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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!” – Established 1985 – Locally Owned & Independent
’ ! l a c o L t a t s e B ‘The
Volume XXXV, Number 45
Find the latest updates and information on the COVID-19 pandemic at www.bitterrootstar.com Wednesday, May 27, 2020
www.bitterrootstar.com
Eight Stock Farm Club employees test positive for COVID-19
Honoring those who served
Employees isolated as Club follows CDC guidelines
In a press release dated May 22, the Stock Farm Club expressed its thanks to the Ravalli County Health Department for its quick response in assisting eight of its employees who tested positive for COVID19. Seven of the employees are in isolation following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. One was hospitalized
but has since been released into quarantine. “When one employee wasn’t feeling well, we immediately notified the Ravalli County Health Department for guidance and closed the Stock Farm,” said Steve Buck, General Manager and Chief
thorough response of our County’s healthcare professionals. This virus can be caught anywhere and by anyone and we urge everyone to follow Ravalli County Health Department and CDC guidelines.” Last weekend, one employee, who was ill, tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized. That illness led to the immediate testing of other Stock Farm Club employees who worked in close proximity with the ill colleague. Consequently, seven co-workers tested positive. They are in isolation following
Stock Farm Club thanks Ravalli County Health Department for quick action Operating Officer of the Stock Farm Club. “The safety of our employees, our members and residents, and our community is our top priority,” Buck said. “We are very thankful for the immediate and
See STOCK FARM, page 2
Stevi mayor recall petition approved for the ballot Above: The Corvallis American Legion Post #91 Honor Guard kicked off the 100th anniversary Memorial Day Parade on Monday. World War I veterans started the parade tradition afer they returend fromEurope. The first parade consisted of a color guard and veterans. This year’s parade was a little like that first one, with far fewer floats and spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the parade, Post #91 conducted its annual memorial ceremony at the Corvallis Cemetery, naming all veterans buried at the cemetery dating back to the Mexican War (1848). Liz Cook photo.
Mayor seeks denial of petition prior to ballot
tioner’s allegations or resign from office. Instead, Mayor Dewey has fired off a letter to the Clerk and Recorder stating that the petition is “invalid and should be rejected on the basis of unsworn falsification and tampering with public records or information.” The petition was filed by Stevensville resident Leanna Rodabaugh on March 30, alleging violations of Montana Code and Town Code as well as the Mayor’s Oath of Office. She claimed in her sworn affidavit accompanying the petition that Mayor Dewey had “assumed the power to make contracts, a power that is assigned to the Stevensville Town Council.”
In the petition, Rodabaugh claims the mayor’s action in signing the contract without council approval resulted in bypassing the competitive bid and contract award process. She claims the Town Council was not allowed to participate in the contract award process and the Town’s attorney was not afforded the opportunity to review the contract prior to the signing by the mayor. Finally, she claims that the mayor’s actions resulted in denying all citizens the right to participate in the process as well. In his letter to the County
The Stevensville Town Council has not legally met since March 20, 2020, the day it adopted its COVID-19 emergency declaration suspending all regular meetings in the face of a looming pandemic. Although the Gover-
nor of Montana issued guidelines instructing local government how it could go about holding meetings, including over the internet on Zoom, to avoid a government shutdown, council members expressed reluctance to use the available options because of safety concerns and concerns that going
to fully digital meetings would deprive members of the public of the right to participate. The council gave the mayor authority to carry on essential business and pay claims. The claims would be approved retroactively when the
The venerable Stevensville Creamery Picnic has been added to the growing list of annual events cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. At a well-advertised but lightly attended special meeting on Thursday, May 21, members of the Stevensville Civic Club voted unanimously to cancel this year’s Creamery Picnic celebration. The 108th Creamery Picnic was scheduled for July 31 and August 1, 2020. Joan Prather, Civic Club
President, issued the following statement: “As previously posted the Stevensville Civic Club announced a meeting to be held on Thursday, May 21st, Lewis and Clark Park at 6 pm regarding the 2020 Creamery Picnic event in light of the COVID 19 restrictions and recommendations. “Please be advised that the result of the meeting was a unanimous vote to cancel the 2020 Creamery Picnic event. “Further discussion of the upcoming 4th of July Pignic as
well received a vote to cancel the Pignic for 2020. “We visited with the Ravalli County Health Department, checked with CDC recommendations, the Governor’s phase II plan, and local government. After evaluations of our event, safety, attendance projections, age groups attending the event, and all of the unknown conditions that may develop, it was determined by the group of people attending the
By Michael Howell Ravalli County Clerk and Recorder Regina Plettenberg has notified Stevensville Mayor Brandon Dewey that enough signatures on the recall petition submitted against him had been verified to trigger the next stage in the process in which the Mayor will have until June 4th to respond with a written statement to be placed on the ballot along with the peti-
See RECALL, page 3
Stevi council in quagmire since COVID-19 emergency declared By Michael Howell
The Florence Arthur E. Collins American Legion Post #134 placed American flags on veteran gravesites at the Florence-Carlton cemetery Saturday morning May 23, 2020. Pictured above is the post commander (left) Terry Wahl, Korean War veteran Billy Redmon (center) and post adjutant Micah Albrecht (right). The Florence post performs this service for veterans every Memorial Day weekend. Jim Hamilton photo.
• Strong in convictions. • Articulate in messaging. • Sensitive to constituents.
Re-Elect
See STEVI, page 11
Creamery Picnic cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns
SHARON
GREEF
PAID FOR BY SHARON GREEF, ED GREEF, TREAS. PO BOX 1327, FLORENCE MT 59833
See PIGNIC, page 7
HD 88
Page 2 -- Bitterroot Star
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Stock Farm
RE-ELECT
David Bedey Republican - House District 86
• Proven
- Passed most bills of all first-term legislators. - Ranked in top 15 of all 100 Montana Representatives.
• Conservative
- Cut funding for unneeded state positions. - Held spending growth to less than the inflation rate. - Reduced state regulation of local government. - Supported healthcare reform that helps low-income workers, aids small business, and protects Montana’s hospitals.
continued
CDC and Ravalli County Health Department guidelines. Many of these employees have worked for more than 20 years at the Club. The Ravalli County Health Department evaluated additional Stock Farm employees. Out of an abundance of caution, all those tested or evaluated are self-quarantining as an additional safety precaution. The Stock Farm Club has exceeded all of Montana’s directives and safety protocols from their initial activation. The Stock Farm Club continues to work closely with the Ravalli County Health Department to ensure the safety of its employees, members and our community, Buck said. “We want to thank the County Health Department for its professionalism, care, and compassion to our employees and Montana,” Buck added. “We also want to thank the leadership of
Governor Bullock and his staff in helping all Montanans through this pandemic.” In a telephone interview on Monday, Buck said the group of seven employees that tested positive will remain in quarantine for another week as a precautionary measure, emphasizing that it was a precaution. Buck said that all eight employees that tested positive are quarantined in a dormitory on the Stock Farm. He said it is where they were living, and they have not been mixing in the community. He said it was a very positive thing in the sense that it enabled the quick containment of the infection. “If there was going to be a bad case scenario this is the best case scenario in terms of how they all live together and had very little contact with anybody else in the community,” said Buck. “I think we’re over the hump now, there’s light at the end of the tunnel, and we’re going to be just fine.”
Relief available for Stevensville area businesses The Stevensville Business Relief Fund administered through Project 59870 is continuing to collect and distribute funds to businesses in the 59870 zip code that are struggling due to COVID19 closures and restrictions. So far, ten businesses have received funding totaling $9300. Thirty-eight businesses and individuals have contributed to the relief fund. Businesses that need help can access the application on the Town of Stevensville’s website, townofstevensville.com. Anyone needing more information can contact Victoria at 207-8793.
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• Leader
- Waged successful campaign to expand veteran services. - Chairing a key education subcommittee. - Leading the effort to increase vocational education opportunities across Montana.
Montana Chamber of Commerce Montana Contractors’ Association Montana Farm Bureau Montana Family Foundation National Rifle Association
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For more information visit Representative David Bedey on Facebook or https://DavidBedey.com on the web
Paid for by Bedey for Legislature P.O. Box 692 Hamilton, MT 59840
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Bitterroot Star -- Page 3
Phase Two of state reopening plan to go into effect June 1st Governor Steve Bullock announced last week that the state will move to Phase Two of the Reopening the Big Sky plan and will lift the 14-day out-of-state travel quarantine beginning June 1 as Montana continues to have the lowest number of positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations per capita. “Montana has been an example for the rest of the nation in our response to this global pandemic. I have no doubt that we can continue to be that example, but only if Montanans, businesses, and visitors alike continue to take seriously the responsibility we all have in protecting others,” Governor Bullock said. “As we continue with the next phase in our reopening, our goal together as Montanans for the foreseeable future is to mitigate the spread of the virus.” “The individual actions of Montanans have collectively made a difference. Staying 6-feet away, washing hands, wearing masks while in public, and staying home when sick, have all contributed to us being able to move forward with the plan to reopen Montana. We are at an important milestone and if each of us continues to do our part to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading, we’ll stay on the path to fully reopen Montana,” John Felton, Yellowstone County Health Officer and President/CEO of RiverStone Health, said.
Recall continued
Clerk and Recorder, Dewey claims that Rodabaugh has omitted facts and contradicted facts that she was well aware of before filing her petition. He claims that she was in attendance at a town council meeting where the IT services and contract in question in the recall were discussed. “These facts presented in the meeting by City Attorney Scott Owens conclude that there was no merit to the allegations brought forth, now presented in the recall petition, and that no illegal action had been taken by the mayor or administration,” Dewey states in his letter. He quotes various laws and policies that were considered at the meeting by the city’s attorney in his reasoning and claims they demonstrate that no violation of state law or local ordinance occurred. “Ms. Rodabaugh was aware of these facts when submitting the petition and further omitted the authority given to the Mayor in the purchasing policy from the language in the petition she submitted. Therefore, she has knowingly submitted false allegations and information in the recall petition,” the mayor claims. He asks the Clerk to fully investigate the matter. Dewey said that he expects a response from the Clerk soon after the Memorial Day holiday (too late for publication).
“Since this COVID-19 emergency began Governor Bullock has consistently listened to city and county governments around the state as he has formulated a strategy to respond. And that strategy has worked. Thanks to Governor Bullock’s leadership, Montana has escaped the tragedies other states have experienced. We are fortunate to have him at the helm as we reopen Montana. We are thankful for his commitment to ensure we will keep Montana safe during the summer months as we rebuild our economy,” Cynthia Andrus, Deputy Mayor, City of Bozeman, said. “We are grateful for Governor Bullock’s diligence as he works to reopen Montana safely and continues to and consider the unique concerns and challenges in tribal communities including a large population of elderly Montanans and families in multi-generational households. The Blackfeet Tribal Business Council appreciate Governor Bullock has respected tribal sovereignty and decisions to put in place more restrictive measures to keep tribal communities safe and has supported our efforts to contain the virus through increased testing,” said the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council. In consultation with public health and emergency response officials, Governor Bullock outlined the following indicators which allow Montana to move into Phase Two beginning on June 1: • A downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period. • The current ability to contact and trace, along with plans to add additional contact tracers to the existing workforce. • Ensuring that health care workers have the supplies they need to treat COVID-19 and nonCOVID-19 patients. • Ramping up testing capacity to eventually meet a target of 60,000 tests a month and prioritizing testing for vulnerable Montanans and tribal communities. A total of 5,600 tests were conducted last week. Increased testing continues with sentinel testing efforts in nursing homes and assisting living facilities, testing events in tribal areas, and drive through testing being conducted at a few sites. Under Phase Two, effective June 1, avoid gatherings in groups of more than 50 people in circumstances that do not readily allow for appropriate physical distancing. Groups larger than 50 people should be cancelled unless physical distancing can be maintained. It is recommended to continue to social distance in gatherings of any size. Under Phase Two, effective June 1, restaurants, bars, breweries, distilleries and casinos remains in the same operations status as Phase One, but with an increase to 75% capacity. Gyms, indoor group fitness classes, pool, and hot tubs can operate at 75% capacity and only if they can adhere to strict physical distanc-
ing and they exercise frequent sanitation protocols. Concert halls, bowling alleys, and other places of assembly may operate with reduced capacity and if they adhere to strict physical distancing guidelines. All businesses are required to follow the social distancing and sanitation guidelines established in Phase One, and Montanans are strongly encouraged to continue sanitation practices, including hand washing and wearing masks in public places like grocery stores. “Social distancing, wearing a cloth mask, washing your hands, and sanitizing are all part of our new normal. If not for you, do it for others, especially for the most vulnerable among us,” Governor Bullock said. “Not following these guidelines could put us in a position where we have to go backward, instead of being able to continue to move forward.” Vulnerable Montanans should still continue to stay home when possible during Phase Two. Visitation at nursing home and assisted living facilities remains suspended except for certain compassionate care situations. Effective June 1, the 14-day travel quarantine for out-of-state travelers and residents arriving from another state or country to Montana for non-work-related purposes will be lifted. The Montana National Guard will continue to conduct screenings in airports and train depots and refer anyone with COVID-19-related symptoms to local public health officials. To support Montana’s destination communities, the state will assist with establishing the following protocols: • Surveillance testing of employees. • Enhanced contact tracing resources deployed to these areas as requested by local authorities. • Ability to surge personal protective equipment to impacted health care systems. • Guidelines for operation for business that see high-tourist activity. Montana’s gradual and phased plan to reopen began on April 26 with Phase One which allowed schools, places of worship, main street and retail businesses, and restaurants, breweries, and bars to reopen under social distancing guidelines. Governor Bullock also provided additional guidance to allow gyms, movie theaters, and museums to reopen under the first phase on May 15. Governor Bullock and his Coronavirus 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 attached and are posted online at covid19.mt.gov.
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UM researchers Jennifer Thomsen and Libby Metcalf (right) study how Missoula trails and outdoor spaces are being used during the pandemic. Kasey Rahn photo.
UM researchers study how COVID-19 affects trails, recreation By Kasey Rahn UM News Service
Missoula’s wide-open spaces have perhaps felt a bit more crowded these days as residents flock to local trailheads seeking exercise, fresh air and a sense of normality during COVID-19. Outdoor recreation provides much-needed relief during the pandemic, but increased use of recreational areas also can bring potential challenges, such as employee safety hazards, parking congestion, private-propertyrights issues, conflicts between trail users, resource damage and potential health risks. Two University of Montana researchers, in conjunction with Missoula Parks and Recreation, are quantifying how COVID-19 has affected the ways people use Missoula’s outdoor spaces during the pandemic to help park officials better understand and manage changing recreation trends. Associate Professors Jennifer Thomsen and Libby Metcalf, social science researchers in UM’s W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, built an online survey that asked residents about their trail use during COVID19 restrictions. More than 650 responded. “Outdoor recreation is important for coping, but how do we make sure it’s done in a safe way? There’s lots of interest in this from both park and rec managers and the community,” said Thomsen, an associate professor of parks, tourism and recreation. “We’ve all seen examples from other states where trails or beaches have been closed. There was this fear: Is this going to happen in Missoula? Parks and Recreation is trying to find out about changes in use and peoples’ decision-making and awareness – are they safely recreating? If they are going to keep these places open, this data could be really important.” “We asked questions about how people are recreating in the pandemic with increased use on
trails,” said Metcalf, associate professor of human dimensions of natural resources. “Are you going with different people or at different times of day? We wanted to know how people are altering their behavior to stay safe but still have that outlet.” The researchers still are analyzing the data and will release a full report to Missoula Parks and Rec later this spring. Preliminary findings indicate that 40% of respondents are using new trails and parks as a result of the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, and 77% of the respondents say hiking on trails is the most common recreation activity. Forty percent of respondents said they recreate when areas are less crowded. The early survey results also showed that 98% of respondents indicated they were socially distancing on trails. “We know from previous research in Yellowstone that people have very different perceptions about how far away they are,” Metcalf said. “We’ve done similar studies regarding wildlife in Yellowstone. People think they are 30 feet away from a bison, but they are actually 10 feet away. It will be different to see how this applies to social distancing on trails.” Thomsen and Metcalf included questions about where people are going and what activities they would normally otherwise be engaged in – like a fitness class or participating in a team sport. They also wanted to understand participants’ motivations for recreating outdoors during COVID. Preliminary results suggest respondents are motivated to experience solitude (62%), to rest mentally (53%), to be close to nature (53%) and to relax physically (52%). A portion of the survey also addressed signage at trailheads to help Parks and Rec determine what is effective and how best to communicate with constituents. Many of the respondents have found the signage at trailheads and
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parks to be moderately helpful. This information also will aid in updating and educating residents and visitors, said Donna Gaukler, director of Missoula Parks and Recreation, who helped design the survey and works closely with Metcalf and Thomsen. Beyond the health and safety of park visitors and employees, Thomsen said, there are concerns about the impacts increased traffic will have on natural resources. “It’s the perfect storm. It’s spring time. The weather is nice. People want to get outside, and because of the COVID restrictions, people don’t have many other options for recreation,” Thomsen said. “But you also have fragile vegetation that blooms now and wildlife are becoming active. New behaviors have to be learned by all. How do you maximize safety, but also how do we protect these sensitive resources? There are a lot of unknowns, but it’s really important to assess these baselines now and then continue throughout the season, so managers have the data to help make decisions and can explain those science-based strategies to the public.” The researchers hope to use the survey to help support Parks and Recreation staff, who have worked hard to ensure open spaces in Missoula remain open. “We often forget in the community that our public lands and open spaces require maintenance. When you dump a whole bunch of people on trails that have never seen use like this, it creates cascading effects,” said Metcalf. “Managing outdoor spaces requires human resources. How do we meet the needs of the community and keep our employees safe?” As academic researchers, Thomsen and Metcalf also are interested in understanding how outdoor spaces serve as coping mechanisms in times of crisis. They plan to conduct a more indepth analysis related to recreation and mental health during the pandemic and to eventually submit the results for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The two said they see the uptick in recreation during the pandemic as an ultimately positive thing. “My hope is that eventually all these new users will create new conservation advocates,” said Metcalf. “Conservation often comes back to votes. I hope our community puts together another open space bond in the future. We want to be able to conserve later on. It will ultimately improve conservation down the road. It also makes a point for strong educational programs.”
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Page 4 -- Bitterroot Star
Bitterroot Star Editorial Board Michael Howell Victoria Howell
Opinion
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Guest Comment
Food security
By Walter Schweitzer, President, Montana Farmers Union When I looked up “food security” this definition made the most sense to me. “Food security incorporates a measure of resilience to future disruption or unavailability of critical food supply due to various risk factors including droughts, shipping disruptions, fuel shortages, economic instability, and wars.” COVID-19 has revealed that we do not have food security in the USA. It does not make sense that our local grocery stores are rationing dairy and meat products while family farms are being forced to dump milk and euthanize livestock. Our food supply chain is broken. How did we get to this surreal place in America history? Over 70 years ago American leaders started pursuing a cheap food policy. I listened to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue brag in his speech at the National Farmers Union Convention that American farmers produce the cheapest food in the world. He is proud that less than 10% of household income goes toward buying food in America. American farm policy encourages large corporate farms and centralized processing facilities. Montana and American farmers have become good at producing cheap food commodities for the world, but ironically the Covid19 crisis demonstrates that we struggle to feed ourselves. Most ag products are shipped 1000 miles to mega processing plants to be processed and packaged and then shipped back 1000 miles to be put on our local grocery shelves. This is a recipe for disaster. Many of these multinational plants are being forced to shut down because their workers have COVID-19. This has caused a disruption in supply. Because of the disruption farmers have too much of their production left on the farm at the same time consumers are being rationed. History has proven that we can reverse this trend. In 1920, five packers controlled 75% of the beef trade. The Federal Trade Commission with the threat of enforcing antitrust laws forced the packers to sign the 1920 Packers Consent Decree and 18 months later the President signed into law the Packers Stockyard Act. “The act makes it unlawful for any packer (1) to engage in unfair, unjustly discriminatory or decep-
tive practices; (2) give undue or unreasonable preference or advantage in commerce to persons or localities; (3) purchase or sell as between each other for the purpose of (a) apportioning supply, (b) manipulating or controlling prices, (c) creating a monopoly, or (d) restraining commerce; (4) engage in practices or commit acts which in effect result in creating monopolies or restraint of commerce; (5) conspire, combine or otherwise arrange with other persons to apportion territory for business purposes, allocate purchases or sales, manipulate or control prices, or (6) aid or abet in doing any of the things made unlawful by the act.” Congress had to force the Attorney General to enforce the law and eventually the five packers control of the beef trade was reduced to 25%. In 1981, Clark Willingham filed a lawsuit to end the Packers Decree and he won. He later became the first president of the NCBA, the packers lobbying group. Gradually four packers were able to gain control of 84% of the beef in America. In 2017, the USDA eliminated the Grain Inspection Stockyard Agency and moved it under Agricultural Marketing Services effectively gutting the agency. However, the laws are still on the books and could be enforced. We need to act now to encourage Congress and USDA to enforce these laws and break the stranglehold that the packers have on consumers and producers. We should be using some of the Covid19 dollars to invest in regional processing plants. Smaller processing plants located near the production spread throughout rural America would create a more resilient food supply. These small regional plants would create good paying jobs for the underemployed in small cities across America. With just a few workers in each plant we would not run the risk of a disease outbreak shutting down a plant that that processes a quarter of our meat supply. It would give producers more options to market their production, and consumers would have a secure supply of locally produced and processed food. I suggest during the Covid19 crisis we should take this opportunity to make lemonade from lemons.
Return to normalcy
able and immediate information to recognize who the patients are, who they’ve seen, and who those second parties have contacted. I understand that health care professionals currently follow-up on all positive-tested COVID-19 patients. However, this voluntary system would be more thorough, immediate and complete. I ask that all Montana newspapers, and their affiliated E-commerce notifications, to carry a daily column with the names of any future victims, where they had visited and the names of anyone they had contact with, during the past ten (10) days. Of which all of this would be volunteered by good, patriotic Montanans and Americans. Gene Mallette Helena
Letters
Dear Editor, We love the return to normalcy from the season’s first Hamilton Farmers Market. The hardworking vendors’ first spring harvest is regenerative. In these conflicted times, they further enhance the Bitter Root Valley’s rich sense of community. Even the signs and bumper stickers on display provide revealing unique Bitter Root approaches to political thought… “Vote Republican” versus “Think it’s not illegal yet.” Archie L Thomas Merry Schrumpf Corvallis
Recreation on State Land
Dear Editor, Regarding the State Land east of Corvallis: To the mountain bikers who are building jumps, making their own trails, and constructing their own routes and play area; please stop. What you’re doing is illegal. To local ethical mountain bikers, please educate the above bikers about proper behaviors on public lands. Their actions are giving mountain bikers in general a bad name. To the state employees who are spending time and tax payer
dollars to educate folks, and restore and rehabilitate the land damaged by those bikers, thank you. Gary Milner Corvallis
Appalling practice
Dear Editor, I am disgustingly appalled by the notion that we should keep the names of pandemic victims a big secret! Sure, we need to protect personal discords against our names, reputations and privacies, but to have the name of a positive tested person not appear in the newspaper is a travesty against all health objectives. Specifically, wouldn’t a positive tested COVID-19 patient want their names in the newspaper to protect those around themselves; and to notify friends of friends and families of friends? I sure would! There is no disgrace in contracting the virus, we would have done nothing wrong. The CDC says that there could be as many as 250,000+ people who have COVID-19 in America, have no symptoms, but can continue to infect other people! Governor Bullock has budgeted $5.1M from the State stimulus money to afford more professionals to contact the victims, and who they’ve contacted, to stop the future spread of the disease. If we are ever to get a handle on this virus before a vaccine is discovered/invented, manufactured and disbursed, we have to have more readily avail-
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change which party controls it and is likely to switch which party is in control. This is a tremendous opportunity for Republicans and more importantly for Montanans. We need someone who has been a business leader themselves and has worked with President Trump to pass tax cuts, and cut job killing regulations. Greg will be an excellent governor. He already has the executive experience of building a business from the ground up. He’s a born problem solver. We have many problems facing our state government right now, and there is no candidate I have more faith in to face those problems head on, and actually achieve results then Greg Gianforte. Jason Ellsworth Hamilton
Support for GianCritical divide forte Dear Editor, Dear Editor, For years Montana’s economy has been stagnating, even as the rest of the country has benefitted economically from President Trump’s leadership. As a member of the legislature, I know we’ve passed numerous bills over the past three year that would get government out of the way of economic opportunities and business growth. But one thing is clear, we will never make any progress on that front, without a Republican governor. Montana has the most likely Governor’s seat in the country to
The study of history allows us the luxury of 20-20 hindsight. Looking back, we can see the little events that led up to the big moments, and we can wonder “how could they not have seen it coming?” Of course, it’s much harder to see clearly when you’re living through history in real time. I was reminded of this while reading a newspaper column by Andrew McKean, the former editor of Outdoor Life who lives in Glasgow, MT. McKean very capably highlighted the choice
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voters face in the Republican primary for Montana governor, and he did so through the lens of public lands. Our one-term Congressman, Greg Gianforte, has a fundamental instinct to privatize our lands, our waters and our wildlife, and has chosen as his running mate a law professor who has written that private landowners should be allowed to exclude the public from what are now public-access waterways. Gianforte’s main primary opponent is Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, who has drafted a plan not only to maintain public access but also to vastly improve that access for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation. This issue – public access to public lands – provides a large window into how these two candidates think about the world. It’s a fundamental difference, and reveals much about how they weigh the good of the many against the profit of the few. And just as this one small issue reveals much about the contrast between these two candidates, the divide between Gianforte and Fox exposes a critical split within today’s Republican Party. Yes, this election is about public land access, and it is about the public good versus private power, but it also is about the heart and soul of America’s GOP. The Republican Party was born as the party of innovation and leadership. It has been the party of emancipation, public education for all, the National Park Service and public lands, transcontinental railroads, and interstate highways. It has been the party of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, and the party of people who believe in both individual liberty and civil service. It has not been the party of locking out the public interest for the profit of a private interest. Civil service and personal ambition are both tremendous motivators, but they function best when balanced to protect the rights of everyone. This election is one in which much doubt will be removed regarding the future of our party, and in which there will be no room for the leadership examples of both Theodore Roosevelt and Mitch McConnell. Roosevelt warned politicians “not to represent any special class and promote merely that class’s selfish interests, but to represent all true and honest men of all sections and all classes.” It was good advice then, and it’s good advice now. Republicans traditionally have been idealists, in that they believe in both the individual and in principles greater than the individual. But now, some in the party embrace the blame-politics of scapegoating and scoring points against political “enemies,” rather than working with others to do the good work of public service. There’s no escaping that we’re living right at a turning point in American history. This Republican primary is not just about public lands, or about the political philosophies of these two Montana candidates. It is about deciding who the party leaders should be and, by extension, what the character of the Republican Party will be for years to come. In the recurring history of primary elections, we have rarely had such an opportunity to choose our own future. We as voters should be prepared to meet that moment. Bob Brown Bigfork Brown is a former Montana Secretary of State and State Senate President
COVID-19 and the USA
Kenneth Bransby
777-1000
www.bransbylaw.com 515 Main Street, Stevensville, MT
#4 - Ken/Atticus - Swap Just for Only in the first sentence. Re-
Dear Editor, Donald Trump could have been re-elected, with good numbers. All he had to do was follow through on briefings, avoid delusion, and put the right people in the right places, to deal with the COVID-19 epidemic in the USA. If so done, about now, he could be emphasizing how he positioned the right people in the right places, to respond as good, or better, than would our global trading partners. Now look what we’ve got.
Maybe 50,000 unnecessary deaths for starting containment measures one week later than recommended by epidemiologists. We’ve got 4.2% of the global population. But currently, every new day, we’ve got about one third of the global, new, confirmed cases of COVID-19. Worse yet, current numbers suggest other industrial powers will suppress COVID-19, and safely get back to school, and back to full employment, and full tax revenue receipts, sooner than will the USA. If the USA was experiencing not 33%, but 4.2%, of the daily, newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world, the USA would have maintained high employment, and would not need a $2,200,000,000 fund to be doled out, mostly by the dominant party in the Senate. The Atlanta Fed warns that April to June quarter USA GDP may be reduced 42.8%. FED chair Jerome Powell says the USA recession could go into 2021. Here’s a basic problem. With unemployment at 14.7% and certain to worsen to 20% or more, consumer expenditures collapse. Consumer expenditures make up some 68% of USA GDP. So far Congress sends more COVID-19 aid money to the wealthy than to the consumers. After 70 years of lowering State and Federal taxes to effectively a flat tax, Trump’s wealth class base has billions of hoarded dollars to buy stressed and distressed assets in the USA. But first they have to make sure Donald Trump gets re-elected. Go to this link and note how well Montana is doing compared to other states, in reducing COVID-19 cases. http://91-divoc.com/pages/ covid-visualization/. Scroll down to: New COVID-19 Cases by US States/Territories per day. Go there and notice Montana at the bottom of the chart. Next, go to: New COVID-19 Cases by Country normalized by Country Population. That means confirmed cases per million. Look at the John Hopkins University determined data points, along the curves of many countries. Notice how the USA curve compares to other countries. Draw out you own curves about how long COVID-19 will impact USA Public Health, economy, and tax receipts. Bob Williams Stevensville
Good Old Ernie
Dear Editor, Ernie was one of the founding fathers of Habitat for Humanity in our area. He was there before the first house was built or the ReStore was in existence. I built the fence for the ReStore and I didn’t know how much this organization would impact my life for the better. Ernie was the glue that held things together in the beginning. At his age he can still manhandle a refrigerator or other large appliances that are donated. During the stay at home orders his wife supported him and asked him to stay at home and observe the request. We are all aware that we are blessed for knowing Ernie and hope he will be able to continue with us when the virus is under control. I have many fond memories of Ernie who will always bring a smile to your face, even when you’re down and blue. Thanks, Ernie, for your upbeat personality of humor. We are looking forward to seeing you back soon. Written by Gregory - fellow co-volunteer Submitted by Bill Bean Executive Directore Habitat for Humanity of Ravalli County
Vote for life!
Dear Editor, Our federal agencies, which are supposed to protect humans and all other animals, are promoting even more use of the pesticides that are presently killing vertebrates and invertebrates, in addition to the use of new, more deadly pesticides. In the last three years, those federal agencies were ordered to remove nearly all continued on 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).
Free Indeed
Free Indeed is a faith-based addiction support group. Contact Donald Layman at 203-8579 or Pastor Jim Landis at 642-9849.
Gamblers Anon
Gamblers Anonymous meets Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church, 411 S. 5th Street in Hamilton.
restrictions on the use of thousands of toxins, resulting in faster declines in insects and other animals. Alarmingly, North America’s bumblebee population has dropped by 3.5% per year since 2000, leaving only about 36%. Hopefully, human life on Earth might have a few years longer than Einstein’s calculations gave it, which was four years after all bees go extinct. Maybe we should use those precious years to try to save the bees, the children and all other life before it is too late. Vote for life! Judy Hoy Stevensville
Action and reaction: the consequences to come
Dear Editor, Regardless of the source (questionable) or its comparison to other viruses and outbreaks, there is one thing which is clear to me-the response to the corona virus, Covid-19 pandemic, has been completely blown out of proportion to the threat posed by it. It has been and is being proven to be no more deadly than a really ugly flu, as Dr. Allan Supak mentioned recently. (https://bitterrootstar. com/2020/05/overreaction/) Shutting down the entire economy and whipping people into a froth of fear over this was unwarranted. There were better ways to handle it. Isolate those most at risk--the elderly and those in nursing homes. Encourage those with underlying health issues--obesity, diabetes, heart problems, etc., to stay at home and be cautious. Encourage workers who became ill to go home until they were well again. Be alert for “hotspots” and take appropriate action if, when, and where they popped up. Allow healthy adults and young children full freedom to go about their daily lives. These and other similar methods would have been sufficient to mitigate the threat while allowing general society to achieve herd-immunity. Instead, we have
Overeaters Anon
Overeaters Anonymous meets every Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church (west door), 1220 W. Main, Hamilton. For more information call 3632512.
WIC clinics
Ravalli County WIC is a nutrition education program that serves pregnant, post-partum, and breastfeeding women, children from birth to age 5 and women whose pregnancies have ended early. WIC also welcomes dads, grandparents, and foster families. The WIC program is offered In Hamilton Monday through Thursday 8:30-4:30 at 205 Bedford Street, Suite P, District Courthouse Building in Hamilton. The Stevensville clinic is open on Wednesdays at the United Methodist Church, 216 College Street in Stevensville. The Victor Clinic is the second Tuesday of the month at the Victor Nazarene Church. The Darby clinic is open every month on the third Monday of the month at the Darby Library. Income guidelines are 1-$23,107; 2- $31,284; 3-$39,461; 4-$47,638; 5-$55,815. For each additional family member add $8,177. Call 406-802-7180 for more information or see on Facebook; www. 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.
turned our entire world and society upside down and shaken it hard, gaining virtually nothing in the process. Gaining nothing, that is, unless you own and control major banks and large corporations, in which case, you have gained a lot. Admittedly, this is hindsight, but hindsight is always 20/20. There is that which is seen-the life-threatening and potentially devastating corona virus, the heavy-handed official action to it, and the acquiescent, fearful public reaction in the face of both. These have been front and center, nonstop, 24/7, in your face continually for several months now. No one can claim ignorance of the events. There is also that which is not seen--the future consequences of locking down an entire economy, ordering people to go inside and stay there, telling people their jobs and businesses were not “essential”, refusing to allow people to work in order to make a living and pay their bills, forcing people (social creatures) to act in an anti-social manner, etc. These consequences raise questions. What will happen to all those small businesses which had to close their doors? What will happen to all those people who lost their jobs? What will happen to states, cities, and counties which have lost a huge amount of their tax base? What will happen because the federal government has blown its debt balloon to an enormous, unprecedented size? What will happen because governors found out that they could issue unconstitutional edicts and get away with it? What will happen because everyone fell into line with those edicts? What will happen because the international supply chain has been broken? What will happen to us in the days ahead? This list could go on and on. Isaac Newton’s Third Law of thermodynamics reads that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. We have just experienced the action. We are going to find out what the reac-
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
ST. STEPHENS EPISCOPAL CHURCH 203 Stevensville •• 777-0028 360-2661 203Main MainSt.• Stevensville
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 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 Worship at 12:0011p.m. Sunday Worship AM In this Church there shall be no outcasts. In this Church there shall be no outcasts.
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
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.
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.
Fairgrounds arenas open for riding
Fees are as follows: $5day OR $25/season OR $50/family of 4 season. You must pay, before riding, in either the office or one of the 2 pay boxes on the facility
tion is. My guess is that we will probably not like what we see. My guess is that it’s going to be much more ugly than a really ugly flu. But, hey, we owe it to ourselves! Roger Mitchell Stevensville
Dudik for Montana Attorney General. Bryony Schwan Missoula
Support for Dudik
Dear Editor, Monica Tranel is running for the Public Service Commission, and I am grateful to have such an intelligent, hardworking, educated and knowledgeable candidate for this position. An attorney with a wealth of experience presenting cases in front of the PSC, Monica truly understands this complicated area of the law. She also understands the role Public Service Commissioners are supposed to play in Montana – regulating monopolies to protect consumers’ pocketbooks while also ensuring dependable delivery of energy services to consumers. The PSC seems to have lost sight of these goals for a period of years now, and Monica will return this focus to the PSC. If elected, Monica will bring common sense, insightful forward thinking and Montana pragmatism to the Commission. She will fight for reasonable consumer rates while also ensuring that Montanans have solid, long term renewable energy options. Monica grew up in a large Montana ranching family. She knows Montana, has practiced law in Montana, and is raising her family here. I am voting for Monica Tranel for the PSC because she will help return the PSC to a functioning entity that truly benefits Montanans. Gwen Jones Missoula
Dear Editor, I am writing today to endorse Kimberly Dudik for Montana Attorney General. After working for more than 30 years in the environmental movement, I am excited to support a proven advocate for our environment. What inspires me about Kimberly’s leadership on this issue is that she understands the intersections of the environmental movement with justice issues such as gender and racial equity. Starting her career as a nurse and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, Kimberly saw first hand the damage that polluted water and land can do to our communities. As a private attorney, Deputy Gallatin County Attorney, and Assistant Attorney General, Kimberly protected vulnerable communities from abuse and held responsible parties accountable. As a four-term state legislator, Kimberly worked with Tribal legislators to address the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and made significant reforms to protect women and children across the state. Knowing that our most vulnerable communities bear the brunt of pollution in our state, Kimberly led the effort to hold the Smurfit Stone Mill Site accountable for back taxes that they had been evading, ultimately getting millions of dollars back to the community to clean up the pollution that had been left when the mill went bankrupt. As Montana Attorney General, I know that Kimberly will continue to make tangible progress for all Montanans and our environment. Join me this June and vote for Kimberly
Support for Tranel
Mine’s impact on trout stream tells story of broken promises Dear Editor, Clancy Creek, a tributary
to get the gate code to enter the property. Phase 1 restrictions are in effect; strict social distancing and no more than 10 folks allowed at any time. Tuesday and Thursday evenings the main arena is booked for private practice from about 6-8 p.m.; please be respectful of arena space. Don’t hesitate to contact the office at 363-3411.
Monday, June 1 Monarchs Matter: The Bitterroot Monarch Project
Monarch butterflies, like many pollinator species, are in drastic decline. These stunning orange and black butterflies journey through Montana on their multi-generational, several-thousand-mile-long, annual migration. “We’d love for you to join us on Monday, June 1, at 6 p.m. to learn more about the magnificent Monarch in an online event hosted by Maggie, Hirschauer, Bitterroot Monarch Project Coordinator, “ says Adult Services Specialist, Nancy Bevins. “We’ll be using Facebook Live & Zoom to connect Maggie with our Library patrons so everyone stays safe.” The Bitterroot Monarch Project was started in response to the decline of the western monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), with the lowest population count reported in November 2018. Recent counts suggest the population is currently less than 1% of its historical size. Reduction of native plants across its range, habitat loss at wintering colonies, pesticide use, and climate change have all contributed to the decline. Come learn about the Monarch’s important place in the Bitterroot Valley, their awe-inspiring migration, metamorphosis, why milkweeds are so important, and what you can do to help these amazing creatures. There is little documented evidence of population trends or monarch movement patterns in Montana. For the project’s first year, efforts focused on milkweed restoration and mapping, surveyto Prickly Pear Creek, used to be a fine little Westslope Cutthroat Trout stream between Butte and Helena. About 1,000 feet of it is now confined to a 16-inch plastic pipe, precariously perched on the edge of an open pit left behind by the defunct Montana Tunnels Mine near Jefferson City. The large gold and silver mine, which operated until 2008, has been largely abandoned by its owner. The mine facilities and unstable pit walls are collapsing, with large cracks radiating out from the pit into the surrounding lands and intersecting the streambed of Clancy Creek. This week the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is taking public comment on a reclamation plan to deal with the problem. Although DEQ proposes to relocate the stream into a lined ditch further from the edge of the pit, conditions at the mine have deteriorated to the point where there may be no positive solution for Clancy Creek. There is no easy place to move the stream that is out of harm’s way and would keep it from draining into the pit, which would completely disconnect the remnant trout stream below. Like so many other mines in Montana, the promises of no environmental harm and lasting jobs made during permitting have long been forgotten, and Montanans are faced with another defunct mine with an enormous and growing financial liability. DEQ has identified a roughly $20 million shortfall in the reclamation bond for Montana Tunnels, and that shortfall doesn’t include the cost of relocating Clancy Creek. A new bond amount will be calculated based on the reclamation plan. In all reality, it seems unlikely that the mining company will post a new bond to cover the cost of fixing Clancy Creek. The company owner has repeatedly failed to post the increased bond for its other clean-up obligations at the mine, and owes Jefferson County $5.5 million in back taxes,
Bitterroot Star -- Page 5 ing for monarch presence across the Bitterroot Valley, and raising monarch caterpillars for tagging and release as adults. Join us to hear more about the project’s findings. In 2019, with record-low populations, monarchs arrived later than expected, only in midJuly. The project raised, tagged and released 13 butterflies with the hope that tag recoveries will shed light on migration routes of these Bitterroot monarchs. Please register for this event online by going to northvalleylibrary.org. Click on our Calendar then click on the event. You’ll see the sign up option. You will receive an email with the event link to use. At the listed time, you may also click on our Facebook link at the bottom of the home page and watch us live. 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 a list of current library services check our website at northvalleylibrary.org.
Wednesday Farmers Market
A farmers market is held every Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. starting June 3rd at 111 s. 4th Street in Hamilton.
Kids’ & Teens’ Summer Maker Kits
This summer, get your weekly maker kit from North Valley Public Library, June 8-July 27! Register each week for a different science experiment, art/ craft project, or a maker activity. Pick up your kits on Mondays or Tuesdays between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Please register for each week you wish to receive a kit on the Library’s website. Kits will be tailored for age groups ranging from 0-18. 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. according to a 2018 Montana Standard article. DEQ suspended the mine’s permit in 2018, but no penalties have been assessed for the company’s failure to maintain or reclaim the site, or for causing lasting harm to a native trout stream. This predicament isn’t anything new to Montana. Montana Tunnels is just the latest in a long line of under-bonded mining operations, including Kendall, Beal Mountain, Basin Creek, Zortman, Landusky and others. In recent years, the state and feds have forked over more than $70 million for cleanup, and they’re still on the hook for $100 million more, plus $2 million in annual water treatment costs at some mines that continue in perpetuity. Despite all this, the Montana State Legislature has rebuffed opportunities to bring Montana’s reclamation bonding laws up to modern standards, and repeatedly weakened our state mining laws. The legislature has cut the time limits for environmental review and enacted legislation that prevents DEQ from imposing mitigation measures to reduce harm, unless the mining company agrees with the mitigation. It’s frustrating to see our state faced with yet another defunct mine with more problems than solutions, a valuable native trout stream in jeopardy of becoming a waterfall into an abandoned mine pit, and taxpayers likely stuck with the bulk of cleanup costs. But it does make it easy to understand why so many Montanans oppose the permitting of the Black Butte Mine at the headwaters of our treasured Smith River. We’ve learned the hard, costly lesson of what Montana’s mining laws leave for future generations. Montana Tunnels is just another recent example. We don’t need anymore. Bonnie Gestring, Earthworks David Brooks, Montana Trout Unlimited
Sports
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Page 6 -- Bitterroot Star
By Jean Schurman Sports Editor
Remembering Doc Ward The valley lost another icon this last week. Dr. Jack Ward, D.V.M. has been around barns and corrals from one end of the valley to the other. He was most noted for his work with ‘Weak Calf Syndrome’ which
Fence Posts By Jean Schurman
Austin Gray of the Bitterroot Red Sox makes a catch at first base as Bitterroot Bucs runner Blake Hinsdale crosses the plate. Jean Schurman photo.
American Legion baseball returns For the first time this year, the crack of the bat was heard in the valley. Spring, and summer, sports had been put on hold while the world came to a standstill with COVID-19 restrictions in place. However, this weekend at the Bitterroot Bucs field in Florence, American Legion baseball played their first game. The Missoula Mavs always host a Memorial Day tournament but this year, they were unable to secure permission for the tournament. They approached Florence to see if it would be possible to have the tournament there. The Bitterroot Bucs worked with the Ravalli County Public Health office and the COVID-19 task force to come up with a workable solution. “They were very good to work with,” said Bucs’ coach Austin Nogel. The dugouts were expanded for each team with half inside the dugout and the other half of the team outside in a designated area. Fans were encouraged to social distance, and they did. The normal banners around the field have not been hung up yet so people were able to sit in the outfield as well.
The spectators were happy but the players were ecstatic to get on the field again. “It’s so good to be out here playing again,” said Tyler Davis of the Bitterroot Red Sox. “We didn’t know if we would be able to play or not this year so this is great.” The Bitterroot Bucs and the Bitterroot Red Sox took the field on Friday afternoon in the opening game of the tournament. As the Hamilton coach, Kallen Grenfell said, “any time the Red Sox and the Bucs play, it’s a good day.” Normally the American Legion Baseball season begins in late April and by this time of the year have played lots of baseball. The teams were only able to begin practice two weeks ago with 10 players at a time. So it was understandable there were a few a few jitters in the first few innings. The Red Sox scored six runs in the fourth inning with an RBI double from Mack Wright that scored Mitch Spinetta and Tristan Lewis. Tyler Jones hit another and an overthrow to first allowed another run in. As the inning progressed the runs kept coming for the Red Sox. The Bucs had a chance to
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get on the board when Zach Christopherson hit a long ball to center field. But Wright made a diving catch for the out stop the play. The Red Sox went on to win, 9-0.
Brenden Schneiter of the Bitterroot Bucs just missed the ball during the Bucs game agains the Bitterroot Red Sox. Jean Schurman photo.
has been a big problem here in the valley over the years; and his work with horses, from race horses to working horses. ‘Doc’ Ward wasn’t at our ranch a lot while I was growing up but the times he did come out, it was a memorable occasion. When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my brother. Dean, had a palomino horse he was breaking. His name was Blinkers because he had one blue eye. Blinkers was kind of a challenge for Dean and kept rearing up. Now a horse that bucks is one thing. You can figure out how he is going to buck and possible work him out of it or at least keep yourself somewhat safe. We had a number of horses at that time and Dean would be the one to ‘top them off’ when needed and he was getting to be a pretty good hand. But if they got to be too much, my dad would step in and take control. It didn’t take long but the horse was soon ridable and ready to go. But back to Blinkers; the more Dean tried to get him to stop rearing, the worse Blinkers got. So my dad got involved. The first time Blinkers went up on his hind feet with Dad in the saddle, Dad simply stepped off and pulled the horse on over. Normally it only took about one time for this to be effective. But not Blinkers. Dad got back on and Blinkers reared up. Dad got back on and Blinkers reared up. But this time when Dad stepped off and pulled him over, there was a loud crack as the horse went down. Blinkers had broken his hind leg. Dad jumped on his head and hollered at Dean to get a rope so they could tie the horse down to keep him from moving. He hollered at me to run to the house and have Mom call Doc. Taylor. (He was the veterinarian from Stevensville and there are many ‘Doc Taylor stories too.) Doc Taylor was very slow, especially when he talked. He arrived at the corral and moseyed in to look things over. He decided there really wasn’t much he could do but he told my dad about a new ‘young’ vet in Hamilton that might be able to help. Doc Taylor called Doc Ward who came out and looked over the situation. He said he
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thought he would be able to help the horse but they had to figure out how to get the horse to the clinic in Hamilton. This was before horse trailers and stock trailers, only big stock trucks and pickup trucks were used to move animals. I remember they took a big wooden panel that covered the horse and tied the horse to that panel so he couldn’t really move. Then they rolled the horse over and tied another panel on the other side so the horse was basically motionless. By then, Mom had mustered the neighbors to come and help load the horse. I perched up on the top of the corral and watch as they lifted the horse in the panels to the bed of a big truck. Off they went with Doc Ward trailing behind. Doc Ward took Blinkers into the clinic and worked on him. I am sure he X-rayed the leg because he determined it would heal if there was no weight on the leg. Usually if a horse had this severe of a break, the horse would be put down, but Doc Ward didn’t want to do that. He put up a huge sling in one of the box stalls in the clinic and that is where Blinkers spent the next few months. At first all of his feet were off the ground but as he healed, the sling was slowly lowered so that his feet would touch the ground. I don’t know how long Blinkers was in Doc Ward’s care. And I’m not entirely sure what sort of procedures he did on the horse. But he convinced my dad that this would save the horse and it would also serve as a study on what to do with a horse with a broken hind leg. Blinkers eventually came home to a sling in the barn and then went on to be a pretty good horse. He would, however, always rest his hind leg by leaning into and sitting on any vehicle that was parked close by. The other time I remember Doc Ward treating one of our horses was when I was in college. Dad had raised a big, showy colt named Traveler and he had high hopes for him. However, when Traveler was two years old, he started getting a lump right above his eye and another on his pastern, between the hoof and the fetlock. Dad kept an eye on the cyst on the leg, thinking it might be ringbone but he soon determined it wasn’t. He had Doc come out and look at Traveler a few times but Doc was just as stumped as Dad about what this was. Doc asked other vets and did some research on this but they, too, were stumped. Dad was resigned he was going to have to put Traveler down. But then Doc called and told Dad that he might have a solution. It was experimental and so he wasn’t going to charge too much. Doc had been talking to ‘his good friend Nels Ribi’ and together they came up with a plan. Ribi had been working on a cancer drug and thought maybe they could stop the growth of the cysts with this drug. Dad took Traveler in to the clinic and left him there for a bout 30 days. The cyst over Traveler’s eye was about the size of a small tangerine by this time and was beginning to impede his vision. The one on the pastern was about that size too. Doc Ward and Dr. Ribi went to work on Traveler, injecting the area around the cysts with this drug every day. In 30 days, Dad got a call to come and get the horse. When he unloaded Traveler, we were amazed that both cysts were gone! Traveler went on to be a great horse. Without Doc Ward’s willingness to study something unknown or take on an animal that wouldn’t have survived showed what an intellectual he truly was. I’m sure there are many, many stories throughout the valley of horses, and cattle, that Doc Ward didn’t give up on. Thank you Doc!
Picnic continued
meeting that cancelling until 2021 was the best decision we could make. “We look forward to the 2021 events when restrictions, safety, national, state, county and local concerns may be alleviated and we can carry on in the Spirit of our Historic Stevensville!” The decision to cancel came in the same week that the Montana State Fair, which was to be held in the same week as the Creamery Picnic, was cancelled and also a new outbreak of travel-related COVID-19 cases hit Ravalli County. Concern was expressed at the meeting that Stevensville’s Main Street businesses would be especially hard hit by the event cancellation. There was some dis-
Bitterroot Star -- Page 7
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
cussion about trying to schedule some sort of downtown festival later in the year as COVID-19 regulations are eased. Although the annual 4th of July Pignic potluck was cancelled, planning for a fireworks display is still going forward. Raymond Smith is heading a fundraising effort to raise enough money to cover the cost of the fireworks. The Stevensville Civic Club has committed at least $1000 and a private donor offered an additional $1000 at the Civic Club meeting. The total is expected to be around $6000, according to Smith, who has already received commitments of about $3700. Stevensville Western Heritage Days and the 50-Mile Garage Sale, scheduled for June 26 and 27, were previously cancelled. As of this time, the Ravalli County Fair, scheduled for September 2-5, will go forward as planned.
MDT resumes pavement preservation work in Stevensville The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) returned to Stevensville on Tuesday, May 26 to continue work on the Stevensville Pavement Preservation Project, according to Matt Straub, MDT Engineering Project Manager. “We are looking forward to getting back to Stevensville to finish this project,” Straub said. “Pavement preservation keeps roads from falling into serious disrepair, extending their useable lives with minimal investment and disruptions.” Pavement preservation covers a range of techniques used to keep Montana roads in good condition; this project includes
milling, paving and chip sealing. Milling and paving were completed last year and now crews will return to Stevensville for chip sealing. After chip sealing occurs, the roadway needs to cure 30 days and then crews will return to finish the project with roadway striping work. MDT, in conjunction with Schellinger Construction and Riverside Contracting will begin the chip sealing work on May 26, with the work expected to take three to four days. The schedule is weather dependent as chip sealing requires the absence of rain or moisture. Any delays to the anticipated schedule will be communicated with the public and members of
the media. The project area includes: • Eastside Highway/Main Street: from 1.2 miles south of Stevensville to 1 mile northwest of town; and • US-93: McCalla Creek Bridge to approximately ¾ miles north of Kootenai Creek Rd. Chip sealing along Eastside Highway will extend to the curb, impacting parking on Main Street. Motorists traveling in the construction zone should expect delays of up to 15 minutes, reduced speeds, and single lane traffic guided by pilot cars. When traveling during construction season, MDT asks that motorists watch for the “cone
zone” and for workers on the highway. These workers spend their days working a short distance from fast moving vehicles, and while they make every effort to work safely, they are counting on motorists to pay attention, slow down, and be careful passing through a work zone. More information about Montana’s highway safety programs can be found at www.mdt.mt.gov/visionzero/ plans/. To subscribe to email project updates, contact Melissa Shannon at melissas@strategies360. com. For SMS texting updates: text “Stevi” to 555-888.
Montana COVID-19 statistical update As of Monday, May 25, there were 479 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Montana. Total number of tests completed – 33,682 Total hospitalizations – 65 Active Hospitalizations – 3 Total Deaths – 16 Recovered – 441 Highest number of total cases by county Gallatin – 149 Yellowstone – 88 Flathead – 37 Missoula – 39 Toole – 29 Lewis & Clark – 16 As of press time, the most recent Ravalli County Public Health update was on Friday, May 22: “As of noon today, there eight positive COVID-19 results, and one negative result. All of the positive case personnel are in isolation. “Contact tracing of 30 plus people continues. To the best of our knowledge – the Public Health Department – it is travel related and not community spread. We know the names of the people that were in contact with the 9 cases. “There are no changes in the schedule for opening businesses, gatherings etc. Governor Bullock announced Phase Two of Montana Reopening effective June 1, 2020. See Montana Reopening, May 15 on the internet or call the Montana hotline at 888-333-0461. “We know that rumors are rampant regarding the nine cases over the weekend. The cooperation and openness of the people involved over the weekend has enabled the Public Health Department to make as much progress as it has with contact tracing, and at the same time protect the privacy of those involved. We realize there is more information that the public wants and will continue to balance the needs of the privacy with the well-being of the public. Please contact the Public Health Office if you have any questions. “The best course of action is to continue to distance, wear masks and limit the number of people together. If you are uncomfortable with a situation, make a personal change, and respect the decisions of others. “Please call 406-375-6672 with questions regarding COVID19.”
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AMERICA IS SINGULARLY UNIQUE IN HUMAN HISTORY BECAUSE THE FOUNDERS OF OUR NATION DESIGNED OUR GOVERNMENT SPECIFICALLY TO POSITION THESE RIGHTS BEYOND THE REACHES OF ANY GOVERNMENT, BUT ESPECIALLY OUR OWN. OUR RIGHTS EXTEND TO ALL CITIZENS REGARDLESS OF THEIR STATION IN LIFE IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES AND PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WITH WHOM WE DISAGREE. OUR GOD GIVEN RIGHTS REMAIN INTACT SOLELY DUE TO THE COUNTLESS AND OFTEN UNHERALDED SELFLESS SACRIFICES OF OUR VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS. I WILL NEVER BETRAY THEM OR YOU. YOU AND ONLY YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO MAINTAIN PRIVATE PROPERTY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY'S PROSPERITY! EMAIL ME AT PJT803@HOTMAIL.COM OR VISIT MY FACEBOOK PAGE: PHIL TUMARELLO FOR RAVALLI COUNTY COMMISSIONER
Page 8 -- Bitterroot Star
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Purity versus pragmatism – Republican Party showdown By Eric Dietrich Montana Free Press
Of the roughly dozen legislative primaries pitting Solutions Caucus lawmakers against rightflanking challengers in 2020, none provides a starker example of the electoral consequences of Medicaid expansion than the showdown over an open seat in Senate District 44. More than a year after the Medicaid expansion debate, with ballots mailed for Montana’s June 2 primary, the time has come to see whether Republican primary voters will, as Tschida warned, punish Buttrey, Ballance and the other Solutions Caucus lawmakers who forged legislative compromises with minority Democrats. With Montana Republicans likely to hold onto legislative
majorities — and the possibility of the governor’s office tipping into GOP control for the first time since 2005 — the outcome of the party’s legislative primaries may determine whether moderates or hardliners are in the driver’s seat for the 2021 session. Tschida said last week that he was frustrated with the Solutions Caucus’ support for Medicaid expansion and tax increases in 2019, including a bill that increased the state bed tax to fund construction of a new Montana Heritage Center building in Helena. That legislation, he said, takes dollars out of the pockets of working Montanans and conflicts with the small-government values identified in the Republican Party platform. Rep. Llew Jones of Conrad, a leader of the Solutions Caucus,
argued that his group is just trying to do the right thing for Montana. Critics, he said, are so wedded to conservative ideology they won’t navigate the messy realities of governing a state. “It doesn’t matter if getting rid of Medicaid expansion will close all the rural hospitals — that’s the party line,” Jones said of the hard-line attitude. However the legislative primaries shake out, control of the governor’s office will also play a central role in the 2021 Legislature, since a key part of the dynamic that empowered Solutions Caucus Republicans in 2019 was the fact that Republican House and Senate majorities had to get their bills past Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s veto pen. Sen. Llew Jones, now a state representative and leader of the Solutions Caucus, listens to testimony during a special legislative session on Nov. 14, 2017. Credit: Thom Bridge / Helena Independent Record As lawmakers of all stripes are fond of saying, passing legislation in Montana takes a “51-26-1” majority: 51 votes in the House, 26 votes in the Senate, and one
signature from the governor. In 2019, that meant key bills like Medicaid expansion renewal passed with majorities composed of Solutions Caucus Republicans and Democrats, despite opposition from Tschida and other formal leaders in the Legislature’s GOP majority. Legislation that advanced to the governor with support from both wings of the GOP and Democratic opposition, in contrast, typically faced a veto. A Republican governor — particularly one allied with the GOP’s right-most faction — could invert that dynamic, posing a veto threat to legislation supported by GOP centrists and Democrats. As Solutions Caucus lawmakers seek re-election or run for other legislative offices this spring, at least 12 of the approximately 30 representatives and senators aligned with the group face primary challenges from rightwing opponents. On the flip side, comparatively moderate Republican candidates are challenging hard-liners in a handful of races. While sorting lawmakers into factions is an imprecise exercise, Montana Free Press reporting following the 2019
session identified 20 Solutions Caucus-aligned representatives among 58 Republicans in the Montana House, indicating that the comparatively moderate wing of the GOP was within 10 votes of a majority stake in its delegation. In the Senate, MTFP identified 10 Solutions Caucus-aligned GOP senators among the chamber’s 30 Republicans. To win control of the Legislature for their party, Democrats would need to pick up nine seats in the 100-member House and 6 in the 50-member Senate, where 16 GOP-held and nine Democrat-held seats are up for election this year. Clearing that threshold would require Democratic candidates to gain four seats in the House and at least three in the Senate in districts where Republican President Donald Trump won more than 55% of the vote in 2016. As the 2019 Legislature entered its final days, the Medicaid expansion renewal bill was headed toward Bullock’s desk — and hard-line Republicans were already looking to punish their colleagues who had enabled its passage. During a late-session break
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in legislative proceedings, a few dozen right-leaning representatives posed for a photo at the front of the House Chamber, leaving colleagues who’d aligned with the Solutions Caucus to watch from their desks. Rep. Theresa Manzella, of Hamilton, posted the image to her public Facebook page April 24, labeling the group the “.38 Special” in a dual nod to the group’s number and the revolver cartridge. Those lawmakers, she wrote, “consistently voted to uphold the Constitutions, adhere to Republican principles and limit government. Sadly, 38 votes doesn’t win you anything … as the passage of Medicaid Expansion clearly proves.” “The voters of Montana will need to increase our numbers in the next election cycle if they truly want change,” she continued. One commenter responded by posting an image identifying the names and districts of Solutions Caucus members. “Everyone on this list needs to go,” they wrote. Manzella is running in this spring’s primary against Ballance for the Senate District 44 seat
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Wednesday, May 27, 2020 being vacated by Senate Majority Leader Fred Thomas, who is termlimited. With Ballance reporting $25,720 in spending and Manzella $12,013 as of April 15, the contest has shaped up as an unusually expensive primary for the Montana statehouse. The Ballance-Manzella contest is far from the only primary race in play as GOP voters choose their party’s direction. There are at least 12 legislative races, for example, in which Solutions Caucus-aligned lawmakers are facing challenges from the right, according to conversations with lawmakers and endorsements published by partisan websites: • Rep. Buttrey of Great Falls, the Medicaid expansion sponsor, is being challenged by Sally Tucker in House District 21. Tucker’s campaign website criticizes “ButtreyCare” and argues that Solutions Caucus Republicans “rebuffed any attempt by the real Republicans (the 38 Special) to amend or Constitutionally constrain this leftist dream legislation.” • Rep. Frank Garner of Kalispell, formerly the Kalispell police chief, is being challenged by Jerry O’Neil in House District 7. • Rep. Denley Loge of St. Regis is being challenged by Mark French in House District 14. • Rep. Joel Krautter of Sidney, who tried to establish an incentives program to lure college grads to rural Montana, is being challenged by Brandon Ler in House District 35. • Rep. Eric Moore of Miles City, who negotiated support for bonded infrastructure projects during the 2019 session, is being challenged by Jerry Schillinger in House District 37. • Rep. Geraldine Custer of Forsyth, who sponsored an aviation fuel tax increase to raise money for rural airfield upkeep in 2019, is being challenged by Amanda Scheidler in House District 39. • Rep. Bruce Grubbs of Bozeman is being challenged by Caleb Hinkle in House District 68. • Rep. Julie Dooling of Helena, who carried the Montana
Heritage Center funding bill in the Montana House, is being challenged by Tim Ravndal in House District 70. • Rep. David Bedey of Hamilton is being challenged by Kenneth Allen in House District 86. • Rep. Sharon Greef of Florence is being challenged by James Crews in House District 88. • Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick of Great Falls is being challenged by Jeni Dodd in Senate District 10. • Sen. Tom Richmond of Billings is being challenged by former Public Service Commissioner Brad Molnar in Senate District 28. Additionally, there are at least four races in which lawmakers from the .38 Special group are facing challenges from the middle, creating the possibility of an expanded Solutions Caucus: • Rep. Derek Skees of Kalispell, a firebrand who has at times served as a spokesman for hard-line Republicans, is being challenged by Dee Kirk-Boon in House District 11. • Rep. David Dunn of Kalispell is being challenged by Brian Putnam in House District 9. • Rep. Mark Noland of Bigfork, the 2019 chair of the House Business and Labor Committee, is being challenged by Doug Mahlum in House District 10. • Rep. Greg DeVries of Jefferson City, who apologized in 2019 after comparing abortion in Indian communities to genocide, is being challenged by Marta Bertoglio in House District 75. In addition to the ManzellaBallance matchup, a few primaries in which multiple Republicans are vying for open Senate seats could play a role in the GOP’s balance of power. For example, Rep. Walt Sales of Manhattan, a Solutions Caucus ally, is one of three candidates in the GOP primary in Senate District 35. As June 2 approaches, the contest for the hearts and minds of the state’s GOP electorate is playing out on partisan blogs and social media. The Montana Daily Gazette, run by activist Jordan Hall of Sidney, has emerged as a platform for the party’s hard-right wing,
publishing endorsements in House and Senate races, commentary critical of the state’s pandemic public health measures, and attacks on candidates including Ballance and Krautter, the Sidney representative seeking re-election. The site also promotes the Legistats website, which purports to score GOP lawmakers on party loyalty. Anonymous authors aligned with the Solutions Caucus camp have set up a blog of their own, The Extremist Chronicles. One recent post aims to debunk alleged falsehoods being spread about the Medicaid expansion bill. Another attempts to smear Manzella by sharing a photo of her apparently posing with former President Bill Clinton. Tschida, meanwhile, has weighed in on Facebook in support of right-wing challengers such as Brandon Lers, who’s running against Krautter in Sidney. “It will be a pleasure having a true conservative representing HD 35 in 2021!” Tschida wrote on Lers’ campaign Facebook page May 9, adding an emoji-punctuated endorsement of the candidate’s facial hair. On his own public Facebook page, on May 14 Tschida posted a version of the .38 Special photo styled like an internet meme with superimposed text saying the group had earned a reputation for being difficult to work with because they refused to compromise with “the few liberals that Montanans mistakenly elected as Republicans.” “We’d like to agree with the liberal, progressive wing of the Republican Party,” he wrote. “BUT THEN WE’D ALL BE WRONG!”
Bitterroot Star -- Page 9
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Eric Dietrich a journalist and data designer and the founder of the Long Streets economic reporting project. He has worked for the Great Falls Tribune, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, and Solutions Journalism Network. Contact Eric at edietrich@montanafreepress.org and follow him on Twitter.
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Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Stevi
continued council was able to meet again. That still hasn’t happened, but a meeting has been scheduled for June 4th to be held in the North Valley Public Library’s public meeting room. In the meantime, a couple of the council members apparently felt the urge to discuss some town business on the internet without any public notice. In a social media discussion on a Facebook page named Citizens of Stevensville, some council members were posting comments and questions about a $10,000 grant from the state Main Street Program and who the grant money might be given to. The Bitterroot Star contacted the Local Government Center at Montana State University inquiring about the legality of the Facebook discussion and sent the Town a letter on May 1, stating that the newspaper’s understanding was that the Facebook discussion was “clearly illegal.” Here’s what the law says: Section 9. Right to know. No person shall be deprived of the right to examine documents or to observe the deliberations of all public bodies or agencies of state government and its subdivisions, except in cases in which the demand of individual privacy clearly exceeds the merits of public disclosure. Here is how the Montana Code Annotated defines a meeting: 2-3-202. Meeting defined. As used in this part, “meeting” means the convening of a quorum of the constituent membership of a public agency or association described in 2-3-203, whether corporal or by means of electronic equipment, to hear, discuss, or act upon a matter over which the agency has super-vision, control, jurisdiction, or advisory power. In conclusion the letter stated, “Therefore, anytime a quorum of the governing body is ‘hearing’, ‘discussing’ OR ‘acting’ on a matter of public interest and is within their jurisdiction the meeting should be noticed to the public 48 hours in advance and with enough detail for the public to know what it is the council will “hear, discuss or act” upon. Meeting minutes and public comment are also required. “We ask you to discontinue these illegal communications immediately.” The newspaper got no response from the town, although the correspondence was read into the record. The Facebook site, which had been operating in an open format, was subsequently privatized. According to Mayor Brandon Dewey, he was working with the council members to try and develop a satisfactory way to hold meetings under the Phase 1 restrictions following the Governor’s directions and the Council had decided to give the method a trial run by using it at the next meeting of the Board of Adjustments, which is comprised by all the council members and the mayor. That meeting was held on May 21 through Zoom. At that meeting it was disclosed that a couple of the council members on the Board had apparently been having “ex parte communications,” that is undisclosed private communications, with Dave Laursen, a property owner seeking a variance before the Board. The property is located at 106 4th Street, across the back alley from CJ’s restaurant in Stevensville. Prior to Laursen’s purchase of the property a couple of years ago, the building housed an auto body shop. Laursen stated that he had been using the building as “a hobby shop” but had plans to expand it and use it as a storage place for his tax forms and some equipment and to do some personal projects which he did not want to discuss. One problem with the plan is that the area has been zoned C-1 commercial and that the proposed expansion of the building would not leave room for the required 10 parking spaces. This is what brought Larson before the Board seeking a variance for the offsite parking requirements. According to Mayor Dewey,
who sits on the Board and serves as the zoning administrator, the problem with granting such a variance is that the Town’s current building codes don’t allow it. He said the town would either have to change its zoning regulations or potentially grant a conditional use permit, but it could not simply grant a variance to the code. He said a variance is granted based on undue hardship, he said, but no evidence of hardship had been presented. He said a variance was not an appropriate avenue to address the issue. Councilor Dempsey Vick asked if Laursen would need a business license to operate a hobby shop in a C-1 zone and Dewey stated that the code does not require a business license for a hobby shop. “But ‘storage’, the stated purpose of the building expansion on the application, is not allowed,” he said. Laursen complained at the meeting about the fact that he had already been issued a building permit and started on the construction by digging a hole for the foundation. William Schrock with Schrock Construction, the company that Larson hired to work on the project, spoke up saying Laursen “wants to improve the appearance of this area and add to it. I’ve talked to him about it not being a personal use area and all that. We talked about that fact that some day, when the property sold, that someone would come in and start a business.” Schrock said he advised Laursen to go ahead and improve it and ask for a variance on some parking spaces to make it better for a future business or whatever. That it would be a good thing for the Stevensville community to have that and for the town of Stevensville to have that tax base. “So, I think it’s a wonderful thing to do in the community. My feeling is that it will someday be used for the zone that’s there, but for now it may be that there is not a business moving in. But it’s possible in the long run that it will be that,” said Schrock. Councilor Jaime Devlin asked if the storage plan was short term or long term and about his intent. “What is your intent down the road? What is your intent as far as complying with C-1 zoning?” Laursen said, “Let’s clarify what storage is, maybe to some people in common place and then to me in particular. There is what it means commonly and then what it means to me. I’m not going to fill this thing full of household goods like a mini-storage. Storing household goods and other things. I have a minimum amount of things, small corner worth of seven years of tax records.”
He said right now he goes down there and “hobbies around,” He said he’d pulled in an old vehicle and put a couple of cargo boxes on it. He said the paint booth will remain. He said he stored some tools and other equipment there. “I’d like to build my little granddaughter a playhouse,” he said. “It’s personal use space but it is not a storage place. [Councilors] Michalson and Vick were in there. What they saw is going to continue to be seen,” he said. “So you have been using that space for the last two or three years and now you want to enlarge the building and continue using it in the same way?” asked Devlin. “In a similar fashion, yes,” Laursen said. Councilor Vick said, “My definition of storage would be a permanent storing of vehicles and what not. So that’s not your intent?” “I’m going to wash and wax a vehicle and basically play around,” said Laursen. Dewey stated that whether a use is permanent or temporary, it is a use, and whether its tools or vehicles or whatever, it is storage. “I appreciate the merits of improving the lot but I don’t see the latitude to permit that use. I don’t see the latitude within our code to permit that use.” Councilor Bob Michalson said he had received a call from the town’s attorney, Scott Owens. He said the attorney told him that “there is email somehow that got to him that has to do with my personal email to [Councilor] Robin Holcomb. All it said basically is ‘FYI I’ll be asking the Mayor to waive the $450 variance fee but also Mr. Laursen has been treated very unfairly in this process’. I did send that to Mrs. Holcomb on Town email. But in no way was any decision made in that correspondence.” He said the town attorney “wanted me to put this out there so that if there are any litigation issues or which way the vote may go or not go, that it would keep the town out of litigation.” Michalson then read a letter from the Potton Insurance Agency, a Main Street business, which stated, “It has come to our attention that the Mayor has decided to deny a variance to the off-street parking requirements to Mr. Laursen. No less than ten spots must be available. Personally, I think this is one of the most ridiculous decisions ever made by the Stevensville Zoning Commission.” He said the town received and reviewed plans for the building and has a history of allowing non-compliance and estimates half the businesses in town don’t comply. Michalson went on to refer
Crossword Puzzle
Bitterroot Star -- Page 11
to support that had been received from four other business owners in town. Laursen said, “I’m concerned about the next step. Are you going to give me notice to get out, to sell my property or to put a business in it?” He said the town was not giving up any control. He said the town could still deny a business license if the building doesn’t meet code. “That speaks to my point about the variance,” said Dewey. “You are asking for a variance to allow something that is not permitted by code. We might like to see you have your hobby shop, but we don’t have the authority to allow it under the code.” Michalson said there had been lots of variances to the code granted and mentioned a couple. Devlin said, “They were granted a variance. But were they within code?” Michalson said, “The reason why variances come before the Board for variances is because to look things over and to make decisions like this that are hard to make. And since we are a municipality, we draw our own laws and we can vote in favor of this and it would go against a developmental code, Jaime [Devlin], but it would not go against us because we are looking at the evidence to weigh or to allow this.” Devlin asked if the mayor could explain how exceptions were made. Dewey said when a use isn’t compliant with zoning regulations, “our chart shows we had a permitted use, a conditionally permitted use, or no permit at all. A conditional use permit permits a use that ordinarily would not be permitted and it goes to the Zoning Board.” “A variance,” he said, “appeals a hardship and comes before the Board of Adjustments.” Michalson said, “Mayor Dewey is making it sound like we cannot vote on this, that we can’t do this, but we can. We are the governing body of the Town. Our decision holds. It may not go by what Mr. Buxton says, but it goes by what we say and what we perceive it to be.” He added, “And also why are we doing this now when building permits and everything else were granted? In my experience the variance was granted first because when it gets to this stage and this council says no and this guy has footings poured, he’s got building permits and paid a ton of money. That’s not fair to him and we can right this tonight.” He also stated that the town’s codes were not being enforced anyway. Councilor Holcomb said, “Why can’t we just re-zone it and allow him to make a home out of it?” Schrock said, “We thought we were all good to go, but then this parking issue came up.” Dewey said there was a lot of confusion over the permit process. “It sounds like a great project for the community, but it is not about the merits of the project. Flexibility doesn’t exist in code. It doesn’t mean the code can’t be changed someday. But right now, you have what’s written in the book,” he said. “The
problem is the use being requested is not allowed. If this were to be approved and then challenged, that’s my concern. I have grave concerns that the use as described doesn’t meet the zoning requirements. And a hardship has not been completely described for a variance. Laursen said he was about $40,000 in the hole. “Why didn’t you send me to get a variance first before giving me a permit,” he asked. Dewey said he asked in the beginning about the use of the building and provided zoning information to the applicant and the first concept plan was returned with a letter that mentioned parking and other requirements including use. Holcomb said she supports Laursen and thinks the re-zoning must be figured out “since he’s already put so much money into the project.” Michalson moved to approve the variance to the offstreet parking requirements and Holcomb seconded. Michalson voted yes. Holcomb said, “Yes, Michalson did send me an email. I did not respond to it. There was no other conversation. So what I’m voting tonight is on what I heard at this meeting. With that I’m voting yes.” Vick stated that his central issue is the lawful use of the property. Devlin said, “I need to abstain.” She said she could not be a part of the decision since it involves some ex parte communication by council members. She said it is illegal to have any discussion outside a formal hearing about a decision that might occur between applicant and council members. “I have in my hand emails from Dave Laursen to you both,” she said to Holcomb and Michalson. “Robin, you had more information than you just stated. Bob, we are supposed to come into these meetings without a decision already at hand. That’s our duty.” She quoted some instances in the emails were Michalson states: “The mayor is cuckoo. He’s getting personal and it’s a bad deal. If you have a permit in hand, I would say to start building” and later the same day, “Dave, did you get a permit? If so, then I would say build.” “So when you make ex parte communications,” concluded Devlin, “you must abstain and I’m abstaining.” Holcomb said, “Yes I’ve been in communication with Mr. Laursen for several months because he could not get any information from the mayor. He was upset and he was sending me emails.” “I want to rescind my vote because I do not want to cause any problems,” she continued, “because I never thought that the communications between me and Mr. Laursen were an issue. So at this moment I’m going to have to rescind my vote.” Michalson said, “Jamie, I don’t know how you got those emails. They were my personal emails to Dave Laursen. What I do there is between me and them
$
and I won’t get into that. But due to this major screw up then I guess I’m going to have to rescind my vote too.” Mayor Dewey said, “We’ve never had anyone rescind their vote before. I’m puzzled. I’m disappointed to hear the remarks by Mr. Michalson in the emails. I don’t think that those were fair. I don’t think it was appropriate for him to use the language that he did. And I don’t think it’s appropriate for him to use his personal emails to conduct town business. Mr. Buxton’s report outlines a lack of sufficiency in the application. There’s the land use issue that probably needs to be vetted. I support the development in this community. I have a track record of being pro-business. I don’t see any reason to abstain from the vote, so I vote no.” “So that’s two recissions, two no’s and an abstention. Variance fails,” said Dewey. Laursen said he was disappointed. “Do you want me to change my usage and let me build and find a tenant for this building or do you want me to fill in the hole, leave a vacant lot and you won’t get your sidewalk? Which do you prefer? Do you want me to go forward and complete the building and look for a tenant compliant with C-1 zoning and extricate myself because I’m obviously in non-compliance? That’ll be the next thing a I get, a knock on the door about. What do you want to do here?” Mayor Dewey stated that it was not the Town’s part to direct Mr. Laursen’s actions. He said if Mr. Laursen wanted to pursue a zoning change request or a conditional permit of some sort that the office was open and available to consider it, but it was a decision Mr. Laursen would have to make.
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Following Days 9-12
YARD SALE AT 214 SAINT MARYS DRIVE, STEVENSVILLE WILL BE MAY 30, JUNE 6, JUNE 13. Matthews Switchback and Clearwater Super lite bows, with cases. There is also one hard case and one soft case available. Lots of archery equipment. Hunting blind and tree stand. Mens jeans in good condition. Womens clothing, Crystal, Some furniture, dishes, Misc itmes. We will be adding more items each week.
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FLOWER AND VEGETABLE PLANTS! Montana certified seed potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, melons, herbs, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, lettuce and more. Nice selection of hanging baskets and annual and perennial flowers. Moeller’s Nursery, 946 Eastside Hwy, Corvalis. Open daily. 9613389. www.moellersnursery.com 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). Call 777-3928 for availability or just stop by Bitterroot Star at 115 W. 3rd (blue door).
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RENTALS FOR RENT - UNFURNISHED BEDROOM in a spacious 2-bedroom house with fenced garden. Close to Kiwanis Park. $450 per month plus utilities. From June 2020 to June 2021. 406-880-3649. ELDERLY WOMAN SEEKS ROOMMATE TO SHARE 2 BEDROOM, 1 BATH HOME IN STEVENSVILLE. Includes washer/ dryer & dishwasher. $535/month. Available June 1, no pets. Must get approval from property management company. Call 239-7337. 3-BD, 2-BA 3000’ ON TWO LEVELS. Newly renovated house, walk-out basement, 2 car garage. Hwy 93, just S. of Stevi Y. Also 1500’ insulated shop available w/ or w/out house. Comm’l possible. Available June 1st. 406-361-0280.
HELP WANTED
NORTH VALLEY LIBRARY IN STEVENSVILLE IS HIRING A LIBRARY ASSISTANT PARTTIME. Great opportunity, for the right local candidate with computer, web research, and customer service skills. Applications accepted by email only. Please go to our careers page on our website https://www.northvalleylibrary.org/ careers for complete details and how to apply. NORTH VALLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT IN THE BITTERROOT VALLEY SEEKS A PERMANENT FULL-TIME LIBRARY MANAGER to provide varied professional, fiscal, and administrative support for the Library Director. The Library Manager assists in overseeing 10 parttime employees and the library buildings. The position requires independent judgment and discretion within precise adherence to Board policy, a high degree of responsibility and initiative. A high level of organizational, accounting, and communication skills are crucial. Proficiency in
computer skills and word processing are required. Must be able to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines, work with a variety of people, and provide exceptional customer service. The North Valley Public Library is a small library in rural Montana. The majority of the job is performed while also staffing the public service desk so the ability to multi-task, work with frequent interruption, and concentrate with others are talking is vital. Please go to our careers page on our website https://www. northvalleylibrary.org/careers for complete details and how to apply. NEEDED: RELIABLE PERSON TO DO YARD MAINTENANCE weekly through the summer at a home south of Hamilton. Mowing, weed-eating, raking, pruning and other small jobs. We have all the tools. $15 per hour, cash. Call 363-4054. HOME CARE SERVICES is hiring caregivers and CNAs. Flexible schedule, competitive pay. Apply at 925 N. First Street in Hamilton. Call 375-8637. THE TOWN OF STEVENSVILLE Parks & Recreation Department is currently seeking Park Attendants to provide friendly guest service, safe operations, informing guests of rules, and ensuring cleanliness of park areas. The position is responsible to perform daily preventative and corrective maintenance and custodial functions for park facilities, ensuring a clean and positive experience for all guests and park system users. The Park Attendant provides onsite services to patrons under the general supervision of the Parks & Recreation Director. Visit www.townofstevensville.com/ jobs for application materials, or contact Robert Underwood at 406777-5271. LIVESTOCK OPERATIONS/ CALVING COORDINATOR. Northern Agricultural Research Center – Havre, MT. For complete job announcement and application procedures https://jobs.montana. edu/postings/20948. Equal Opportunity Employer, Veterans/Disabled
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New, used, antique or military. Call Rich, (406) 531-6702. WANTED - SHEPHERD-type adult female dog. Healthy, catfriendly. Refs. 406-381-5754.
NOTICES CONCERT— “32 Below” at Daniels County Museum’s Pioneer Town, Scobey, MT. Concert kicks off Pioneer Days, Friday night June 26, 6:30. Tickets and info, (406) 487-5965.
above Court. DATED this 7th day of May, 2020. THOMAS ALLEN MOORE State of Montana ) :ss County of Ravalli ) This instrumenting was signs for acknowledged before me on May 7,2020 by Thomas Allen Moore. /s/ Lisa Radcliffe Wallace Notary Public for the State of Montana LISA RADCLIFFE WALLACE NOTARY PUBLIC for the State of Montana Residing at Florence MT My Commission Expires April 09, 2022. BS 5-13, 5-20, 5-27-20. MNAXLP
LEGAL NOTICES tative
John D. Greef ATTORNEY AT LAW P.O. Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 360-8117 Attorney for Personal Represen-
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATIER OF THE ESTATE OF: LEOLA G. DEAN, Deceased. Case No.: DP-20-39 Department No. 1 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to Jennifer L. Dean, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, in c/o John D. Greef, P.O. Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or filed with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court . DATED this 28th day of April, 2020. /s/ Jennifer L. Dean, Personal Representative BS 5-13, 5-20, 5-27-20. MNAXLP
tative
Kenneth Bransby Bransby Law Finn, P.C. 515 Main Street Stevensville, Montana 59870 Phone: (406) 777-1000 bransbylaw@gmail.com Attorney for Personal Represen-
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT RAVALLI COUNTY IN RE THE ESTATE OF: SHIRLEY P. MOORE, Decedent Cause No.: DP-20-40/7 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 ( 4) months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to the Personal Representative, Thomas Allen Moore, ℅ Bransby Law Firm, P.C., 515 Main Street, Stevensville, .Montana 59870, return receipt requested, or filed with the Clerk of the
tative
Kenneth Bransby Bransby Law Firm, P.C. 515 Main Street Stevensville, Montana 59870 Phone: (406) 777-1000 bransbylaw@gmail.com Attorney for Personal Represen-
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN RE THE ESTATE OF: MICHAEL SCOTT WEMLINGER, Decedent Cause No.: DP-20-36 Dept. No.: 1 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the decedent are required to present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to the Personal Representative, Sharon O’Flannigan, ℅ Bransby Law Firm, P.C., 515 Main Street, Stevensville, Montana 59870, return receipt requested, or filed with the Clerk of the above Court. DATED this 12th day of May, 2020. /s/ Sharon L. O’Flannigan State of Minnesota ) :ss ADVERTISING County of Washington) This instrument was signed or acknowledged before me on 5-12-2020 by SHARON O’FLANNIGAN. /s/ Michael Jon Longueville Notary Public of the State of Minnesota My Commission Expires Jan. 31, 2025. BS 5-20, 5-27, 6-3-20. MNAXLP LEGAL NOTICE Lot 2-B, Amended Subdivision Plat No. 975, a portion of Kierig Subdivision. The proposal is a 2-lot minor subdivision on 13.04 acres. The subdivision is located on North Shoshone Loop north of Skalkaho Highway in Hamilton, MT. The subject property is located in the Northeast ¼ of Section 16, Township 5 North, Range 20 West, P.M.M., Ravalli County, Montana. The applicant is Richard Lee & Doreen Kierig and the Consultant is Ron Uemura of RAM Engineering. Information describing the proposal is available for inspection at the Planning Department, in the County Administrative Center, 215 S. 4th St., Suite F, Hamilton, MT 59840. Written comments are encouraged to be submitted to the Planning Department prior to the below meeting, and will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC). The BCC will conduct a Public Hearing to review the proposal on
Tuesday, June 9th, 2020 at 2:00 p.m., in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room (Third Floor) at the Administrative Center. The public may comment verbally, or in writing, at the meeting. Comments and information submitted at the public meeting will be considered in the decision on the subdivision. However, please note that only under select circumstances will new information be allowed into the record after the public hearing. BS 5-27, 6-3-20. MNAXLP LEGAL NOTICE Sunnyside Orchards No. 4, Block 20, Lot 8 Amended Plat Minor Subdivision. The proposal is a 5-lot minor subdivision on 10.60 acres. The subdivision is located at the corner of Three Mile Creek Road and Store Lane in Stevensville, MT. The subject property is located in the Northwest ¼ of Section 4, T9N, R19W, P.M.M., Ravalli County, Montana. The applicant is Flying Colors Group LP and the Consultant is Jeff Smith of WGM Group. Information describing the proposal is available for inspection at the Planning Department, in the County Administrative Center, 215 S. 4th St., Suite F, Hamilton, MT 59840. Written comments are encouraged to be submitted to the Planning Department prior to the below meeting, and will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC). The BCC will conduct a Public Hearing to review the proposal on Friday, June 12th, 2020 at 9:30 a.m., in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room (Third Floor) at the Administrative Center. The public may comment verbally, or in writing, at the meeting. Comments and information submitted at the public meeting will be considered in the decision on the subdivision. However, please note that only under select circumstances will new information be allowed into the record after the public hearing. BS 5-27, 6-3-20. MNAXLP ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS RAVALLI COUNTY AIRPORT IMPROVEMENTS RAVALLI COUNTY, MONTANA A.I.P. 3-30-0037-019-2020 & 3-30-0037-020-2020 Separate sealed bids will be received by Ravalli County, Montana until 1:30 p.m., local time, June 17, 2020. All bids will be received, publicly opened, and read aloud at the Ravalli County Commissioners Office, 215 South Fourth, 3rd Floor, Ravalli County Commissioners Conference Room, Hamilton, Montana 59840-2853, for the Ravalli County Airport Improvements Project to include the following: o Construct Runway 17-35; o Rehabilitate / Construct Taxiways & Taxilanes; o Rehabilitate Aprons & Construct Apron Expansion; o Pavement Maintenance; o Drainage Improvements; o Install Medium Intensity Runway and Taxiway Lighting; o Install Precision Approach Path Indicators; o Install L-807 Lighting Windcone and Segmented Circle; o Construct / Install Electrical Enclosure & Equipment; o Construct Hangar Access Road and Parking Area; o Construct / Install Wildlife Exclusion Fence; and o Obstruction Removal. This work is to include all tools, equipment, materials, and labor to complete this project. Ravalli County, Montana, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies
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186 S. 3rdSt • Hamilton • 363-0723 842 S. 1 St., Hamilton - 363-0723 215 Main • 777-1662 115 W. 3rd, St Ste.• Stevensville 106, Stevensville - 777-1662
BANKING
Located at the Canyons Athletic Club
360-5420
FUNERAL HOME
Whitesitt Funeral Home 314 Church
Stevensville
777-5711
Bill & Helen Kropp Serving the Bitterroot Since 1902
all bidders or offerors that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award. The requirements of 49 CFR part 26 apply to this contract. It is the policy of Ravalli County, Montana to practice nondiscrimination based on race, color, sex, or national origin in the award or performance of this contract. The Owner encourages participation by all firms qualifying under this solicitation regardless of business size or ownership. All contracts and subcontracts that result from this solicitation incorporate by reference the provisions of 29 CFR part 201, the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), with the same force and effect as if given in full text. The FLSA sets minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards for full and part-time workers. The Contractor has full responsibility to monitor compliance to the referenced statute or regulation. The Contractor must address any claims or disputes that arise from this requirement directly with the U.S. Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division. This project is subject to the Federal provisions for Buy American Preference, Foreign Trade Restriction, Davis Bacon, Affirmative Action, Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Certification of Offeror/ Bidder Regarding Debarment, and Government-wide Requirements for Drug-free Workplace, which are incorporated by reference. Failure to comply with the terms of these contract provisions may be sufficient grounds to: 1.) Withhold progress payments or final payment, 2.) Terminate the contract, 3.) Seek suspension/debarment, or 4.) Any other action determined to be appropriate by the Sponsor or the FAA. Bids will be received on a price basis as described in the Contract Documents. Bid security in the amount of not less than ten percent (10%) of the amount of the bid, which shall be: (1) lawful money of the United States; or (2) a Cashier’s Check, Certified Check, Bank Money Order or Bank Draft, in any case drawn and issued by a federally chartered or state chartered bank insured by the federal deposit insurance corporation; or (3) a bid bond, guaranty bond, or surety bond executed by a surety corporation authorized to do business in the State of Montana. The bid security shall be made payable to the Owner and failure to enter into a formal contract will result in the Owner retaining the bid security. The successful bidder will be required to enter into a formal contract within ten (10) calendar days from the date the Notice of Award is received, to complete an insurance certification, to furnish a Performance Bond, and a Labor and Materials Payment Bond. The bonds will each be equal to 100 percent of the contract amount. The successful Bidder is required to comply with Montana’s Contractor Registration Law in accordance with Title 39, Chapter 9, MCA. Contract Documents may be inspect¬ed at many plan exchanges, and at the office of the consulting engineer, Robert Peccia & Associates, (3147 Saddle Dr. / P.O. Box 5653, Helena, MT 59604). They may be reviewed, downloaded, and printed at no cost under the “CURRENT PROJECTS BIDDING” tab at www. rpa-hln.com.
All bids must be submitted in a Bidding Documents booklet, provided by the Engineer upon receipt of $25.00 (non-refundable). Alternate forms or copies of the Bidding Documents booklet will not be acceptable. The Planholders List will include only the purchasers of Bidding Documents booklets. Hard copies of the Contract Documents (including a Bidding Documents booklet) printed by the Engineer are available upon receipt of $400.00 (non-refundable) for each complete set. A pre-bid conference will be held on June 4, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. at the Ravalli County Airport. Additionally, the Engineer shall be available on June 10, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Ravalli County Airport. No formal presentation will be made at this time; however, the Engineer will answer questions and be available for scheduled site visits. Potential Bidders are also encouraged to contact the Engineer (lbowser@rpa-hln.com, rdonaldson@rpa-hln.com or 406-4475000) with questions. Faxed / emailed bids will not be accepted or considered. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive informalities, and to reject nonconforming, irregular, non-responsive, or conditional bids. Bids may be held by the Owner for a period not to exceed 120 days, from the date of the opening for the purpose of reviewing the bids and investigating the qualifications of the bidder prior to award of the contract. May 27, 2020 RAVALLI COUNTY By /s/ Chris Hoffman, Chairman BS 5-27, 6-3, 6-10-20. MNAXLP. BUDGET AMENDMENT RESOLUTION Stevensville Public School District #2 Ravalli County At a regular board meeting of the Board of Trustees of School District No. 2, Ravalli County, Montana, held on May 12, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. (Held Via Electronic Meeting), the following resolution was introduced: WHEREAS, the trustees of School District No. 2, Ravalli County, Montana, have made a determination that as a result of an unforeseen need of the district that cannot be postponed until the next school year without affecting the educational functions of the district; and WHEREAS, the trustees have determined that an amendment to the Elementary building reserve fund budget in the amount of $20,427.80 is necessary under the provision of Section 20-9-161 (6), MCA; and WHEREAS, the anticipated source of financing the budget amendment expenditures shall be the Elementary building fund reserve; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of School District No. 2, Ravalli County, Montana will meet at 7:00 p.m. (Held Via Electronic Meeting) on June 9, 2020, for the purpose of considering and adopting the budget amendment. BS 5-27-20. MNAXLP. BUDGET AMENDMENT RESOLUTION Stevensville Public School District #2 Ravalli County At a regular board meeting of the Board of Trustees of School District No. 2, Ravalli County, Montana, held on May 12, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. (Held Via Electronic Meeting), the following resolution was introduced:
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Call Mark Haldorson! 381-4112
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Bitterroot Star -- Page 13
WHEREAS, the trustees of School District No. 2, Ravalli County, Montana, have made a determination that as a result of an unforeseen need of the district that cannot be postponed until the next school year without affecting the educational functions of the district; and WHEREAS, the trustees have determined that an amendment to the High School building reserve fund budget in the amount of $20,427.79 is necessary under the provision of Section 20-9-161 (6), MCA; and WHEREAS, the anticipated source of financing the budget amendment expenditures shall be the High School building fund reserve; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of School District No. 2, Ravalli County, Montana will meet at 7:00 p.m. (Held Via Electronic Meeting) on June 9, 2020, for the purpose of considering and adopting the budget amendment. BS 5-27-20. MNAXLP. NOTICE The second half of the 2019 Real Estate Taxes are due payable before 5 PM, May 31, 2020. We now have a Night Drop located at North end of Administration Building in drive through. Mail payments must be postmarked by May 31, 2020 or the payment will be returned for penalty and interest. Please make checks payable to the Ravalli County Treasurer. Also accepting online payments at www.Ravalli.us/196/Property-Tax. Paying with Credit/Debit card not have a Transaction Fee this half of Real Property tax. Ravalli County Treasurer Dan Whitesitt 215 S 4th St Ste H Hamilton MT 59840 406-375-6600 BS 5-27-20. MNAXLP. NOTICE The first half of the 2020 Mobile Home Taxes are due payable before 5 pm June 1, 2020. We now have a Night Drop located at North end of Administration Building in drive through. Mail payments must be postmarked by June 1, 2020 or the payment will be returned for penalty and interest. Please make checks payable to the Ravalli County Treasurer. Master Card, Visa, Discover and American Express cards are accepted. Also accepting online payments at www.Ravalli.us/196/Property-Tax. Paying with Credit/Debit card not have a Transaction Fee this half of Mobile Home tax. Ravalli County Treasurer Dan Whitesitt 215 S 4th St Ste H Hamilton MT 59840 406-375-6600 BS 5-27-20. MNAXLP. NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Thursday, June 4, 2020 5:00 p.m. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town of Stevensville Town Council will hold a public hearing on Thursday, June 4, 2020 at 5:00pm to hear and consider public testimony regarding the request to vacate the right-of-way known as Phillips Street. The Town has received a petition from Stevensville Public Schools requesting the Town Council to vacate, with a utility’s easement, the Phillips Street right-of-way of the May Addition of Stevensville. Stevensville Public Schools is proposing that the right-of-way for Phillips Street be relocated to the south of the existing street. Written comments may be emailed to clerk@townofstevensville. com or submitted in person or mailed to the Clerk of the Town of Stevensville, 206 Buck Street, P.O. Box 30, Stevensville, MT 59870, on or before 4:00 p.m. June 4, 2020 or may be given orally at the hearing scheduled at 5:00 p.m. on June 4, 2020, at the North Valley Public Library Community Room, 208 Main Street, Stevensville. Questions may be asked or more information may be obtained by contacting Town Hall at 406-777-5271. Attest: Monica Hoffman, Town Clerk BS 5-27, 6-3-20. MNAXLP
NOTICE OF VOTING SYSTEM EXHIBITION, DIAGRAM OF BALLOT, VOTING INSTRUCTIONS, BALLOT PREPARATION, BALLOT COUNTING, AND BALLOT PLACE OF DEPSOSIT
Notice is hereby given that the Federal Primary Election held on June 2, 2020, is being conducted solely by mail ballot. Polling places will not be open. Ballots were mailed on May 8, 2020 to active electors only. If you did not receive your ballot, contact the Election Office at 375-6550. The Bitterroot Public Library Levy ballot issue will appear on ballots in Precincts 4-13 and 15-16 only (Hamilton, Corvallis, Victor, excludes Pinesdale).
VOTING SYSTEM EXHIBITION/PUBLIC TEST
A public test of the DS850 high-speed vote tabulator and the ExpressVote ballot marking system will be conducted at 10 AM on Thursday, May 28, 2020, in the basement of the Ravalli County Courthouse (205 Bedford Street, Hamilton, Montana). Upon request, the ExpressVote will be demonstrated to any inquiring elector. The ExpressVote is a ballot-marking device that is available at the Election Office for anyone to use. Its main purpose is to assist voters with disabilities and other special needs in marking their ballot privately and independently. A sample diagram of the ballot layout and instructions on voting the ballot is provided below.
Sample County
INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTERS
1. TO VOTE, COMPLETELY FILL IN ( ) THE OVAL USING A BLUE OR BLACK PEN.
2. To write in a name, completely fill in the oval to the left of the line provided, and on the line provided print the name of the write-in candidate for whom you wish to vote.
3. DO NOT MAKE AN IDENTIFYING MARK, CROSS OUT, ERASE, OR USE CORRECTION FLUID. If you make a mistake or change your mind, exchange your ballot for a new one.
VOTE IN ALL COLUMNS (VOTE BOTH SIDES)
State of Montana
COUNTY (Continued) FOR SAMPLE OFFICE 1 (VOTE FOR ONE)
GEORGE WASHINGTON
____________
JOHN ADAMS
Election Date
COUNTY (Continued) FOR SAMPLE OFFICE 3 (VOTE FOR ONE) JAMES BUCHANAN ABRAHAM LINCOLN
____________
FOR SAMPLE OFFICE 2 (VOTE FOR ONE)
MARTIN VAN BUREN ANDREW JACKSON
WILLIAM H. HARRISON JOHN TYLER
____________
Go to “My Voter Page” at https://app.mt.gov/voterinfo for voting information. You can use this service to check: • If you are registered to vote • Your voter registration address • Your polling place location and directions (Note: polls will not be open for this election) • The status of your mailed ballot (if you are on the absentee list) • A sample ballot (what your actual ballot will look like)
PREPARATION, RECONCILIATION AND COUNTING OF BALLOTS
Mark Haldorson
Customer satisfaction Rating: 5.00 / 5
Independently validated by Quality Service Certification, Inc.
Outstanding in his field Merle Unruh
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For information about advertising in your local paper, call the Bitterroot Star at 777-3928!
Early preparation and reconciliation of ballots will be held on May 29 and June 1, 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 June 2 (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 May 29 and June 1 (early preparation/reconciliation of ballots) or on June 2 (Election Day); however due to COVID-19 and social distancing recommendations, we will limit the number of observers. Montana law requires that any person participating or observing the procedures of the count is required to take an oath that they will not discuss the results of the early counting of votes at any time prior to the closing of the polls on Election Day. A person who knowingly violates this law shall be imprisoned for a term not to exceed two years and/or be fined an amount not less than $100,000 and not more than $500,000.
BALLOT PLACE OF DEPOSIT If returning ballot in person, voters can deposit their ballot at one of the following drop sites: Before Election Day • Ravalli County Election Office, 215 S 4th Street; Hamilton, MT (8 AM to 5 PM, M-F)
Crossword Solution
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Talk to Merle for all your Real Estate Needs! Hamilton 363-4700
© Feature Exchange
Election Day Only • Florence-Carlton School Administration Building, 5602 Old Hwy 93; Florence, MT (7 AM to 8 PM) • Ravalli County Election Office, 215 S 4th Street, Hamilton, MT (7 AM to 8 PM) Dated this 20th day of May, 2020 Regina Plettenberg Ravalli County Election Administrator 215 South 4th Street, Suite C Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 375-6550
__________________________________________________________________________________________ Display Ad
Bitterroot Growers Directory Page 14--Bitterroot Star
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
1. WAYNE HERMAN TREES
Call Wayne for more information 531-9009. Just south of the stop light in Florence. Open May - July 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. everyday. Come check out our FRESH selection of Spruce Trees. We also carry most deciduous trees.
2. BROWN’S GREENHOUSE
Family owned & operated. Wholesale & retail. 241-8360 • 5629 Lower Woodchuck, Florence (8 Mile community, follow signs north from Eastside Hwy at the round about.) Mon-Fri 9am - 7pm, Sat 9am-5pm. Closed Sundays Mid April through June while supplies last Six large greenhouses full of annual bedding plant packs, pots and hanging baskets: • Flowers including pack petunias, marigolds, pansies, Allysum, Lobelia, etc. • Veggies including dozens of varieties of tomatoes & peppers, cole crops, herbs, cucumbers, squash and more; pack, 4” or 6” while supplies last. • Wide variety of 12” hanging baskets (3,000 to choose from) * Specialty large combination baskets • 4” specialty Proven Winner and more. • Large specialty planters and color bowls for Mother’s Day • Look for our plants at local garden centers in the Bitterroot and Missoula. www.brownsgreeenhousemt.com Find us on Facebook
3. COTTAGE GARDEN GREENHOUSE
777-3061 • 5034 Eastside Hwy. Stevensville, Halfway between Stevensville and Florence. Open Mon. to Sat. 9am to 6pm, Sun. 11am-5pm. Look no further for everything you need to bring your garden fantasies to life! Stock up on everything you need for your vegetable, berry and herb garden, and be ready for an abundant feast this summer / fall! Montana-grown annuals, hanging baskets, perennials, hardy roses and flowering shrubs blooming in every shade imaginable! For 29years we have been guiding local garden dreamers - call or stop by with your ideas and questions today! Now accepting VISA/MC. NOW OFFERING Online and Phone ordering and Curbside pickup and Delivery available. cottagegardengreenhouse.com.
4. SUPER 1 FOODS - STEVENSVILLE
777-7300 • 39 Stevensville Cutoff Rd • Stevensville Open 7 days a week. Great selection of quality plants, good prices, and great selections of annuals, vegetables, and new plants weekly from asters to zinnias. Garden supplies and art.
5. STEVENSVILLE FARMERS’ MARKET
3rd & Main, Downtown Stevensville. Open May 23rd through October. 10am-2pm weather permitting. Plants, fresh produce, bedding plants, baked goods, crafts. Interested in a booth? Call Stacie Barker @ 406-381-6145.
6. NATURE’S ENHANCEMENT, INC.
777-3560 • 2980 Eastside Hwy. (corner of Bell Crossing & Eastside Hwy.) Public Welcome - Open M-F 8 am-4:30 pm - Some Saturdays. Low grower prices. Nursery and full-service landscape company. Landscape Services: Complete landscape services including lawn installation, sprinkler systems, custom rock walls, and planting services. We also build patios, decks, fire pits, retaining walls, pathways and water features. Tree services and moving also available! Nursery: We specialize in Rocky Mountain natives and hardy plant material including instant shade trees, large evergreens, fruit trees, blooming shrubs, colorful groundcovers and wildflowers. Plant sizes range from a 1-gallon container up to a 30-ft. B&B tree. Located on 40 acres in Stevensville. Major credit cards accepted. For examples of landscape projects and our plant catalog visit: www.naturesenhancementinc.com
7. MOELLER’S NURSERY
961-3389 • Since 1971 • ¾ miles South of Corvallis on Eastside Hwy. Online ordering at Moellersnursery.com Open every day in season – April through November Bedding plants – Large selection of annual & perennial bedding plants: pansies, petunias, lobelia, asters, impatiens, dahlias, geraniums, moss roses, marigolds, alyssum, begonias, osteospernum, and more. Large selection of hanging baskets featuring begonias, ivy geraniums, fuchsias, super petunias & mixed baskets. Perennials - 120 varieties including Bleeding Hearts, peonies, columbine, daisies, delphinium, Lupin, sedum, and ornamental grasses. Vegetable bedding plants – Large variety that produce well in Bitterroot: tomatoes, peppers, cukes, melons, squash, broccoli and herbs. MT certified seed potatoes, strawberry plants, asparagus roots. Nursery stock – Shade trees, fruit trees, flowering trees and shrubs. Lilac bushes. Potentillas. Rhubarb plants, gooseberry, raspberry, josta berry, grape, currant, and honeyberry. Save now on bare root trees and shrubs. Potting soil, peat moss, boost composted manure in bags, and seeds. Wall-O-Water plant protectors Produce – A complete line available in season. Specializing in super sweet sweet corn, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers, squash and pumpkin
8. K&S GREENHOUSE
961-1612 • 204 Black Lane, Corvallis, a half mile east of the Pharaoplex Theater. Open Monday – Saturday, 9am-6pm, Sunday 10am – 4pm. K&S Greenhouse has the healthiest and best variety of hanging baskets and deck planters in the Bitterroot. K&S carries vegetable seeds and Montana-certified seed potatoes. K&S carries dozens of varieties of annual plants in four-inch and sixinch pots and six-packs. They also have herbs and vegetable starts – including 25 varieties of tomatoes. This year, check out their newly expanded perennial section, as well as their nursery featuring small-caliber ornamental trees, fruit trees and shrubs. www.ksgreenhouse.com
9. BITTERROOT NURSERY
961-3806 • 3 miles North of Hamilton on the Eastside Hwy. Large selection of locally-grown trees and shrubs, bedding plants, hanging baskets, perennials, annuals, pottery, garden ornaments, landscape supplies, mulch and more! Open Daily, M-F 9-5:30, Sat 9-5.
10. EVANS ACE HARDWARE
363-3351 • 714 N. First (on Hwy 93) Hamilton Open 8 a.m. -7pm 7 Days a week Evans Ace Hardware is your neighborhood gardening headquarters and Premier level STIHL dealership. Our certified garden team includes graduates from the SCOTTS Training Institute. They are eager to answer your lawn and gardening questions. Our greenhouse has a full selection of local annuals, perennials, herbs, as well as Montana grown vegetables from Brown’s Greenhouse in Florence. Glacier Nursery will be supplying an assortment of trees and shrubs. Convenient bags of soils and amendments are piled high. Evans Ace Understands that spending time in your garden isn’t all about work. We have everything you need to relax and entertain outdoors as well. Add to your bragging rights with grills and accessories from TRAEGER and WEBER. We can ensure you consistent value throughout the growing season with national sales events from now until August. Forget mail in rebates! Take advantage of “INSTANT SAVINGS” for all our rewards members.
11. LAKELAND FEED AND SUPPLY
363-2334 • 110 Mill Street Hamilton (Marcus St. across from the Bitterroot Brewery) Check us out online at lakelandfeeds.com Mon-Fri 8-6 Sat 9-5 For all your lawn and garden needs! -Local made lawn, pasture and garden fertilizer. - Huge selection of pasture, lawn and feed plot seeds. - Vegetable and Flower Seeds, Onions, and Potatoes starts. -ORMI certified soil amendments. - Variety of compost, manure and potting soil (available in organic) Proudly featuring USA Made Products Friendly knowledgeable staff everyday
12. COOKS’ GARDENS, THE GREENHOUSE
363-0212 177 Golf Course Rd • Hamilton COOKS’ GARDENS, the greenhouse, celbrating 25 years of business. This family owned greenhouse specializes in friendly and helpful attention to each and every customer. Sisters Charlene Riggle and Margie Cook share their enthusiasm with locals and newcomers, selling Proven Winners, hardy perennials, bedding plant favorites, time tested vegetables, and beautiful hanging baskets all selected for the Bitterroot’s special growing climate. Patented and seeded varieties provide a great selection. Services include custom planted containers, a unique Hold & Grow program, and delivery. Crafted garden art and containers. Check out our plants at cooksgardensthegreenhouse.com or watch for specials on our Facebook page cooksgardensbitterroot. Located conveniently 2 blocks east of the railroad tracks at 177 Golf Course Road in Hamilton. 363-0212
13. THE SCENTED GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE
Owner Sandie Fleischmann 363-7405 • 285 Grundy Lane, Hamilton (just off Grantsdale Road, 2 blocks south of Golf Course Road) Watch for the blue and gold signs. Open 10:30 - 4:30 Mon-Fri, 10-4 Sat, 11-3 Sunday. Organic, homegrown and hand cared for quality plants for all your gardening needs, including large hardy perennials, and bedding plants too numerous to mention. Gorgeous hanging baskets, deck and container pots. Organic vegetables too! Now: onsite consulting at your property for your landscaping needs for your deck or yard. We give you ideas for your unique look, with color all year long, that adds quality to your home. Open for the season from April until October. If you haven’t seen our beautiful gardens, please stop by! You might even get a few gardening ideas.
On May 3rd, 2020, Helen Louise Lewis-Hedman passed away, suddenly, at her home in Hamilton. She was 81. Born February 5th, 1939, in Kamiah, Idaho, as the daughter of an early US Forest Service ranger and his wife, Helen was raised on numerous remote wilderness ranger stations in Idaho and Montana. As an only child, nature was her playground, and she developed a keen love for wildflowers and trees; she also immersed herself in solitary pursuits—reading, drawing, and occasional feral cat-taming. Her formative teenage years were spent in the serene wilds of Warland, MT. Now under Libby dam, Warland survived only in her memory. Helen graduated from Libby High School in 1957, attended Whitman College, and later, The University of Montana. There, she studied art, notably under the late Rudy Autio. While at the U of M, she met and married Wayne Hedman. They moved to Sandpoint for several years, and eventually, in 1969, two children in tow, settled in Hamilton. As co-owner of Bitterroot Drug, Helen was a true partner in the creation of a thriving business, while simultaneously being a loving and dedicated mother. She was the nuanced “yin” to Wayne’s brash “yang.” Helen sought the beauty in everything. Her floral and landscape paintings, gardens, flower arrangements, home décor, and careful turn of phrase all reflected her aesthetic sensibility, intelligence, and quiet sophistication. Helen is survived by her children, Nathan Lane (Sheila)
of Spokane, WA, and Whitney Claire (Jade Martin) of Hamilton. She joins her husband of 59 years beyond the veil. She was also predeceased by her parents, LeRoy and Mabel Lewis, and a well-loved menagerie of furry and feathered family. There are no services planned at this time. Donations may be made in her memory to Nature Conservancy, Bitter Root Public Library, AniMeals, or to the philanthropy of your choice. “Rivers” Rivers flow through the core of my being Nourishing the source of my being Teasing, frightening Washing me with pleasures… delighting. Green rivers, murky and smooth as Polished river rock, lovely and impassive. Black rivers, ominous and opaque in their Cold and primitive depths
Kathryn Marie Street
Barbara Marion Scrivner Stevensville - Barbara Marion Biringer Scrivner, 78, of Stevensville went to be with her beloved Savior on Monday, May 11, 2020. She was born on December 17, 1941 in Dover, New Jersey to Edward and Marion Biringer. Barbara’s family moved to Maryland and then to Arizona where Barbara met John Scrivner. On July 16, 1961, Barbara joyfully married John. Over their 57 years of marriage they lived in France, Arizona, Alaska, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Montana. They enjoyed many adventures - most notably raising their three sons, Alex, Ken, and Jerry. In her 30’s, Barbara went to school to become an LPN and worked for several years as a nurse in a clinic in Alaska. Barbara is now reunited with her husband John and her oldest son, Alex. She leaves behind her son Ken and daughterin-love Elli, her son Jerry and Clear rivers, glittering, serrated and faceted, Awash with sunlight in their pagan joy. Dreams and memories awash with rivers Awake, asleep they press on, aflow from Birth to death And even then, the certain knowledge That I shall flow on in some form, Borne lightly upon the river. --Helen L. Hedman
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.
daughter-in-love Evelyn, 14 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, her church family, and many, many friends. A memorial service will be held at Bitterroot Family Church in Stevensville on June 13 at 2 p.m. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.
Bitterroot Seven Day Forecast
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Partly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy
Mostly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy
Few Showers
Mostly Cloudy
78 / 50
84 / 56
86 / 59
88 / 61
83 / 56
78 / 51
71 / 44
Local UV Index
Detailed Local Forecast
0-2: Low, 3-5: Moderate, 6-7: High, 8-10: Very High, 11+: Extreme Exposure
Today we will see partly cloudy skies, high of 78°, humidity of 31%. Light winds. The record high for today is 92° set in 1986. Expect partly cloudy skies tonight, overnight low of 50°. Light winds. The record low for tonight is 28° set in 1973. Thursday, skies will be partly cloudy, high of 84°, humidity of 30%. Light winds. Thursday night, skies will be partly cloudy, overnight low of 56°. Light winds. Friday, skies will be partly cloudy, high of 86°, humidity of 33%.
Weather Trivia
Peak Fishing/Hunting Times This Week
0 - 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11+
How many times is the Empire State Building struck by lightning?
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May 28, 1942 - The latest snowstorm of record for the state of Iowa left 10 inches at LeMars, eight inches at Cherokee and 7.5 inches of snow at Waukon. Afternoon highs were in the lower 30s in parts of northwestern Iowa.
• snow removal • bobcat work • small concrete work • fencing • garages • garage doors • carports • decks
Call Jim • 406-381-7337 • Hamilton email: werstwconstruction@yahoo.com
Glacier Tree Service 15% off with this ad!! Free Estimates. Lic’d/Ins’d
Winter is the best time for cutting your big trees! TRIMMING • CLEARING • STUMP GRINDING
Serving the Bitterroot Valley • Ask about our spring specials
406-396-4835
ALWAYS CLEAN. DRAIN. DRY. Drain water from motor Remove vegetation Pull the drain plug CleanDrainDryMT.com
Day Wed Thu Fri Sat
Weather History May 27, 1896 - A massive tornado struck St. Louis, killing 306 people and causing 13 million dollars in damage. The tornado's path was short but cut across a densely populated area. It was the most destructive tornado of record in the United States at that time.
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AQUATIC INVADERS
Royce Vallejo, uncles John, Mike and Steve, aunt Sherry, several cousins, nieces and nephews. A graveside service was held on Monday, May 25, 2020 at 2 p.m. at the St. Mary’s Cemetery. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www. whitesittfuneralhome.com.
The Bitterroot Star Weather Summary
POLE BUILDING SPECIALIST
STOP
Stevensville - Kathryn Marie (Frazier) Street of Stevensville, passed away at the age of 49 due to complications from melanoma cancer early Monday morning, May 18, 2020 at St. Patrick Hospital. Kathy was born on March 18, 1971 in Castro Valley, CA to Tom and Kathy Frazier. She was raised in the Sierra Mountains, later moving to the flatlands until her move to Montana. Kathy married Kevin J. Street and was blessed with two sons, Hunter Frazier Street on August 4, 1997 and Ty Logan Street on March 14, 2000. The marriage ended two years later, never re-marrying. Kathy worked for Safeway Stores for 27 years, beginning as a bagger and became a store director in Butte and Hamilton. Kathy is survived by her two sons, parents, good friend,
Answer: On average, more than 20 times per year.
Obituaries Helen Louise Lewis-Hedman
Bitterroot Star -- Page 15
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
MATT ROSENDALE W I L L P U T M O N TA N A F I R S T
MAIL YOUR BALLOT BY MAY 26TH VOT E M AT T R O S E N DA L E F O R C O N G R E S S
ENDORSED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP SUPPORTS BUILDING THE WALL “A” RATED BY THE NRA PAID FOR BY MATT ROSENDALE FOR MONTANA
Peak Times AM PM 4:37-6:37 5:05-7:05 5:32-7:32 5:58-7:58 6:25-8:25 6:51-8:51 7:16-9:16 7:42-9:42
Day Sun Mon Tue
Peak Times AM PM 8:07-10:07 8:32-10:32 8:58-10:58 9:23-11:23 9:49-11:49 10:16-12:16
www.WhatsOurWeather.com
Sun/Moon Chart This Week Day Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue
First 5/29
Full 6/5
Sunrise 5:48 a.m. 5:47 a.m. 5:47 a.m. 5:46 a.m. 5:45 a.m. 5:45 a.m. 5:44 a.m.
Sunset 9:19 p.m. 9:20 p.m. 9:21 p.m. 9:22 p.m. 9:23 p.m. 9:23 p.m. 9:24 p.m.
Moonrise 10:06 a.m. 11:17 a.m. 12:32 p.m. 1:49 p.m. 3:06 p.m. 4:24 p.m. 5:44 p.m.
Moonset 1:13 a.m. 1:53 a.m. 2:26 a.m. 2:55 a.m. 3:21 a.m. 3:45 a.m. 4:09 a.m.
Last 6/13
New 6/21
Last Week's Almanac & Growing Degree Days Date 5/18 5/19 5/20 5/21 5/22 5/23 5/24
High 57 66 62 57 57 53 64
Low 50 49 49 46 41 42 39
Normals Precip 68/41 0.35" 68/41 0.23" 69/41 0.84" 69/41 0.00" 69/42 0.02" 69/42 0.02" 70/42 0.00"
Farmer's Growing Degree Days Date Degree Days Date Degree Days 5/18 3 5/22 0 5/19 7 5/23 0 5/20 5 5/24 1 5/21 1 Growing degree days are calculated by taking the average temperature for the day and subtracting the base temperature (50 degrees) from the average to assess how many growing days are attained.
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Page 16--Bitterroot Star
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