3rd ‘Dreamin’ for Darby’ fundraiser scheduled
Local nonproft Darby Community Partners (DCP) will be hosting a beneft concert fundraiser on behalf of the Darby School District featuring cowboy musician and PRCA rodeo athlete Justin Lawrence and the Double X Band on Friday, August 23 at the Richard Cromwell Memorial Rodeo Grounds in Darby.
This family-friendly event, “Dreamin’ for Darby,” is open to the public with a suggested donation of $25 per family at the door.
Darby Community Partners, 501(c)3, was established in 2022 by a group of local parents, teachers, Darby alumni, and community members, with the mission to unite students, family, and community near and far to promote lasting enrichment opportunities, school support and advocacy to beneft the youth and community of Darby. This will be the organization’s third annual Dreamin’ for Darby fundraising event.
All proceeds from the evening will beneft Darby school infrastructure upgrades, specifcally contributing to the purchase of new playground equipment with an estimated cost of $50,000.
“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Darby Community Partners for their unwavering support and dedication to the Darby School District and community,” says Tony Biesiot, Darby School District Superintendent. “Their continued eforts in fundraising, volunteer activities, and support of our staf have made an immeasurable impact on our schools and students. The partnership between our community and school district is vital, and their commitment helps ensure that we can provide the best possible education and environment for our children. Thank you to DCP for being a cornerstone of our success and for your ongoing dedication to our district’s mission. Together, we are shaping a brighter future and helping to make sure that everyday is a great day to be a Tiger!”
A silent auction with great items, including an Oregon Coast vacation, will open at 5 p.m., followed by a short program honoring Darby school alumni, and live auction starting at 6 p.m. with the concert to follow. BBQ dinner and drinks will be available for purchase from Darby’s 406 Saloon and the Darby Marks-
manship Club, and the Darby SkillsUSA Team will be selling baked goods. There will be free activities for kids including face painting, lawn games, a golf simulator, and a rock climbing wall.
“We are thrilled to continue to unite supporters of Darby Schools and provide ways to connect community and alumni with the teachers, students and staf at the school,” says James Shavers, DCP Treasurer and Darby School Board member. “This event really kicks-of our support for the entire year and we look forward to seeing everyone on August 23rd.”
For more information about the event or learning more about how you can help the Darby School District, contact Tony Biesiot at 406821-3841 x 1314 or tbiesiot@darby.
k12.mt.us. To listen to Justin Lawrence and the Double X Band, visit justinlawrencemusic.com. For more information about Darby Community Partners, visit the Darby Community Partners page on Facebook or email darbycommunitypartners@gmail. com.
CHARTER: Hamilton’s excited for new program
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to students with online and odd hour courses. He said the program is all about fnding a path that “makes the most sense to them,” and to preparing them to go into college and the workforce.
According to Korst, Hamilton Schools is looking at three particular tracks for students in their new charter school program. The frst of these includes the traditional college track, aiding students in their path to college, in a nontraditional way. The second track would focus on professional and accredited career training. This would include programs like nursing or technical trades. The third and fnal track would tap into community needs for programs, like landscaping, automotive and more. These would be career paths that may not have specifc or industry recognized certifcations, but rely heavily on experience in the feld. “There are kids that know exactly where they want to go,” said Korst. “Why don’t we make it easier?”
Hamilton Schools would also like to open the portal to the community, similar to a community college. Korst said he has seen the need locally for further adult education. This adult ed component would not be as fnancially subsidized as the high school program, but would allow the school to more directly serve the greater community. He believes this program for adults could open up soon, even within the year.
Hamilton’s new charter program is trying to make K-12 more relevant to students, Korst said. He hopes this will help all students, “not just those that don’t see the benefts of a traditional school model.” Their goal is to allow this program to translate into the general student population, meaning that any student will have access to this programming.
Korst added that the program could help students in the traditional school model do more within their school district, and chase opportunities that could help them more directly down the road. He also believes it will provide further opportunities to their already existing alternative learning center, which has been in operation for around a decade. This program also creates the opportunity for a fveyear program, for those students that are still not aged-out by the time they graduate.
It will also allow high school students access to college courses, often paying 1/8 the price to take these as they would going to a traditional college after graduation. This would limit the time and money students will need to spend to further their education. Korst believes this will be especially potent for two to three year degrees, meaning that a student could theoretically get more than half of their degree out of the way before even getting into college. It could also mean, for trade skills, students jumping right into the workforce, well trained and certifed. Students can do this all while still in high school and earning high school credits at the same time.
“It is truly an innovative program, and not anti-public school at all,” said Korst. He believes the two can work well together, in the same vein. However, the program is still in its initial period, and Korst noted, “We’re building it as we fy it.” Korst expressed that they are still fguring out the details of how the project is going to operate. They are currently looking at ways to create pathways that feed
middle school students into the program as well. Korst said Bitterroot Polytechnic is more of an idea and a philosophy than an actual location, though he said they are fortunate to have a location as well. Even with the physical location, Korst wanted to explicitly state that this program allows for operation from anywhere, including on the job, at home or in a traditional classroom.
Though the ideas are still being feshed out, they plan to have their website up and with a solid set of pathways for students to look at by the end of the program’s frst year. They plan to use paths students pioneer as templates for future established pathways. As Korst put it, “We’re going to vet out programs to be clear models for how the other programs will work.”
Korst and others at the school encourage students, parents and the community to come forward with ideas. The sky’s the limit for the variety of ways this could go, Korst expressed. They are looking at
everything from frefghting, to surveyors and pilots, to nurses and much more.
“It’s overwhelming, but in a good way,” said Korst. “This is by far the thing I am most excited about,” said Korst, looking back at his over 26 years of experience as an educator. Korst suggested interested parties contact Hamilton Public Schools for more information, as their website is not fnished yet. They can reach Hamilton Public Schools at (406) 363-2280.
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of a road shoulder.
“We’re trying to get people to become aware of sheep on the highway,” said Oswald. According to him, each sign cost the organization over $1,200. RCFWA had the posts powder coated locally and are working with Ravalli Electric Co-op to put up the signs. The organization needs the Co-op’s help to dig the eight foot holes needed to anchor some of the signs that have 24-foot posts.
The RCFWA has also worked with land owners to put the signs on private land to get them up quickly. Prior to the organization’s eforts to put up the signs, there was very little signage about the sheep on that stretch. Since purchasing the signage over a year ago, the state did put up a few signs as well. According to the group, the more signing the better. However, they hope their signs will be more visible than the ones provided by the state.
When asked about why they would go through such a monumental efort just to put up a few signs, Oswald said, “We’re sportsmen.” Upchurch added, “We protect
wildlife and the habitats they live in.” Both men explained that everything they do is in close work with local biologists and game wardens. Another board member in attendance during the sign installation was Jerry Walker, who said, “Hopefully, the kids are taking note of what we are doing and are going to take it on after us.”
LOWERED: Bitterroot NF now at ‘High’ fre danger
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derstorms over the next week with a likelihood of more moisture, but also increase the chance of lightning strikes. This summer, wildland frefghters have responded to 61 lightning-caused fres and six human-caused fres on the Bitterroot NF. Due to the quick response, most fres were kept under 1 acre in size. The public can help by being extremely careful and to remember that it’s everyone’s responsibility to prevent wildland fres.
Those planning camping trips should follow these fre safety tips:
• Keep campfres small and completely extinguish them before leaving camp. The best method is to douse the fre with water, stir the ashes and douse again, making sure that all ashes are cold to the touch. It is illegal to have unattended campfres.
• Smokers should light up only in areas cleared of all fammable debris. Cigarette butts should never be thrown from vehicle windows.
• Those exploring the forest and backcountry in
vehicles must stay on established roads and trails and avoid driving over dry grass and brush that could be ignited by hot exhaust systems.
• Firewood cutters should operate chainsaws equipped with spark arresters in the cool morning hours and keep a shovel and fre extinguisher nearby.
• Fireworks are illegal on public lands: every forest, every campsite, every day. Never light freworks in the woods.
Take precautions when recreationally
shooting. Never shoot into dry vegetation and always make sure you’re shooting in a safe location, away from roads,
trails, campsites, and occupied areas. Be aware that shooting exploding targets is prohibited on National Forest System lands. For more information visithttps://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-yougo/shooting.
Know before you go. Always check with your local Ranger District prior to your trip to get the most up-to-date information on fre danger and fre restrictions for the area. For the latest on fre restrictions and local fre information across the state visit www.mtfreinfo.org.
● M
is
protective, and he's always curious to learn new things and meet new people. He would love a home where he can get lots of exercise and playtime. He is also affectionate and loves kisses. Wallace came to us as a stray, so we are still learning about his personality, but we've learned that he is wonderful!
Above, Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association member Shane Upchurch, board member Fred Upchurch, board member Jerry Walker and president Mark Oswald stand where one of the signs will be placed. Photo by John Dowd.
At left, Ravalli Electric Co-op helps Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association members put up their signs south of Sula. Photo by Fred Upchurch.
BRHA partners to launch pilot program with other regional shelters
Pet tech innovators with PetHub and Kinship, have partnered and combined their expertise to launch an inventive post-adoption support pilot program at multiple regional animal shelters across the United States, including the local Bitter Root Humane Association. Together, they are setting pet adopters up for success by ofering 24/7 access to vet support, digital pet loss prevention services and tools, and expert resources to provide pet parents with peace of mind and help keep dogs and cats healthy, happy, and safe at home. Participating shelters include Bitter Root Humane Association in Hamilton and Humane Society of Western Montana in Missoula.
“We share the same mission as Kinship to make the world a better and safer place for pets and promote peace of mind for pet parents,” said Lorien Clemens, co-founder and CEO
of PetHub. “Through this exciting initiative, we’re ofering pet adopters a special membership discount with access to our award-winning lost pet prevention and recovery tools. Our smart pet ID tags have helped more than 100,000 lost animals return to their families safely, and of those, 96% have been reunited in under 24 hours. Additionally, 98% of pets with an activated PetHub tag are reunited with their families without going into a shelter, which reduces the strain on overcrowded animal facilities.”
Shelter adopters will receive an email to redeem 50% of of a one-year subscription to PetHub’s premium membership. Benefts include GPS tag scan notifcations, a comprehensive suite of tools and resources on lost pet prevention and recovery, a community alert system, and access to the PetHub Perks Discount Club. Adopters
BCAG to host Q&A session
The Bitterroot Climate Action Group will be hosting a presentation and Q&A session on Climate Change by Nobel Prize co-recipient and climate Scientist Dr. Steve Running. Chair of the Bitterroot Climate Action Group, Peter Reynolds, says that “The issue of climate change is sometimes too large for people to comprehend in terms of its impact and what to do about it. Adding to the confusion is a proliferation of opinions on the internet, some credible and some not, that are contrary to the broad scientifc consensus. As a group, we wanted to address that fact head-on by bringing in Dr Running, someone local who is also a highly regarded expert on the subject. Steve Running is the absolute best to give a primer on this vital topic, as well as answer questions from those who may not be on board with human-caused rapid climate change.”
This free event will be at the Hamilton Performing Arts Center on Friday, September 6th at 7:00 PM. For more information, go to BitterrootCAG.org.
For more information:
John Schneeberger, Event Coordinator, 406370-3230, schnee@blackfoot.net
Peter Reynold, Bitterroot Climate Action Group, Chair, 406-381-4829, chair@bitterrootcag.org
also have the option to create a free PetHub account by scanning the QR code on the pet ID tag provided by the shelter.
Kinship is ofering a 3-month free trial of its Kinship Premium app, which can be redeemed via a QR code that will be shared post-adoption. The app provides 24/7 access to veterinary telehealth services. Kinship Premium enables pet parents to talk to a veterinarian anytime or anywhere to discuss behavioral issues, food recommendations, and health issues. The app delivers personalized pet advice from experts and makes it easier to store and share vet records.
“At Kinship, we’re committed to Mars Petcare’s mission of transforming the experience of pet ownership and building a better world for pets,” said Kinship’s COO, Melody Tan. “Investing in a new generation of digital
tools, such as our Kinship Premium app, is core to delivering on this mission. Our app provides ongoing support for pet parents with unlimited access to vet advice on all topics including care, behavior, and nutrition. It also keeps your pet’s identity in one place for easy access, while personalizing content to your and your pet’s interests. We are excited to partner with PetHub and ofer adopters at participating shelters 3 months free of our Kinship Premium app. Together, we help pet parents start their journey with confdence to provide a happy and healthy life for their new pet.”
The subscription ofers from PetHub and Kinship Premium are available for a limited time. The request interested parties visit PetHub.com and TheKin.com/pethubshelter for more information about both pet parenting support providers.
West Nile Virus detected in Montana
State and local health ofcials are reporting today the frst Montana West Nile virus (WNV) detections for summer 2024 in mosquitoes across four counties.
Six mosquito pools in Blaine, Dawson, Prairie, and Wibaux counties have tested positive for WNV. Detection in mosquitoes is an early indicator that activity is increasing within the state, putting humans at higher risk of illness. Historically, Montana identifes the frst human and/ or horse WNV cases of the year within about two weeks of detecting WNV in mosquitoes.
“Now is the time to take action against WNV if you haven’t already started thinking about mosquito bite prevention this season,” said DPHHS Vectorborne Disease Epidemiologist Devon Cozart. “Infection can result in minor or severe illness, including death. Even minor forms of infection can leave individuals feeling ill and fatigued for weeks.”
Infections can occur in humans after a bite from an infected Culex mosquito. Increased risk of transmission to humans is
expected to continue through October – or as long as mosquitoes are active in the state.
Most people who become infected with WNV will not experience symptoms, but 1 in 5 experience minor illness causing headache, rash, body aches, joint pains, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhea. Fatigue and body aches may persist for weeks following infection. Currently, there is no vaccine or targeted medication for WNV in humans, aside from supportive care. Horses can also be infected with WNV. Horse owners may contact their veterinarian to obtain an annual vaccine to protect against WNV.
courtesy MSU.
Preventing mosquito bites is important while spending time outdoors in the summer, especially during dusk and dawn, which are peak feeding activity times for female Culex mosquitoes. Permethrin is an insect repellent that can be utilized to treat clothing
and gear, including tents. The Environmental Protection Agency search tool is helpful for identifying the appropriate EPA-approved insect repellent that can be applied directly to the skin. To keep mosquitoes away from homes, it’s important to regularly empty standing water at least once per week. For items such as rain barrels, a screen can be applied to the opening to restrict mosquito access. Contact your local health department or visit https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/cdepi/diseases/westnilevirus for more information about WNV protection and surveillance activities.
4-H & FFA Livestock Sale at Ravalli County Fair
Startng at 8:00 am on Saturday, August 31, 2024, in Hornung Arena
Complimentary Buyers’ Breakfast 6:30-7:45 a.m.
Enter through the North gate and register at the sale table
SOLE PURCHASE
Buyer is responsible for the purchase of the animal as well as the processing, cutng, and wrapping cost of the meat.
SHARED PURCHASE
You may share in the purchase where the meat and costs are divided among buyers.
PROXY BUYERS
If you are unable to atend the Livestock Sale but would like to put in a bid, contact the Ravalli County Extension Office at (406) 375-6611 to fill out a Proxy Buyer Form.
RESALE / SUPPORT
Buyer may consign their purchase back to support for resale. The buyer will be billed the difference between the buyer’s bid and the resale/support price. Resale/support prices will be announced at the sale.
ADD-ONS
Add-Ons are a flat fee of any amount added on top of the sale price. Add-Ons can be submited before, during, or afer the sale, and payment received no later than September 30, 2024. If any animal(s) you pay for do not sell in the Livestock Sale, your payment for that animal will be returned to you.
BUYERS’ BREAKFAST
Please join us at the Buyers’ Breakfast, 6:30 - 7:45 a.m. outside the Hornung Arena and get in on the aucton excitement! Sale Commitee and volunteers will be available to assist you.
BUYERS’ RECOGNITION
Buyers will be acknowledged with a rosete, a certficate with a photo of the member and the animal purchased, advertsement in the newspaper, and an appreciaton breakfast prior to the sale. We very much appreciate the support of our Buyers in this community who make this livestock sale such a success for our 4-H & FFA youth!
BUYERS’ PARTICIPATION
All buyers must register by mail or at the registraton table prior to bidding at the sale. All buyers will be assigned a number.
Buyers must have this number when bidding. Numbers can be picked up at the registraton table.
Grand Champion Beef Owner: Payton Weigle Buyer: Lone Pine/Riverside Conoco
Grand Champion Dairy Owner: Paytn Griffin Buyer: Grayhorse Creek Ranch
Grand Champion Swine Owner: Quintn Woirhaye Buyer: Valley Irrigaton, Inc.
Grand Champion Sheep Owner: Kealie Hixson Buyer: Valley Irrigaton, Inc.
Grand Champion Market Goat Owner: Elliana Walz Buyer: Pigman Builders
Photo
Roundabout
There are several signal lights along Hwy 93 in the Bitterroot Valley ,e.g. Lolo, Florence, Stevensville, Victor, Corvallis, and several in the town of Hamilton.
It goes without saying that a timed signal light at Bell Crossing that would stay green along the Hwy 93 corridor until trafc approached that intersection from Bell Crossing would be much cheaper and faster, to achieve safer and better trafc fow at that intersection and would be a more reasonable solution.
And when I say a timed trafc light, I mean a smart trafc light at that intersection which keeps trafc moving along the north-south 93 corridor until vehicle trafc on Bell Crossing reaches that intersection. The trafc light would then turn green to allow both crossing trafc and merging trafc onto Hwy 93 for a brief period of time after which the trafc light along the Hwy 93 direction would turn green and only turn red again when trafc again reached that intersection from Bell Crossing.
That solution would be cheaper and quicker to achieve than a roundabout solution which will defnitely slow down trafc along Hwy 93 corridor and might even cause accidents with vehicles entering that roundabout at higher than normal rates of speed. Night driving through that roundabout could be hazardous for the unaccustomed driver using Hwy 93 too.
Finally, the money saved on not building that roundabout could then be put to much better use to repair secondary roads in the valley which are just patch jobs after patch jobs. For example, has anyone driven down Store Lane Road in Stevensville between Ambrose Creek Road and Three Mile Road lately? That road is really something to see, folks. Talk about a patch job. Joseph Gallagher Stevensville Griz management plan on target?
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte recently declared that Montana is prepared and capable of managing the state’s grizzly bear population without interference from the federal government and he would be forever grateful if they would simply release control of this iconic beast to his capable hands.
Gianforte even included a six-point justifcation as to why he believes this to be true. According to GG, the bears are biologically recovered, genetically connected and some other stuf.
He has been less open about how the state plans to manage Ursus arctos horribilis.
Knowing his tendency to shoot wolves trapped by someone else and lie about it, I suspect his plan is simple. Something like this:
Minimum caliber allowed for management: .30-06; however, magnum calibers are preferred for maximum management efciency.
Wayne Adair Hamilton Bell Crossing feedback
I attended the open house today at Stevensville High School Library and want to document some questions, opinions, and concerns that surfaced during discussions. Feedback was submitted today to MDT public relations. In my opinion, this project warrants more discussion and thoughtful input about costs and an amended timeline
Opinion
for implementation in 2026. Implementation changes will decrease the chance of not completing the project in one season, and ensure we have adequate answers to the questions below:
1. How was the overall data pulled from the national database related to roundabout safety: a) was the data pulled from other projects of like size and located on a federal/state highway, and b) was the trafc fow at similar levels to what is currently being experienced in this location? c) was general aggregated data used that would confate the reduction of accidents by using small locations with low volume (oranges) alongside mid to high volume trafc (apples)? As an interested party, I would love to see an apples to apples comparison only on Federal highways of like size and volume.
2. What other roundabout projects have been implemented on Federal highways that might compare with the scope of this project? (within and outside of Montana). Please provide at least 10 nationwide examples of this in a comparison grid and correlate to the accident data for those locations. I am surprised a roundabout would ever be located on a highway.
3. Why did public input occur after the decision to build a roundabout was made? Most instances require a study, public input and budget outlines frst. This meeting/project seems to be backward, and pre-decided to be a roundabout location.
4. Currently there is no side by side comparison of costs that can be viewed by our community. Calculate: a) All costs associated with turning the present location into a stop light location. Include land acquisition and costs of materials, manpower, management, and forecast the 30 years future cost of upkeep, outline grants that may be available for infrastructure improvements from Federal/State sources and total the amount of Federal money that will be applied. b) Compare the costs of constructing a roundabout side by side in this location with land acquisition, materials, labor, and a forecast of 30 years future cost of upkeep.
5. Who are the proposed land owners that will be approached? Are they willing to sell the land, or might this involve eminent domain?
6. What will happen to the land already owned by the state but may become unused in the re-positioning of the roundabout when compared to the highway location today?
7. Why is the new footprint of the proposed roundabout so diferent than the present layout?
8. How in the world can a project of this size be kicked of in 2025 when land has not been purchased yet, and an appropriate project plan is non existent? Why is this project being set up for failure, without proper vetting of costs and change management? Most projects of this size require engineering plans, road samples/drilling, bids, and forecasts for materials and support (people and equipment). The timeline proposed at the meeting today does not seem relevant/possible.
9. What safety features are being engineered into the project to assist emergency personnel when they need to shut down the roundabout because of accidents? An education program that addresses the proper way to use the roundabout as an additional safety aspect of this approach would be important.
10. Road Signs and Directions - what options will be put in place for appropriate signage and directions for drivers about a) right of way, b) speed before the approach, during the roundabout
drive, and exit from the roundabout?
There are many other locations such as Skalkaho highway, Woodside Cutof, Lolo and other locations on 93 that are just as busy and may have as many or more accidents. Are there plans for roundabouts at those locations as well?
I appreciate the goal of using our taxpayer money well, however in talking with several of the 10+ MDT employees in the room none of them had the details behind the data used for comparisons… looking forward to seeing a detailed side by side comparison of costs before a fnal decision about building the right solution at this location is made.
Jeanine New Hamilton
Roundabout
I am livid at the response I got from speaking with VISION ZERO representative at the public meeting in Stevensville’s school library on August 14. The response to MY taxpayer dollars question made by VISION ZERO was, not your taxpayer dollars, most of the money for the project is coming from other states such as Texas and Florida. Wasted taxpayer dollars are all the same regardless of where they are coming from.
This project is being railroaded by the VISION ZERO people including the Stevensville high graduate I spoke with yesterday. I have reached out to multiple businesses and politicians as well as private individuals and have gotten the same response from all. They all have hit a wall and there’s no way to stop it, they’ve been fghting this for years to no avail. There must be some investigative entities out there that can look into this situation, and if I have to go above the head of the MDOT and get a coalition together to get to Governor Gianforte in this re-election year, I will. Please email me with thoughts on how to handle the situation at dqbans@montana.com
Chris Faes Hamilton
No roundabout
I‘m not against all roundabouts but I am opposed to one on a major highway like 93. Highway 93 is the main highway between Missoula and Salmon ID. Large trucks regularly use the highway as part of their interstate routes. Statistics are (2023 Jan-Dec) there were 425 Trip permits exceeding the legal width of 8’6” or exceeding length limits of either 75’ for a combination or 55’ on single trucks or height exceeding 14 feet. As of May 2024 so far there have been 105 permits issued. It is ludicrous to think that the roundabout will not cause accidents or slow down trafc causing huge backups. Summertime brings tourists and lots of them. What happens when they come upon the roundabout and slow down or even stop. Some may have never driven on roundabouts and practicing on a major highway is not exactly ideal. I would not want to see one of the out-of-state elderly drivers driving a 40-foot RV towing a boat or another vehicle come upon that roundabout not knowing what to do. They will slow to a stop. They do this on a regular basis in all the roundabouts in Missoula. I would hate to see what will happen when they stop or slow down and get rear ended by someone behind them on the highway or get pushed into oncoming lanes.
Our fre departments are very concerned or opposed to it. Ever try to drive a fre truck, log truck, 18-wheeler in a roundabout in the snow and ice? Not easy. Emergency coverage is bad enough - not blaming our great volunteer fre
departments, they do a great job, but slowing their emergency vehicles down could mean life or death.
That area also has a problem with dust when we have wind storms and smoke with zero visibility at times. There have been several occasions when the visibility was 0. I know; I have driven it.
What we need is a trafc light with the blinking bar of warning lights ahead of the signal indicating that the signal is going to change like the rest of the intersections on 93 (Stevensville, Florence, and the rest of 93). Since most of the trafc will be going north and south, when someone wants to enter from the east or west the signal can trigger to stop the trafc going north and south.
If this is federal funding that is tied to some green initiative, then use solar power for the blinking warning lights. THERE ARE CURRENTLY PETITIONS at the following places and many others businesses have requested one. HAMILTON - The Paper Clip, Backdoor Deli, Lucky Bail Bonds, The Boxx Shoppe, Habitat for Humanity, Freedom Vapes. VICTOR - Thrift Of the Grid, Triad Building Components, Townsend Trucking (both located at Bell Crossing). STEVENSVILLE: Brock’s Barber Shop. If you’d like one or if you want one for your business contact Gina Deschamps - she works at the Paper Clip in Hamilton. Be sure to return all completed petitions to her at the Paper Clip.
Laurie Case Hamilton
Support for Mullen
Do you want your vote to count? Jesse James Mullen is your man for Secretary of State. The incumbent Jacobsen actively rejects legitimate voter signatures with the press of a button, as she did with the recent petition. Thousands! Her people hang up on calls from county election ofcials! What? Her job is to oversee elections! Boot. Her. Out. Jesse Mullen believes in following the law. His commitment is to the state of Montana, the law, and to you. Protect yourself by voting for Jesse. We can trust him.
Linda Schmitt Corvallis
Weird Republicans
For years, Republicans have claimed to be the party of Christians while behaving the opposite of Christ. This year, they’ve outdone that hypocrisy by claiming to be the Law and Order Party while picking Donald Trump, a convicted felon and adjudicated sexual assaulter and fraudster, as their presidential candidate.
Here in Montana, virtually every Republican politician and party leader appearing on newspaper opinion pages writes about the dangers of criminals crossing our southern border. So what do they do? They bring a felon convicted on 34 counts (so far) over Montana’s southern border to speak at a rally for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy!
Not only are Republicans demonstrating a classic “do as I say, not as I do” mentality, but their behavior is incredibly weird.
Marty Essen Victor
Infation
How much has the price of toilet paper gone up?
For Google on 8/16/24: In the past year, 36 percent of the toilet paper increased in price by at least
20 percent and 11 percent at least doubled in price. Amazon directly sold 13 percent of the products with price increases of 20 percent or more. That does not cover the cost of gas to go to the store to buy it.
So there you have it, we are all paying more to wipe our —--.
Until I was 19 years old we had the Sears Roebuck catalog. At least we had some pictures to look at.
Roger Radermacher Hamilton
Disturbing Democrat decisions
I feel a need to update my last letter from a month ago where I visited several topics related to our upcoming Presidential election and the war in Israel.
Much to my surprise (some would just call me naïve) the Democratic voters seem to be okay with the fact that their Presidential candidate was selected as a result of a “coup” by the party elites (the same group who had assured us that Biden did not have mental problems). That is, Kamala Harris was chosen as the Democratic candidate without the voters having an opportunity to vote. As I write this, Kamala has yet to hold a news conference nor has she published anything which shows her current position on the major issues of our time – open borders, infation, crime, International policy, etc. However, if you listen to her campaign speeches, she seems to have reversed her previous positions on just about everything – now talks tough on border control, going to get the prices down on everything, tougher on crime, etc. As a result of these reversals, someone has given her the nickname, Khameleon Harris.
Before I leave candidate Harris, I need to comment on her pick for a running mate – Tim Walz. Concerns are already circulating about his murky past. While he deserves thanks for serving his country in the National Guard, he has been accused of many misdeeds and wrongdoings. He has claimed to have retired from the Guard as a Command Sergeant Major which was not true; he claimed to have carried an assault rife in combat, also not true; and then, he is accused of “weaseling” out of going to Iraq with his unit when they were deployed.
Also, Walz’s record while Governor of Minnesota shows him to be ultra-lib-
eral to include the mindset that riots are okay as the participants probably have a valid reason for doing so. He refused to send in the Minnesota National Guard when Minneapolis was being trashed and burned during the George Floyd riots.
In my opinion, we are on the verge of World War III in the Mid-East as we await Iran’s response to recent Israeli actions. Not to worry as our senile President obviously has everything under control since he spent the last weekend sun-bathing on the beach. This just continues to beg the question of who is running this country?
I close with a revisit to the attempted assignation of former President Trump. I cannot believe that no one in the Secret Service has been fred over this debacle. To use politically incorrect language, it appears that whoever was in
charge was a complete idiot. I wonder if we will ever know exactly what happened here.
Jerry Esmay
Stevensville
Not supporting Gianforte
Governor Gianforte, I just received your fundraising request signed by Senator Steve Daines requesting a $500 campaign donation. Based on the reality that you are our governor with a mansion in Bozeman, a new mansion being renovated in Helena, $5.75 million annual income plus a $120K state salary, you commute between Bozeman and Helena in your private jet, plus your super “vision” of Republicans increasing Montana prop-
erty taxes; frankly asking for a donation with these resources at your disposal is an insult. Not only NO! HELL NO!! The above mentioned letter in your donation envelope is telling when, as your constituent, 73 cents return postage expense is required to express directly my two cent’s worth highlighting your out of touch lifestyle and political positions. I recommend all Montanans do the same. I’m a Montana born Republican sending my campaign donations to Ryan Busse and Raph Graybill.
Date High Low Normals Precip 8/12885987/510.01" 8/13795686/510.00" 8/14855086/510.00" 8/15895286/510.04" 8/16775085/500.00" 8/17895185/500.00" 8/18955485/500.09"
Archie L Thomas Corvallis
A Course of Love study group
Fridays 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Center for Spiritual Life, Hamilton Call: 406-381-6480
Florence American Legion
Florence American Legion Post
134 is having a free pancake breakfast on the frst Saturday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Florence Rural Fire Hall.
Yoga for Veterans FREE to veterans, frst responders, and their families! Tuesdays, 1-2pm at the American Legion Post 94 in Stevensville Register at: redwillowlearning.org OR call 406-530-7175. Come see us on 1st Friday in May ‘bout 1800 for more info! We’ll be in front of Active Care Wellness on Main in Stevensville.
MS Support Group
Bitterroot MS Support Group meets every 3rd Thursday of the month in the Gallery room at the Cofee Cup Cafe in Hamilton, 500 S 1st Street, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Have a slice of pie, dinner, or just come to chat with others about living with Multiple Sclerosis. This is a positive and uplifting group that holds open discussions, and the occasional guest speaker. Find more information at www.nationalmssociety.org or contact Jackie Peterson, (970)518-293, jackierpeterson@gmail. com
Bitterroot Celtic Society
The Bitterroot Celtic Society meets every 3rd Thursday at 6 p.m. at BJ’s restaurant in Hamilton. The Bitterroot Celtic Society is a passionate group of volunteers, dedicated to keeping the Celtic culture, heritage, and history alive in the Bitterroot Valley. Their biggest event is the Bitterroot Celtic Games and Gathering, held every third weekend in August at the Historic Daly Mansion. They also host a Burns’ Night supper, St. Andrew’s, St. Patrick’s, and Tartan day events. The BCS is a non-proft organization. The public, new members, and the curious are always welcome to attend. For any time changes or additional committee meeting info, follow their Facebook page for updates.
Hamilton school board
Governance Committee Meeting Thursday – September 5, 2024
12:00 p.m. – District Ofce Conference Room
The Committee will be conducting this meeting with live participation. In addition to meeting in person, the District will also be streaming the meeting on YouTube. You are encouraged to join the meeting at:https://www.youtube. com/@HSD3Boardmtg
Regular Board Meeting
Tuesday – September 10, 2024
6:30 p.m. – District Ofce – Conference Room
The Board will be conducting this meeting with live participation. In addition to meeting in person, the District will also be streaming the meeting on YouTube. You are encouraged to join the meeting at: https://www.youtube.
com/@HSD3Boardmtg
NV Library events
Library Board Meeting – Wed. Aug 21 at 3pm
Meetings are open to the public. Agendas and the Public Participation are posted on the Library’s website. If you are a member of the public and are unable to attend the Board meetings, the Board would still like to hear from you. Please email the Director at denisea@northvalleylibrary.org or you can email board members directly. A link to Trustee contact information can be found at Montana.gov.
Animal Wonders for Adults - Thurs. Aug 22 at 6pm
Join the wild animal ambassadors from Animal Wonders for a program specially tailored for adults. This hourlong presentation with live animals is followed by a 30-minute interaction session and open to adults only. Program made possible through the Town Pump Charitable Foundation.
Myths & Fairytales - Thurs. Aug 29 at 6pm
Join us as we travel east of the sun, west of the moon, and into the deep dark forest, to dive into the hidden depths of myth and fairytales. Zoom option available.
Bitterroot Quilters Guild
Bitterroot Quilters Guild will meet on Wednesday, August 21 at Daly Leach Community Room, 1010 W Main, Hamilton. This is one week earlier in the month than usual, due to the Ravalli County Fair the last week of the month. Doors open at 6 pm for socializing and shopping; the meeting will come to order at 6:30. There will
be a Fat Quarter Drawing, 50/50 Pot, bargain sales at the Ugli Bin as well as member show and tell.
Driver safety course
Bitterroot Health (formerly Marcus Daly Hospital), located at 1200 Westwood Drive, Hamilton, is hosting an ALL NEW 2023 AARP Driver Safety Course on Friday, August 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This all new safe driving course is designed for drivers age 50 and over, all drivers are welcome. The new program features laws and updates specifc to Montana, Defensive Driving, Winter Driving, new Vehicle Technologies, to name a few. Class size is limited; pre-registration is advised. There are no tests or written exams and Montana mandates insurance discounts for qualifed drivers. Certifcates are now good for 3 years! Class fee: $20.00, AARP members; $25.00, for non-members. For class sign up, call: Hamilton Insurance at 406-3636583. For further information call Thom Ainsworth, Instructor, at 406-369-0149.
For Women Only Introduction To Defensive Handguns
August 24 & September 7
This two-day course is for women with little or no experience with handguns, who may be frightened of handguns or who are considering acquiring a handgun.
provided. The second day course will teach basic defensive shooting using the students’ own equipment. Safe gun handling will be taught and stressed. Various types of ammunition and the performance of each type will be discussed.
The class will be held at the Whittecar Range on Blodgett View Road and is limited to 10 participants. Successful completion of this two day course meets the education requirements for application to the state for a concealed carry permit.
For an application or further information call Lee at 642-3590 or Jim at 360-8392.
Museum Ice Cream Social
The Victor Heritage Museum is Hosting its Annual Ice Cream Social on Sunday, August 25 from 12 noon to 3 p.m. The museum will also be celebrating its 35th birthday with cake, ice cream and lemonade. The party is a thank you to the community. The Bitterroot Band will be performing at the Victor Park starting at 1 p.m. Carl and Claudia will be at the Museum with their Out West Wagons to give horse drawn wagon rides around town. There is no charge, and all are welcome. The camaraderie will be wonderful. The Museum is on the corner of Main and Blake Streets in downtown Victor.
Plein Air at the Fair, at the 2024 Ravalli County Fair! The 2024 Plein Air at the Fair event is being sponsored by Norma Lee Pfaf Fine Art, Clearwater Credit Union & The Paper Clip. It is an opportunity for
Art Event at the 2024 Ravalli County Fair
The frst day course is designed to assist you in choosing the right handgun – for you. It will also introduce you to the facilities of the Whittecar Range. There will be discussions on handgun safety, basic operation of revolvers, semi-automatic handguns, and the cartridges used in each type of handgun. The legal aspects of the use of force will be presented and discussed. Handguns will be provided so that you may handle the diferent types and models. Ammunition will also be provided for a live fre session on the range. A self defense book, specifcally for women, will also be
Sports
by Scott Sacry Sports Editor
Lewis wins grant for Play Like Robert Foundation
Olivia Lewis of Corvallis won the 2024 Montana Gatorade Player of the Year for women’s track and field on June 26. On August 2, Lewis took this already exceptional individual achievement and enhanced its significance by winning a contest that awarded the Play Like Robert Foundation $11,000 in grants from Gatorade.
Nationwide, there are over 600 “Gatorade Player of the Year” winners each year in 12 sports categories. Each of these winners is given a $1,000 grant to give to a worthy organization of their choice. When Lewis won the award, she chose the Play Like Robert Foundation to receive her $1000 grant.
Additionally, the winners are encouraged to submit a short video explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support for a chance to win a $10,000 spotlight grant. Gatorade chooses one organization from each of the 12 sports categories to receive this grant.
Lewis made a video highlighting the Play Like Robert Foundation, explaining why they deserved the additional support. Someone at Gatorade agreed with her, and, as was the case in her track career in Corvallis, Lewis won.
Because of her video, Gatorade awarded the Play Like Robert Foundation a $10,000 spotlight grant. At the Runner’s Clinic for the 2024 Robert’s Run on August 2, Lewis presented the foundation with the original $1,000 grant. She had an additional surprise for the foundation and audience.
“Everyone knew about the video I submitted and I had people asking me all week if I had won it,” said Lewis. “I wanted to surprise everyone with the news about the $10,000 grant so when I was presenting the $1,000 award at the Runner’s Clinic, I waited until after we took a picture with the check and announced that I recently got a call from Gatorade regarding my video and I won the grant. Seeing everyone’s excitement made me so happy, and it is a moment I will never forget.”
“We were blown away,” said Alyce Leonardi, Play Like Robert Foundation’s President and Robert’s mother. “Olivia is selfless. She is the type of person you want to be around - hardworking, kind, with an infectious smile. To be awarded $1,000 is one thing but to be given an additional $10,000 is out of this world. I kept repeating to myself ... ‘She picked us, she picked us’. Robert’s
Run 2024 was successful but her award put us over the top.”
“As with all Gatorade Player of the Year award winners, Olivia has demonstrated exemplary character,” said Josh Lytel, Associate Marketing Manager for Gatorade Player of the Year. “Her short video illustrated the role that the Play Like Robert Foundation has had in fostering that character. Our vision is that organizations like the Play Like Robert Foundation continue to positively impact the kids of the future.”
“The Leonardi family and the Play Like Robert Foundation are a big part of how I was able to receive the Gatorade Player of the Year award,” said Lewis. “They have taught me the importance of trying your best even when you don’t know what
the outcome will be. They have done so much for my community. I am so fortunate to have this opportunity to finally give something back to them; they deserve all of the support they can get.”
Robert A. Leonardi was tragically killed in a hit-and-run collision in 2019 at the age of nine.
Out of this tragedy came the Play Like Robert Foundation, a non-profit organization that engages in charitable and educational activities and connects people through learning, play, and the courage to try. The Foundation supports charitable organizations in the community, creates engaging environments for children to get active, and supports educational systems and resources.
For more information about the Play Like Robert Foundation, visit www.playlikerobert.org.
Corvallis’s Olivia Lewis (far left) giving Alyce, Meryn and Phil Leonardi of the Play Like Robert Foundation a $10,000 Spotlight Grant from Gatorade. Lewis won the grant in a “Gatorade Player of the Year” video contest. Photo from Alyce Leonardi.
Merle Unruh
Celtic games and gathering
At top left, a female competitor tries her hand during the Weight Over Bar competition. At top right, the Coeur D’Alene Firefghters Pipes and Drums competes. At middle right, female competitor about to attempt during the Sheaf Toss. At bottom right, Matt Watrons with his three daughters, Noel at left, Lilly at right and Price on top. At bottom left, a male competitor tries to fip the log during the Caber Toss. All during the Bitterroot Celtic Society’s Bitterroot Celtic Games and Gatherings this last weekend. Photos by John Dowd.
Obituaries
Bernard Nick Hoeg
Cecil Dunn
Cecil Dunn, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend passed away at Providence Hospital in Spokane, WA. on Sunday April 21, 2024. Cecil suffered severe head injuries after a Parkinson’s related fall on April 20,2024. The family wishes to thank the hospital staff for their valiant efforts to save her life, and then comfort her, and the family, in her final hours.
Cecil was the cherished only child of parents Merle and Laura Willcuts, who adopted her at birth on May 1, 1946, in Long Beach, CA. Cecil enjoyed a childhood filled with family/church related activities, Dodger baseball games, and music, as her dad was a choir director. She started piano lessons at 6, and was playing in church by 11, and later was an organist for several churches.
She graduated high school in 1964 in Lakewood, Ca. She obtained her B.S. degree in Microbiology & Chemistry from California State University at Long Beach. She taught 8th grade science for a year. Then pursued a career as a licensed ASCP Medical Technologist. She completed her yearlong training at Children’s Hospital in Orange, CA. Her career would span over 40 years.
While in college she met her future husband, James Dunn. They were married in 1966. Together they welcomed two wonderful children: a son Darren, and later a daughter Laurie.
Cecil and Jim relocated to Montana in 1976 , where she took a position at Missoula’s Community Hospital. She loved their new life in Florence and became a real “country girl”. She grew a huge garden every Summer. She and Jim spent years raising horses, cattle, dogs, cats, sheep, and Kids! In the early 80’s she also was the volunteer organist at the Florence Carlton Community Church. In the 1990’s Cecil served in many
Death Notices
Roy Franklin DeLong
Hamilton - Roy Franklin DeLong, 93, of Hamilton, passed away Thursday August 15, 2024, at his home. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family. at www.brothersmortuary.com.
Bernard Nick Hoeg was born May 4, 1931, to William and Mabel Hoeg in Missoula, Montana. He grew up there along with his brother, Bill, attending school and graduating high school in 1950. Soon after that he enlisted in the United States Air Force. His tour of duty included being stationed in Greenland and the State of Washington.
When he returned to civilian life Bernie returned to Missoula where he married Marilyn Papenfuhs. They had two sons, Bryan, and Todd. After his separation from Marilyn, Bernie married Sandra Treichel, who brought four children with her, Laurie, David Joel, and Kelly. And a short time later they were blessed with the arrival of their daughter, Melissa. They raised their blended family together until Sandra’s passing.
Bernie’s family grew even more when he married Betty Geil, who had three grown children, Susan, Dennis, and Diane. Then after Betty’s passing, he married Della Richmond, who has three grown children, Leesa, Reesa, and Kelly.
Bernie was a friendly, outgoing person. He would greet you with a big smile, a handshake, or a hug. He never saw a stranger and was a surrogate father to his children’s friends. He was a good,
Christian man, with a deep faith. In his younger days Bernie coached Little League, served as volunteer freman, was an avid bowler and could play nearly anything on the piano. After his kids were grown, he played a lot of golf, and enjoyed fy-fshing.
Bernie attended school on the GI Bill and became a licensed mortician, a trade he worked at for many years. Later he became a “country convenience store” owner in Stevensville, MT. And in 1985 Bernie and Sandra sold the store and moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. where he worked on boats with his stepson Joel and later worked in the warehouse of a local advertising company. Eventually, he moved back to Montana where he retired.
Bernie died June 6, 2024, in Plainville, KS, with family and friends at his side. Preceding him in death were his parents; two wives; his brother; and two stepsons. Surviving members of his family include: his wife, Della; his children: Bryan (Colleen), Todd, Melissa (Darren), Laurie, Kelly (Alan), many stepchildren, numerous grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
A private Celebration of Life will be held in Missoula, MT.
volunteer positions with the A.S.C. P.(American Society of Clinical Pathologists) in Chicago and was given awards for her many years of outstanding service.
She resigned from Community Hospital in late 2001 to accept a new position with the U. S. Dept. of State/Foreign Service as a Regional Med Tech managing embassy related labs around the world. After selling their Florence property & insurance business they moved to live & work at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia. Later assignments included U.S. embassies in Jakarta, Cairo, & Wash. D.C. and traveling to over 75 countries. Her career in the Foreign Service ended in 2011 due to mandatory retirement. She and Jim relocated to Washington state to be near family.
In 2015 Cecil was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. She fought the disease by diligently exercising. In 2023 her condition worsened, and after several falls, she was approved to undergo Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery in Dec. & January. By March the DBS treatment was so successful she felt almost normal again. She, the family, and friends were ecstatic with the results. Then, the tragic accident.
Cecil was preceded in death by her parents, Merle and Laura Willcuts. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Jim, her son Darren (Amy) Salt Lake City, daughter Laurie (Jason) Colbert, WA., her grandsons Landon, Levi, her grand-daughter Megan Roots, Phoenix, and her cousin Esther Quigley, Las Vegas. Her dear sister-in-law Sandy Voss & husband Monte, Galesburg, IL. She’ll be missed by her many friends & colleagues around the country & world.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at the Florence Carlton Community Church, Florence,
Curtis Hoffman Flather
Missoula - Curtis Hofman Flather, 67, of Corvallis, passed away early Saturday morning, August 17, 2024 at Community Medical Center following a brief illness. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family. at www.brothersmortuary.com.
Sunny summer days and little Yellow Sallies
You see them everywhere – maybe not in blizzard numbers but usually at least a few – all summer long. They start while salmonfies are on the water in June and they last, most years, well into September – depending on how chilly the nights get.
You’ll often fnd more of them clinging to streamside willows and tall grass than you’ll see on the water. When they’re ready, you’ll see the egg-layers fying almost haphazardly over the stream, then dropping to shed their cargo of eggs into rifed water.
wings can make quite a commotion. But when they’re lying still on the water they are practically invisible. Most of them lay their eggs on the water’s surface, but some species dive underwater and swim to the bottom to ldeposit their eggs. When they’re doing this it’s easy to go broke if you’re fshing on top.
by Chuck Stranahan
There are at least fve separate species that I’ve identifed on the Bitterroot that qualify as Yellow Sallies, and at least as many that I’m not sure of – could I be looking at early and late cycles of the same species, or male-female diferences? They’re all similar enough that the specie identifcations become less important than size, color, and the behavior of the bugs that you see. If you’re going by hook size, they come in #12 down through #18 - #14 and #16 being most common. They all have slender bodies in bright to pale yellow, and some have reddish orange tips on their abdomens. They all have two pairs of whitish translucent wings that fold fat over their bodies.
The old-time wet fy pattern, the Professor, is designed to mimic this activity. The Professor has a red hackle fber tail, slender yellow foss body with a fne gold tinsel rib, a couple of wraps of soft grizzly hackle, and a wisp of natural light mallard fank fbers for the wing. It slims down to next-to-nothing
when wet. Fished on a gentle stopand-go retrieve it can draw strikes from fsh that mysteriously don’t show themselves during a furry of surface activity. A #14 Professor is a fun fy to tie and fsh (sorry, I haven’t seen one in a fy shop for decades,) and can be a secret weapon when trout are keyed on those diving egg-layers.
When I had my shop the late Dave Cooper tied some beautiful little Yellow Sally Soft Hackles for me. The idea had been dormant with me for years, although I’d hesitate to call it “my” pattern as somebody must have thought of it before. It’s simply a Partridge and Yellow soft hackle with a red tag, but try to get that much information onto a fy box label. Yellow Sally Soft Hackle is simpler and more direct.
I sold only a few at frst. But word spread when people returned for
more. I had to reorder bigger batches from Dave.
On lazy midsummer or latesummer afternoons when you see occasional small pale insects in the air over a trout stream, chances are they’re little yellow stonefies.
On such a day that seems ages ago but is still fresh in my memory I was sitting on the deck of an ancient private clubhouse on the fabled McCloud River. The afternoon sun was blistering hot and we were waiting for it to cool of a bit. The tall west wall of the canyon would soon cast its shadow on the brawling rugged water below and create a long, lingering afternoon of fshing that would last until the pitch dark of a moonlit evening. Little yellow stones were everywhere.
I wanted a sparse fy that would foat in that heavy water to fool those wild rainbows that came crashing to the surface to take those little yellow stonefies. I tied some with a hollow hair tail and underbody for foatation, red butt, yellow body, sparse grizzly hackle, and sparse calftail wing. The fy had no name, then. Years later, I was surprised to see it featured at Tim Tollett’s Frontier Anglers shop in Dillon. There were heavy hatches of yellow Sallies on the Big Hole that year and Tim told me that Chuck’s Yellow Trude was the hot fy. The fy never received much publicity. You had to know about it. Last time I checked, though, it still works on the Bitterroot, Blackfoot, and Rock Creek – in
Book Review
Book Review
Booked for the season
Booked for the season
“The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to follow the Constitution’s Original Meaning” by A.J. Jacobsc.2024, Crown Publishing
“Cowpuppy: An Unexpected Friendship and a Scientist’s Journey into the Secret World of Cows” by Gregory Berns c.2024, Harper Horizon
$29.99 248 pages
$30.00 304 pages
Your best furry friend has a preference for a certain kind of treat you buy.
They say you have to fght for the right to party.
You also have the right to rant and the right to be wrong. You can belt “All Right Now” at full-blast, if the lyrics feel right, right now. You may have the right to turn right on a red light because you’re an upright citizen. And in the new book “The Year of Living Constitutionally” by A.J. Jacobs those are just a few of the things you got right.
You keep an extra ball around, for just in case, and you carefully rotate his other toys. He gets the best food you can fnd, and there are cushy beds everywhere for his lounging pleasure. Spoiled? No, you do it because he’s your best bud but, as in the new book “Cowpuppy” by Gregory Berns, you’re gonna need a bigger collar.
For a researcher, the pandemic was not kind.
New Yorkers aren’t used to seeing a guy in a tri-corner hat, carrying a musket, but if it meant living like our Founding Fathers, A.J. Jacobs was game.
In the early days of 2020, Gregory Berns’ canine-based project was shut down, leaving him at home with little to do but surf the internet and wait to see if his work would be resurrected. Idly, he began to look at real estate near his Atlanta home, dreaming of the country life.
His eforts started some years ago when he wrote a book, “The Year of Living Biblically,” and he noticed that the Bible had a lot in common with America’s Constitution. He’d once lived like a Levite; why not party like it’s 1787?
The dream became a plan. The plan became a reality in late 2020, when Berns found a farm that reminded him of Tara, plus: the house was palatial and the sale included farm equipment. Best of all, there were multiple felds, empty and waiting for cows.
If there’s one thing a farmer knows, it’s that if you put a bull with a cow, funny things happen: Berns’ frst three bovines became four when a tiny calf was born somewhat unexpectedly, and changed Berns’ relationship with the calf’s mother.
The frst order of business was to fnd and actually read the entire Constitution. It was a “revelation... just how much our lives are afected by this 4,543-word document inscribed on calfskin...” We’re afected so much so, even after 200-plus years, that today’s SCOTUS wrestles with centuries-old Constitutional verbiage to make modern laws. Mostly, Jacobs says, any interpretation depends on whether you prefer “living constitutionalism” or originalism. The former argues for adaptation; the latter, for literal interpretation.
Relationship. An odd word to use with cows, right? Because cows are nothing like dogs...
land.
by Terry Schlichenmeyer
by Terry Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez, LLC
The Bookworm Sez, LLC
today. He joined a re-enactment group and learned to shoot that musket. He took advantage of the free press and the right to assemble (in his living room). He “quartered” a soldier and petitioned Congress. And he determined that when it comes to our Constitution, “We the People” must be vigilant...
To be sure, “Cowpuppy” is bucolic and gentle, but with a hint of humor and lots of wide-eyed fascination. Berns went into his endeavor with a desire to have animals on his farm, but he couldn’t seem to resist going beyond. That’s great for readers; his eagerness to study the cows and his willingness to accept their personalities and lives – which is anthropomorphizing and fies in the face of “academia” – is just what you’re going to want.
If ever there was a right time to read “The Year of Living Constitutionally,” it’s today. Our lives, our futures are being debated and decided now, in real time. It’s serious stuf. Or not so much, with author A.J. Jacobs at the wheel.
And those cows? They’re irresistible, in Bern’s stories about them at play, as mothers and rivals, in their curiosity and afection, in the things they taught him, and as great big pets.
Who knew that history could be so fun? Jacobs makes it so, by bravely living like a Founding Father, even if it seemed embarrassing sometimes – and then he tells us about it.
It’s no bull – city folk will learn a thing or two about farm life in this book, and farmers will get a kick out of tales they’ll know well. For an animal lover, too, “Cowpuppy” is a real treat.
Remember that guy in high school who’d accept any dare if there was a few bucks involved? Yeah, it’s kind of like that, only better because Jacobs also teaches his readers a thing or two about the years in which our Forefathers lived, and about a document that we can’t – and perhaps shouldn’t – stop talking about.
A cow’s brain shows its status as prey, as do its eyes, with which the cow scans its surroundings without lifting its head. Intelligence is slippery,
Jacobs chose the latter, and living like Ben Franklin, so he learned to write with a quill pen with light from a beeswax candle. George Washington plied Virginia voters with gallons of spirits, and Jacobs appreciated the “liquid courage.” Jacobs tried to vote
but cows can learn their names. They have personalities, quirks, individual preferences, and they absolutely communicate with one another. Cows make friends among herd members. They have capacity for love – and Berns absolutely loved them back.
“There was a thrill about being let
into their world,” he says. “An honor, really.”
“When you live in a city,” says author Greg Berns, “it’s easy to be” ignorant of the amount of empty lots and pastures nearby. This book is for those blissfully unaware, and for the residents of those nice spreads of
out loud, but though a secret ballot isn’t a Constitutional right, it’s the law
This is an enjoyable book, maybe a slight bit irreverent for certain readers, but surely full of humor and things you didn’t know. If you think you really need to read “The Year of Living Constitutionally,” well, you’re right.
Posting Date May 6, 2024
* * * If you’re an animal lover, of course you speak to your pets... but what do they say in reply? In “Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication” by Arik Kershenbaum (Penguin Press, $30), you’ll see what science has learned about how animals communicate and how it can help you have a better relationship with other creatures. Read this book, and you’ll feel like a regular Dr. Doolittle.
3 DAY, 3 FAMILY
DOWNSIZING GARAGE
SALE. August 22nd, 23rd, and 24th from 10am-4pm. 1088 Fletcher Lane, Stevensville. Many miscellaneous household type items and some “men” items as well. Come help us repurpose our unused items.
BAREFOOT BUT-
TERFLY at Greens Mini Storage, 1410 US Hwy 93 North. Every Weekend, Weather Permitting, 8am3pm ‘til OCT.
FRESH EGGS from Howell’s Happy Hens are back! $4.00/doz. Pick up at Bitterroot Star ofce, 115 W. 3rd, Suite 108, Stevensville.
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Legal
Megan S. Winderl
CHOUINARD & WINDERL, P.C.
99 Marcus Street, 3rd Floor Hamilton, MT 59840
(406) 218-4888
meganw@cwlawmt.com pleadings@cwlawmt.com
Attorneys for Personal
Representative
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF TIMOTHY
GEORGE BURKS, Deceased.
Probate No.: DP-41-20240000065
Dept. No. 1
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed as 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 frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.
Claims must either be mailed to William P. Steinberger, the Personal Representative, in care of CHOUINARD & WINDERL, P.C., 99 Marcus Street, 3rd Floor, Hamilton, Montana 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court.
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Montana that the foregoing is true and correct.
DATED this 1st day of August, 2024. /s/ William P. Steinberger
CHOUINARD & WINDERL, P.C. Attorney for Personal Representative
By: Megan S. Winderl BS 8-7, 8-14, 8-21-24. MNAXLP
REQUEST FOR BIDS (RFB) Ravalli County Interior Remodel of Forest Service Building located at the Ravalli County Airport Hamilton, Montana
The Board of Ravalli County Commissioners are soliciting bids (RFB) for the following:
1. Demolition of closet walls in the east side of the Dispatch room Removing two exterior interior closet walls. Work will include removing the two 8’ walls and one 32” interior door. All materials will be removed and disposed of ofsite. Work will also include all incidental patch work with adjacent surfaces, including walls, ceiling and fooring. Painting and fooring to match existing interior colors.
2. Create a new approximate 12’ by 9’ hard-walled ofce in the west side of the Dispatch Room prelease requirements in Section 3 Construction Standards and Shell Components (available for review).
a. Construct two new walls to create an approximate 12’ by 9’ hard-walled ofce. The outside dimensions of the two walls are 12’2” by 9’9”. A new 36” solid core Lockable ABA compliant passage handset with key. Interior door will be installed in the existing wall as access to this new space. The new walls will be insulated for noise reduction according to Lease Clause 3.44 Acoustical requirements (available for review). The new walls will be covered in sheetrock and fnished to match existing wall fnishes in the ofce. Walls will be painted to match existing interior colors.
b. Include: two light fxtures in the new ofce space which need to be separated from the current lighting circuit, and a switch installed adjacent to the new door to control these two fxtures separately.
c. The two existing electrical foor boxes in the space will be removed and the eight electrical outlets associated with those boxes will be to the new walls, spaced as required by codes, with half the outlets facing the new ofce and half facing into the existing space.
d. One new telephone and two new cat6 network cabling back to the network switch will be installed in the new ofce space, location to be agreed to onsite and approved by the Lease Contracting Ofcer. Two new data ports will be installed on each new wall,
facing into the existing workspace, locations to be agreed to onsite and approved by Lease Contracting Ofcer.
e. All work will include all incidental patch work with adjacent surfaces, including walls, ceiling and fooring. Work will include all incidental electrical work to accommodate new walls. Match existing ceiling.
An on-site project walk through is scheduled for Monday, August 26, 2024 at 11:00 AM. Meet at 533 Airport Road and see Thomas Burge, Airport Manager.
Sealed Bids must be received by the Ravalli County Clerk & Recorder, 215 S. 4th Street, Suite C, (Second foor) Hamilton, Montana 59840 no later than FRIDAY, August 30, 2024 by 4:00 p.m. Please mark the outside sealed bid envelope “RFB for Airport FS Building Project”.
Bids will then be opened and read aloud in the Ravalli County Commissioners Conference Room at 21 5 S. 4th Street, Hamilton, Montana (Third Floor) on TUESDAY, September 03, 2024, at 9:00 AM.
Possible Bid Award will be made by the Commissioners in the Commissioners Meeting Conference Room at 21 5 S. 4th Street, Hamilton, Montana (Third Floor) on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 11:00 AM.
PLEASE NOTE: A PERFORMANCE BOND OR A LETTER OF CREDIT MAY BE REQUIRED FOR THIS PROJECT
Ravalli County reserves the right to accept or deny any, part, or all of the bids as submitted.
For a copy of the DRAFT interior remodel specifcations or bid process, contact Chris Taggart at 406-375-6500 during regular business hours or email: ctaggart@rc.mt.gov. Chris Taggart Commissioners Administrative Assistant BS 8-14, 8-21-24. MNAXLP
Naomi J. Cheeney CHEENEY LAW, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840
Phone: (406) 363-9060 Attorney for Personal Representative MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF BEVERLY M. KEARNEY, Deceased. Case No.: DP-41-2024-82 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 months after the date of the frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.
Claims must either be mailed to Cynthia M. Roberts, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law, PLLC, PO Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court.
DATED this 29 th day of July 2024. Cynthia M. Roberts, Personal Representative BS 8-14, 8-21, 8-28-24. MNAXLP
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING – STEVENSVILLE RURAL FIRE DISTRICT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Stevensville Rural Fire District (S.R.F.D.) Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing August 21st, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. at 156 Kinsman Drive Stevensville Montana, to allow public comment and review of the S.R.F.D. proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. Any taxpayer or resident may appear at the special board meeting and be heard for or against any part of the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. The proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget will be on the agenda of the regular board meeting, following the public hearing, to be discussed and adopted on August 21st, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact the Stevensville Rural Fire District at (406)777-7033 please
leave a message if no answer or email admin@stevensvilleruralfre.com or at P.O. Box 667, Stevensville, MT 59870. Please make all communications attention: District “Proposed Fiscal Year 2025 Budget” BS 8-14, 8-21-24.
MNAXLP
AUDIT PUBLICATION
STATEMENT
An audit of the Town of Darby has been conducted by Denning, Downey & Associates, CPA’s, PC. The audit covered the fscal year ended June 30, 2023. Section 2-7521, MCA, requires the publication of the following summary of signifcant fndings. Summary of Signifcant
Findings
The audit report for the Town of Darby for the fscal year ended June 30, 2023, were unmodifed.
The audit report also contained several other auditor’s reports. Following is a list of the reports and a summary of the fndings included in each. This is only a summary and is not intended to be used as an audit report.
Report on Compliance and on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting Based on an Audit of Financial Statements Performed in Accordance with Government Auditing Standards. This report contained fndings in the following matters:
a.) 2023-001 Segregation of Duties
b.) 2023-002 Payroll Controls
c.) 2023-003 Management’s Discussion and Analysis Completeness
d.) 2023-004 Build America Bond Compliance Report on Other Compliance, Financial and Internal Accounting Control Matters
This report contained no fndings. Report on Audit Report Recommendations. This report summarized the fndings from the prior audit report, and noted the action taken on them.
a.) 2022-001 Cash Reconciliation (Implemented)
b.) 2022-002 Payroll Internal Controls (Repeated)
c.) 2022-003 Management’s Discussion and Analysis (Implemented)
d.) 2022-004 Unrecorded Prior Year Due From Other Governments (Implemented)
e.) 2022-005 Segregation of Accounting Duties (Repeated)
f.) 2022-006 Build America Compliance (Repeated)
Public Inspection of Audit Report
The complete audit report is on fle in its entirety and open to public inspection at Town Hall. Nate Robbine, Clerk/ Treasurer Town of Darby BS 8-21-24.
LEGAL NOTICE
The Darby Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at the Darby Town Hall, 101 East Tanner Avenue, to receive comments both oral and written regarding a variance request to allow two residences on a single parcel at 102/106 Kerlee Avenue in Darby. For more information visit Darby Town Hall or call (406) 821-3753. 8-21, 8-28-24.
Joseph D. Houston
Jones & Houston, PLLC 2625 Dearborn Ave., Ste. 102 Missoula, MT 59804 (406) 541-3333
joe@jonesmtlaw.com
Attorneys for Personal Representative Melissa N. Dunlap MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: TED DUNLAP, Deceased.
Dept. 2
Cause No. DP-41-2024-89
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN that Melissa N. Dunlap has been appointed Personal Representative of the abovenamed estate. All persons having claims against the Deceased are required to present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the frst publication of this Notice, or their claims will be forever
barred.
Claims must either be mailed to Jones & Houston, PLLC, Attorneys for the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at 2625 Dearborn Avenue, Suite 102, Missoula, Montana 59804, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court.
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Montana the foregoing is true and correct.
Dated this 12th day of August, 2024.
/s/ Melissa N. Dunlap, Personal Representative of the Estate of Ted Dunlap /s/ Joseph D. Houston, Attorney for Personal Representative
BS 8-21, 8-28, 9-4-24.
LEGAL NOTICE
Stevensville School District has disposal items available for bid. If you have questions about the items available, please contact Dave Haacke. Sealed bids will be accepted in the District Ofce until 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 28, 2023. Please make sure and provide contact information with your bid(s).
BS 8-21-24.
OG-24-08-307
Legal Notice
The Ravalli County Planning Department is inviting public comment on a foodplain permit application for a proposed project within the Regulated Flood Hazard Area of the Bitterroot River. The applicant is Ms. Christine Brissette on behalf of Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge. The proposed project will remove the existing relic check dam structure (two 48” culverts with standpipes) which crosses North Burnt Fork Creek and will replace the structure with a 32’ 7” wide, 7-9’ tall aluminum box culvert. The project is located along the paved pedestrian trail. The new crossing will maintain pedestrian access to the adjacent trail system and provide occasional access for emergency and maintenance vehicles. The project will also restore 994 feet of streambank and restore wetland areas to improve the existing riparian habitat along North Burnt Fork Creek. The project is located at the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge Walking Area Wildfowl Lane in Section 15, Township 9 N, Range 20 W. Parcel# 260550. Information regarding this application is available at the Ravalli County Planning Department at 215 S 4th St, Suite F in Hamilton. Written comments may be mailed, hand-delivered or emailed (planning@rc.mt.gov) and must be received by Wednesday, September 4th, 2024 at 5:00 pm. (Reference Application # FA-23-11). BS 8-21-24.
Montana 21st Judicial District Court, Ravalli County In the Matter of the Name Change of Sarah Ruth Grifn Nelson, Sarah Ruth Grifn Nelson, Petitioner. Cause No.: DV-24-315 Dept. 1 NOTICE OF HEARING ON NAME CHANGE
This is notice that Petition-
er has asked the District Court for a name change. The hearing will be on September 25, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the courthouse in Ravalli County. DATED this 13th day of August, 2024. /s/ Howard Recht District Court Judge BS 8-21, 8-28, 9-4, 9-1124.
LEGAL NOTICE White Cloud Ridge Major Subdivision Phasing Schedule Change. The preliminary plat of White Cloud Ridge Subdivision was granted condition approval on June 13th, 2024. The preliminary plat presented a phasing schedule that included two phases. Phase 1 included Lots 1-12 and Phase 2 included Lots 13-29. The applicant wishes to amend their phasing schedule to move Lots 13 and 14 from Phase 2 into Phase 1. The proposed infrastructure for Phase 1 would serve Lots 13 and 14 which each lot gaining access from Jenne Lane. The proposed phasing schedule will not change the number/confguration of total lots, roadway layout, water/waste treatment systems, easement provision, the subdivisions designated access or any conditions of approval. The subdivision is located past the intersection of Alyssa Court going eastbound on Jenne Lane coming from Eight Mile Creek Road to the north. The subject property is located in the South ½ of Section 10, Township 10 North, Range 19 West, Prime Meridian Montana, Ravalli County, Montana. The applicant is Orion Ruckle – Developer Representative and Subdivider for Judah Development, LLC and the consultant is Ron Ewart – Planner of Professional Consultants, Inc. 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 Board of County Commissioners (BCC) will conduct a Public Hearing to review the proposal on September 3rd, 2024 at 1:30 pm, whereas all meetings/hearings are 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/hearing will be considered in the decision on the subdivision. BS 8-21-24.
LEGAL NOTICE
Proposed Rose Lane Citizen-Initiated Zoning District (CIZD) Regulations. The Ravalli County Planning and Zoning Commission is holding a public hearing on September 5th, 2024 at 2:30pm to review the proposed Rose Lane CIZD Regulations. The Rose Lane CIZD boundaries were established on November
20th, 2023 under resolution No. 4552. The Rose Lane CIZD is located approximately 1.2 miles south of the City of Hamilton, Montana of Grantsdale Road in the NW ¼ of Section 05 & the NW ¼ of Section 06, Township 5North, Range 20West, P.M.M., Ravalli County, Montana. The applicant is Kelly Davis of the KD Ventures LLC and the consultant is Surveyor-Terry Nelson of Applebury Survey Inc. A copy of the proposed Rose Lane CIZD regulations are available for inspection at the Planning Department, in the County Administrative Center, 215 S. 4th St., Suite F, Hamilton, MT 59840. A copy of the proposed regulations and a map of the Rose Lane CIZD are posted on the Planning Department’s website at https:// ravalli.us/179/Zoning. Written comments are encouraged to be submitted to the Planning Department prior to the below hearing so they can be forwarded to the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Ravalli County Planning and Zoning Commission will be holding a Public Hearing to review the proposed regulations on Thursday, September 5th,
