We Sell
licenSeS
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID STEVENSVILLE MT PERMIT 89
777-2822 4039 HWY 93 N STEVENSVILLE
OUTLET STORE
For all your ammunition & Hunting needS
www.ammoandmorestore.com
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 49
www.bitterrootstar.com
By Michael Howell
Kyle Schurman shows his 4H pig at last year’s fair. Jean Schurman photo.
County Fair going forward
The Ravalli County Fair is waiting for entries for the 2020 fair. The 2020 Exhibitors Handbook was released a couple of weeks ago. With this, potential exhibitors have the guidelines and deadlines for the many entries that make up the Ravalli County Fair experience. The deadlines are in early August so there’s still time to perfect that apple pie or finish that painting. But for 4H and FFA members, they have been working on their projects since the first of the year, if not before. In a normal year, the release of the exhibitors’ handbook wouldn’t be a big deal at all, but this year it is. It is a signal that the Ravalli County Fair Commission, the management, and the county commissioners are trying to make this as normal a year as possible with the plans for the Ravalli County Fair moving forward. Fair manager, Melissa Saville, has been in touch with many of the other fair managers throughout Montana and says she is learning new ideas from these other managers on ways to
handle social distancing and keep people safe while having a fair. With no way of knowing what phase Montana may be in during the first week of September, a flexible strategy is important. The Fair Commission is committed to moving forward with this year’s fair and is working hard to make sure the many events of fair will go on. Saville has talked with North Star Amusements, the owners of the carnival that comes to the fair, and they are on board to be here. North Star sent a list of measures they will be implementing to help prevent and mitigate COVID-19. Among these are more hand washing stations, hand sanitizer, paper towels and tissues. Face masks will be available in their office. The ride attendants will be provided sanitizing spray to disinfect key customer touch points and seats after each ride. They also said they could increase the space between rides to follow social distancing guidelines. Another avenue North Star is pursuing is a new ticketing system that is touch-less. It would be similar to an app on a phone and move away from the wristbands. A daily employee health log will be
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Trout Unlimited submits 310 violation complaints
Entries welcome!
By Jean Schurman
Find the latest updates and information on the COVID-19 pandemic at www.bitterrootstar.com
maintained as well. The 4H program, which is under the directives of the Montana State Extension Office, is making plans to go forward as usual. However, in the event the state does not move into Phase 3, there will be plans in place to allow exhibitors to show their projects. The Livestock Market Sale will take place but it may end up being a virtual sale rather than a live sale. The Rockin’ RC Rodeo, Bull-A-Rama, and Ranch Rodeo are also going to be happening at this point. The grandstands may have to have some of the seating blocked off due to social distancing. The Fair Commission will make that decision as it gets closer to the September 2 start date of the Fair. Saville stressed that there will be sanitation stations at all of the barns, both livestock and the other buildings. She also said her maintenance crew would be doing everything thing they could to clean throughout the fairgrounds. For more information regarding the Ravalli County Fair, go to https://ravalli.us/200/ Fairgrounds or call 363-3411.
The Bitterroot Chapter of Montana Trout Unlimited has filed complaints with both the Montana Board of Outfitters and the Bitterroot Conservation District against a local fishing guide for violating 310 law on the West Fork of the Bitterroot River near Rombo Creek. The alleged violation took place on June 7, 2020 around noon. TU members have been participating in the Woody Debris Management Task Force that was organized this winter by the Bitterroot Conservation District and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to address the chronic problem of illegal wood cutting on the river and take some proactive measures to reduce the illegal activity. One of the proactive measures was to initiate a spring float in which experts from various agencies float the river and identify potential hazards early in the season and make plans for addressing them. The potential hazards are evaluated and the best way to manage them is decided
upon. Woody debris is a critical element in making for good fish habitat, especially critical for endangered species like the Bull trout and species of concern like the Westslope cutthroat trout. Sometimes it’s best to leave the woody debris in place and let the boaters portage around. In other cases, some strategic actions could be taken to allow for floating while mitigating any serious damage to the habitat. The task force is also working on protocols for responding to reported hazards in a timely manner. Following the 310 Permitting rules can be a slow process at times since the Board of Supervisors must meet to make any decision about the permit. The task force is working on a protocol that could greatly speed up the response to hazards, but it may take some rule changes to implement it. A couple of weeks ago, the task force got a chance to respond to a reported hazard on the West Fork of the river in which a tree had blocked the entire river. Report of the hazard came in on a Friday and a team was assembled
to assess the situation the next Monday. If action was advisable the task force had the chance to make recommendations to the board on Tuesday evening and potentially get the issue resolved on Wednesday. But that didn’t happen. When the group arrived on the scene on Monday it was discovered that someone had already cut the log jam out. Usually this would put an end to things since it is not often that this kind of activity is observed. But not this time. According to Bitterroot TU president Jeremy Anderson, illegal wood cutting on the West Fork has been so extensive over the last several years that the group decided to keep a watch on this log as the task force moved through its procedural response. A camera was set up on private property with the landowner’s permission near the log jam to record activity on the river in the vicinity of the log. Anderson said that the camera showed a person cutting out the log on Sunday about noon See 310 VIOLATIONS, page 3
Neighbors object to proposed Stevi housing complex By Michael Howell
A proposed low to middle income housing complex in Stevensville drew several complaints from neighboring property owners at a public hearing on the project last week. The 16-unit multi-family project called Burnt Fork Place Apartments is being developed by the Montana Housing Authority as a low income tax credit project. The proposed project is located near the Eastside Ace hardware store on the Eastside highway on the north side of town near the Winslett subdivision. In 2003, the previous owner of the property proposed a development called Nicole Court. That proposal
was not implemented and in 2005 the Montana Housing Authority purchased the property and planning for a new development was begun. Jim Morton, Executive Director of the Human Resource Council, said that the housing authority is involved in developing low to middle income housing projects across the state and owns about 100 units in the Bitterroot Valley. He said the development under consideration was more of a middle income project. He said the units being proposed were not subsidized units. He said a couple with a combined income of $34,000 would pay $964 a month to rent a unit.
“We do have projects for low income people,” he said, “but in this case it is for middle income. The project proposes building 16 units in two duplexes and three triplexes on the three-acre parcel of land. Mayor Brandon Dewey noted that the public hearing was being held to gather public comment on the community’s housing needs, including public facilities, economic development and housing and the need for low income people to be served by the proposed development. He said it was not a question and answer
See HOUSING, page 3
Foundation supports the arts, recreation Darby football coach suspended and sports for Stevensville youth By Michael Howell Darby football coach Jeff Snavely has been suspended while comments he made on social media are being investigated. The Missoulian and 406 MT SPORTS reported last week that Snavely posted a remark on social media in response to another person’s post about law enforcement that appeared to suggest Black Lives Matter protesters in Salt Lake City should be lynched. The post, which has since been deleted, is reported to have said “they should all be strung up and hang in public like the old days. Lot less of that sh*t would go on.” Snavely told the Missoulian and 406 MT SPORTS last Thursday that, “It was not a racial comment at all. The only thing I want to say is that I apologize to the Darby community and Darby school. The post was
not about Black Lives Matter. It wasn’t. It was a video of people rioting and that kind of stuff. It has nothing to do with, in my opinion, Black Lives Matter. It was just people being unlawful and everything else.” He is also quoted as saying, “It was not intended to be a racial comment. I am not a racist.” Snavely has worked seasonally for the Darby School District as the Darby football coach and recently signed a contract for the 2020 season. According to high school principal JP McCrossin, Snavely has been suspended while the board considers what action it may take. The board will consider the issue at a meeting scheduled for Thursday evening at 6 p.m. The meeting will be broadcast on Zoom and may be accessed by going to the school’s website at www.darby. k12.mt.us
By Michael Howell
There’s a relatively new charity organization at work in Stevensville called the Stevi STARS Foundation. The new foundation is committed to supporting the developing talents of Stevensville youth through the arts and athletic programs. “Our goal is to provide a safe and inspiring environment for the future adults of our community,” said Heidi Yaskus, one of the organizations’s founders. She said the effort leading to the establishment of the fund really goes back to the last school bond that was passed. “It really didn’t have any money in it for the arts or for athletics and a lot of parents felt that a lot was lacking,” said Yaskus. She said at that point a group of parents decided to start fund raising to support the arts, recreation and sports at the school. There were some obvious things that were really needed at the time, like new bleachers at the foot-
ball field and deteriorating tennis courts. The effort congealed into an official non-profit organization
and the Stevi STARS Foundation was born. The acronym stands for Supporting The Arts, Recreation
& Sports.
See STARS, page 3
STARS Foundation had a very successful yard sale last week, despite having to implement social distancing measures. Photo courtesy of Heidi Yaskus.