from Delaney Mae McKeen, to Lainey Mae Schulz. The hearing will be on June 14, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the courthouse in Ravalli County.

DATED this 4th day of May, 2023.

/s/ Howard Recht District Court Judge BS 5-10, 5-17, 5-24, 5-31-23.

Posting Date May 8, 2023

LEVY: Lack of support disappoints schools

Continued from page 1

heat, electricity, etc. The place cuts are going to come down to, he said, is the staf. He also imparted that stafng can be nearly 85% of a school’s budget, and so cuts there will make the biggest impact on saving. However, he and others explained that this not only increases the staf workload, but negatively impacts the education quality for students.

Another place that will see cuts is

curriculum improvements and materials for classroom supplies, according to Fisk. He added that all of these things will likely trickle down to the quality of education students will receive.

Stevensville School District, the only district not to run a levy, was also concerned about the results of the vote. According to Eric Larson, Stevensville High School Principal, the

S.A.F.E hosting frst ever 80s themed fundraiser to celebrate 35th anniversary

SAFE, Inc., the only emergency shelter in the Bitterroot Valley serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence will host a frst of its kind fundraiser on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at the Bitterroot River Inn in Hamilton. Doors open at 6:30 and the event will take place from 7-10pm.

Returning for the frst major in-person fundraiser since 2019, this adult-only event will feature retro appetizers, a cash bar, photo booth, live and silent auctions, and 80s themed games and prizes. Live entertainment will include a DJ playing 80s dance hits, a lip sync battle, and costume contest. Guests are encouraged to wear on-theme attire.

Tickets are not yet sold out, but SAFE anticipates the event to hit capacity soon. For those not able to attend the fundraiser, the silent auction will be taking place online and kicks of on Sunday, May 7, where supporters can register for free. Funds raised from the online auction and in-person event will go toward SAFE’s building expansion project, which is in the fnal stretch of meeting its capital campaign goal.

SAFE’s building expansion will double the size of its current emergency shelter housing, providing trauma-informed community and family spaces at their current site in Hamilton. In 2022, SAFE served 353 adults and 55 children. Due to lack of capacity, SAFE’s emergency shelter was at an average capacity of 119%, meaning that they had to turn away 87 adults and 75 children in crisis who had nowhere else to turn. Expanding their shelter and program spaces will allow them to serve more of Ravalli County’s most vulnerable residents and fll a gap that no other service in the Bitterroot Valley can.

Since its inception in 1988, SAFE has grown to meet the community’s needs, with their last major construction being completed in 2000. SAFE’s mission is to respond to the fundamental need in our community to reduce domestic and sexual violence and their impacts in Ravalli County, MT through the provision of direct services to survivors and by working to decrease those condition that support violence against women. For more information, visit www.safeinthebitterroot.org

plan for their schools was to wait until the end of the year with their remaining funding and to tackle the next year once they become more aware of their position regarding things like enrollment.

“I certainly appreciate the vision they are looking at,” said Larson on the decision of the Stevensville District Board. He explained that schools are the “stewards” of any funding they

receive from the local community, and have a responsibility to use it wisely. However, he also said that he understands where other districts are coming from in asking for a levy now. He said that many of the county schools, including Stevensville, may inevitably need to come down to staf cuts over the next couple years, in order to combat infation and to be able to continue to operate.

MT House leaders recap 68th Legislative Session

The 68th Session of the Montana Legislature is one that every Montanan can be proud of. Voters sent a Republican supermajority to Helena and the first thing we did was return overpaid tax dollars to you as well as providing the largest tax cut in Montana state history.

As Republicans our primary constitutional duty is to pass a balanced state budget. We crafted a conservative budget by keeping state spending below record inflation and population growth while responsibly funding government operations that had been neglected for decades. We positioned our economy to come back stronger than ever by delivering a historic tax relief package to the people of Montana. The tax relief package is key to our economic growth in the state and lets Montanans keep more of their hard-earned money many years into the future.

The Legislature upheld and expanded individual rights, by enhancing Montana’s medical freedoms for both patients and providers. We delivered reliable healthcare reforms that increase access and decrease costs in healthcare; including allowing physician assistants to practice independently, increased Medicaid provider rates for nursing homes to protect our most treasured citizens and allowing interstate license reciprocity for healthcare providers. Furthermore, Montana protected life and the freedom of conscience of medical providers and parents.

During a housing crisis in Montana, we removed government reg -

ulations and red tape that increased the cost of living. Republicans also gave more options for private property owners to utilize zoning and housing on their property. Another way we are helping Montana families thrive is by protecting the next generation. We expanded school choice, protected parents’ rights and protected students’ rights.

As we gear up for another big election, we worked to ensure the security of Montana’s elections. We implemented processes to secure tabulation machines and clarified that illegal aliens cannot vote in Montana’s elections process.

Finally, and most importantly, House Republicans protected the safety and innocents of our next generation. Because of our focused and unified approach to lawmaking this session, Montana is positioned more competitively as a great place to work, live, and raise a family. In the coming weeks, we plan to write additional articles describing specific policies in the above categories that have been signed into law. While the session may be over, we look forward to working for our constituents throughout the interim.

Matt Regier (R-Kalispell) is the Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives Rhonda Knudsen (R-Culbertson) is the Speaker Pro Tempore of the Montana House of Representatives

Sue Vinton (R-Billings) is the Majority Leader of the Montana House of Representatives

SUBDIVISION: Many have concerns for wildlife/water

tect this,” said Maki. He also pointed out that, since the parcels are clustered to the far eastern edge of the valley and adjacent to the Calf Creek Wildlife Management Area and Forest Service, “it’s exceptional wildlife habitat. All this area is still intact and we’re just going to carve it up right in the middle?”

Even more than wildlife, however,

Maki’s concerns, as well as for many other speakers, were focused on water. Maki said that his family’s water rights date back to 1860, but that the diversion to it is lower than that of the proposed new lots.

Crossword Puzzle

“If we get 30 new lot owners there, they’re going to take our water even though we’re entitled to it,” said Maki. “We’re going to spend all our time in court just fghting trying to get (the) water.”

Like other speakers, Maki also doubted the fndings by WGM in regards to the amount of water available through wells.

“Wells in this area are 1-2 gallons per minute,” further casting doubt on the ability for new lots to pump adequate water. “Everything in this development process is really, really vague,” he said.

The meeting became tense when one member of the public pressed WGM representative Jef Standaert for answers as

to why their study on impacts to wildlife made no mention of elk. Directing

to add to the public record so that the Department of Environmental Qual-

her questions at him, she drilled him for answers as to when a more adequate and fnished study would be accomplished. His response, apparently unsatisfactory, soon caused multiple people in the room to loudly weigh in with their opinions as to the specifc locations of elk in the area.

Board member Howe-Canton tried to calm the group by recommending that anyone with more detailed information should bring it forward

ity could make their decision. She also pointed out the meeting would defnitely be continued in order for board members to make their own deliberations.

“And then you still have until the Commissioners’ meeting,” she said, “because the Commissioners have the fnal say.”

Ultimately, the meeting was continued until Wednesday, May 10th at 6 p.m.

Como schoolhouse ofcially listed on National Historic Registry of Places

As of December 2022, The Como Schoolhouse has been listed on the National Historic Registry of Places, through the National Park Service. The Como Schoolhouse Association Board of Directors began pursuing this listing early in 2022, and by agreement of the membership, worked with a local historian and consultant, Janene Caywood, to develop a comprehensive application package, which was submitted to the Montana State Historical Preservation Ofce. After unanimous approval by the State ofce, the application was sent to the National Parks Service and the Como Schoolhouse was added to the National Historic Registry of Places (NHRP).

The NHRP is providing a permanent plaque that will be displayed outside the schoolhouse later this year.

Through being a part of the NHRP, not only does the history and importance of the Como Schoolhouse go down in ofcial national records, additional benefts include funding and support of the school’s preservation eforts. Despite common misconceptions, a listing on the NHRP does not change the governance of the property or

the member association, bur rather provides support, advice and exposure in service of our mission. The schoolhouse will remain on the registry in perpetuity unless signifcant changes are made to the property that no longer make it historically relevant.

The Como Schoolhouse Board would like to give special thanks to Janene Caywood for her assistance and support through this entire process. Her diligent work made our admission into the NHRP entirely possible.

The Montana Historical Society’s State Historic Preservation Ofce recently announced that the Como Schoolhouse is one of fve recipients of Montana Historic Preservation Awards for 2023. The Schoolhouse award is in the category of Outstanding Historic Preservation Stewardship.very two years, the Montana Historical Society’s State Historic Preservation Ofce (SHPO) hosts the Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony. Certifcates of registration are given to Montana properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places within the past two years. These awards, as well as certifcates for owners of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places in the past two years, will be presented in a biennial ceremony and catered reception to be held in Helena on May 5 beginning at 2:00 pm. Lt. Governor Kristen Juras and MHS Director Molly Kruckenberg will assist State Historic Preservation Ofcer Pete Brown in the presentations. The event is open to the public. Members of the Board of Directors of the Como Schoolhouse will be in attendance to accept the award and it will later be displayed in the schoolhouse for the community.

Annual Member Meeting & Celebration: May 21, 2023. The annual Como Schoolhouse Association membership meeting is scheduled for Sunday, May 21st at 5pm at the schoolhouse at 2495 Old Darby Rd. All current, former and prospective members are encouraged to attend. Board of Directors elections, ofcer updates, and new business will be on the agenda. Membership dues of $10 are due at this time.

The Como Schoolhouse Association will also be hosting an open community potluck dinner, presentation of the NHRP plaque and celebration will follow the annual meeting at 6pm. Members are encouraged to invite neighbors and friends, and bring a dish to share with the crowd. This will be a great opportunity to tour the property, learn about its history, and celebrate this year’s accomplishments. If you are interested in helping to plan or donate to this event, please contact comoschoolhouse@gmail. com.

Andy Maki speaks to the room at the Ravalli County Planning Board, expressing his opposition to a new 12-lot subdivision proposed for the eastern end of Hamilton Heights Road. Photo by Nathan Boddy.

Legislature passes signifcant health policy changes

by Keely Larson KFF Health News-UM Legislative News Service

Republican leaders’ banishment of a transgender lawmaker from foor debates in the recently ended Montana legislative session seized the nation’s attention. It also overshadowed signifcant health policy changes and historic levels of health care spending.

The session likely will be remembered for GOP leaders removing Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr, one of two transgender representatives in the Capitol, from House foor debates. That the ban has distracted from approvals of unprecedented increases in Medicaid mental health and provider reimbursement rates is unfortunate, said Mary Windecker, executive director of the Behavioral Health Alliance of Montana.

“We’ve never talked about these kinds of numbers before,” Windecker said. Lawmakers also passed major bills related to abortion, behavioral health, transgender rights, workforce issues, and insurance requirements. Some, like the Medicaid reimbursement hikes, were greeted with cheers. Others, with threats of legal challenges.

Medicaid Reimbursement

Windecker said several factors provided momentum for Medicaid provider rate increases, including the covid-19 pandemic and pressure from providers and facilities after the legislature cut rates to the bone in 2017 amid a budget shortfall.

Back then, lawmakers cut nearly $50 million from the Department of Public Health and Human Services budget, a devastating blow for providers, with long-term ramifcations. Last year, 11 nursing homes in Montana closed their doors, citing low provider rates as a chief cause.

By contrast, lawmakers went into this session with a $2.5 billion surplus in the state budget, which lawmakers and providers said should be used to rebuild the state’s health care system.

The legislature commissioned a study after the last session to look at Medicaid provider reimbursement rates in areas like behavioral health,

long-term care, and developmental disability services. Throughout the session, lawmakers heard hours of testimony from providers and patients asking lawmakers to fully fund the provider rates the study identifed as covering the average cost of services.

During the last discussion on the state budget, on May 2, Republican Rep. Llew Jones — chair of the House Appropriations Committee — lauded the two-year budget for exceeding the 100% benchmark for provider rates.

Democratic Rep. Mary Caferro made a distinction between the next two fscal years. She said the funding falls short of the benchmark in the frst year of the budget — by about $10 million.

“But you know what, it’s nothing to shake a stick at,” Caferro said. “I’m very, very happy that we got this far.”

Still, it will be important to watch how the boosted provider rates help the supply of services, what that means for caseloads, and whether the health department can start getting people of waitlists, said Montana Budget and Policy Center Executive Director Heather O’Loughlin.

According to Rose Hughes, executive director of the Montana Health Care Association, which advocates for nursing homes, the provider rates for nursing homes increased from $209 per patient per day to $262 the frst year of the next biennium, and $278.75 the next.

“They’ve done a lot and the problem is that the challenges are also huge, and the workforce issues are huge, and it’s going to take time to see,” Hughes said. “I hope it works. I hope what they’ve done works.”

Abortion

Lawmakers passed 10 bills restricting abortion, fve of which Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed in a ceremony on May 3.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, Montana has been one of 20 states and the District of Columbia to uphold the right to abortion. Abortion access is protected through the privacy clause of the state’s constitution. Bills championed by the Republican supermajority chipped away at that protection and are expected to be

challenged in court. Among the new laws, Senate Bill 154 takes the right to an abortion out of the constitutional privacy clause in an attempt to remove the legal justifcation for allowing continued abortion access. At the bill signing, Gianforte said this was one of the most important bills of the session.

House Bill 625 is a version of a ballot measure, called the “born alive” referendum, that Montanans rejected in November 2022. HB 625 requires health care providers to give care to an infant born alive after an attempted abortion or face a fne and up to fve years in prison.

Another bill, frst introduced by the state health department, requires prior authorization and additional documentation for abortions to be covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The health department adopted an administrative rule that would have the same efect, but a state judge has temporarily blocked the rule amid a legal challenge.

HB 575 prohibits the abortion of a “viable” fetus. Viability in the bill is presumed at 24 weeks and defned as the ability of a fetus to live outside the womb, including with artifcial aid.

Another bill bans dilation and evacuation procedures, one of the most common ways of ending a pregnancy after 15 weeks.

Transgender Rights

SB 99, which prohibits certain surgical and medical treatments for youth with gender dysphoria, is the bill that sparked Zephyr to tell lawmakers that if they voted for it, and Gianforte’s amendments to it, they would have “blood on [their] hands,” referring to elevated rates of suicide among trans youth.

Gianforte signed SB 99 into law, as well as HB 361, which allows a student to call another student by a name or refer to them with pronouns they don’t use without legal disciplinary action. Opponents refer to it as a “deadnaming” bill.

mental health and substance abuse screenings for schools statewide. The grant will also support same-day services for students assessed as being at high risk for suicide.

Another bill, which passed in the fnal hours of the session, would create a $300 million fund for behavioral health and set up a commission to oversee the funding allocation.

There was also some tug of war over Gianforte’s Healing and Ending Addiction through Recovery and Treatment, or HEART, fund.

One bill, sponsored by Caferro, makes it so youth suicide prevention programs can beneft from HEART funds. Carlson sponsored her own HEART fund bill, which requires reporting on how HEART money is used. Both bills passed by wide margins and were signed into law.

Access and Workforce

Another one of the lawmakers’ goals at the beginning of the session was expanding patient access to health care.

The governor signed HB 313 into law, allowing physician assistants to practice independently. Gianforte said in a statement that it will reduce patients’ barriers to health care, particularly in rural areas.

SB 112, also signed by the governor, expands pharmacists’ ability to prescribe certain drugs and devices that do not require a new diagnosis or are “minor and generally self-limiting.”

Lawmakers passed HB 101, which would allow behavioral health providers licensed in another state to practice in Montana.

Insurance Requirements

A handful of new insurance requirements are also on track to become law.

One bill waiting on the governor’s signature would cap the cost of insulin copayments at $35 for a month’s supply.

Another diabetes-related bill would require coverage of 20 visits of diabetes training and education in the frst year of a patient’s diagnosis and 12 subsequent follow-ups. Meanwhile, a bill that would have required insurance coverage of continuous glucose monitors died in the Senate.

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Lawmakers also passed a bill to ban minors from attending drag shows and restricting where they can be held that was ultimately amended to replace “drag” with the descriptor “adult-oriented.” Another bill headed to Gianforte’s desk defnes sex in Montana law in a way that opponents say erases transgender, nonbinary, and two-spirit people from Montana code. The sponsor, Republican Sen. Carl Glimm, said the point is to distinguish sex from gender. That bill was to be transmitted to the governor.

Behavioral Health Investment

Gianforte and lawmakers from both parties started the session promising investment in behavioral health, including building community-based services and upgrading the beleaguered Montana State Hospital, which the governor outlined as one of his priorities.

Republican Rep. Jennifer Carlson’s HB 29, which would stop involuntary commitment of most patients with Alzheimer’s, traumatic brain injuries, or dementia to the Montana State Hospital, is awaiting a decision from the governor.

Gianforte also announced a $2.1 million grant to fund free, optional

Two bills signed by the governor require eyedrops and “minimum mammography” and other breast examinations to be covered by insurance.

A bill that would require insurance to cover 12 months of birth control is awaiting transmittal to the governor’s ofce, as is one that would require insurance coverage of fertility preservation for cancer patients.

Keely Larson is the KFF Health News fellow for the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Newspaper Association, and KFF Health News. Larson is a graduate student in environmental and natural resources journalism at the University of Montana.

KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

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Friday or Saturday May 12th or 13th from 2:00 to 5:00

SW Montana Veterans

Trout Unlimited to hold special meeting

The Bitterroot River is likely the most dynamic stream in the state. Every year channels migrate, banks erode, trees fall into the water, logjams form, gravel bars appear and new runs become apparent. These features are what make the river such a terrifc and scenic fshery, but they also introduce hazards for foaters and headaches for irrigators and landowners.

In our valley, the management of issues like this primarily falls to the Bitterroot Conservation District, which is charged with administering Montana’s Natural Streambed and Land Preservation Act of 1975, also known as the 310 Law for the permits that are issued by the Conservation District. These are the permits that an irrigator is supposed to obtain before moving gravel around with a bulldozer, that a land owner is supposed to obtain before riprapping a bank, and a citizen is supposed to obtain before cutting out a logjam. In addition to the Conservation District, MFWP, DNRC, and the County Floodplain administrator play a role in the evaluation of projects and issuing of permits.

In order to clarify roles and responsibilities of stream management, BRTU is partnering with the Bitterroot Conservation District, MFWP, DNRC and the Bitterroot River Commissioner to host a free panel discussion on

Thursday, May 25 at 7:00 PM at the Hamilton Elks Club.

There will be several panelists on hand to explain their role.

Bitterroot Conservation District Supervisor Kent Myers will discuss the laws regulating activities in the streambed and foodplain. Kent will also describe the Woody Debris Task Force that was formed to address stream issues that impede foating, like logjams, and explain the proper and legal way to deal with downed trees.

River Commissioner JR Iman and DNRC Engineer Larry Schock will preview the Painted Rocks water status and probable water release schedules. They will also describe the much needed repairs to the dam outlet works and the process for getting that done. It will take a lot of bake sales! Ben Dickinson, our new MFWP Region 2 Recreation Manager, will talk about boating safety and recreation issues. BRTU President Dave Ward who will present some possible novel solutions for hazard notifcation that our chapter is working on.

This will be an extremely interesting and important meeting. Guides and outftters are particularly encouraged to attend. BRTU will be providing free brats to the frst 30 attendees. For additional information, please contact BRTU Chapter President Dave Ward.