Bitterroot Star - August 25, 2021

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Climate group donates Hepa filters to seniors Low-income seniors at the Burnt Fork Manor in Stevensville recently benefited from the gift of ten HEPA filters from the Bitterroot Climate Action Group (BCAG). BCAG, whose mission includes mitigating some of the effects of climate change while supporting local people, recently conducted a fundraiser and was able to budget $1,500 for the effort. BCAG teamed with the District IX Human Resource Council and director Jim Morton to provide the filters to people who have respiratory health challenges. BCAG treasurer, John Schneeberger, said that BCAG sees this as a start of a campaign to provide relief from the wildfire smoke, a problem that is forecast to increase due to rapid climate change. In June, University of Montana John Schneeberger, BCAG (right) handing off one of 10 new HEPA filters to Jim Morton, Executive Director of the local Human Resource Council. Fire Ecologist Philip Higuera stated in a report to the National Academy of Sciences that “Rocky Mountain subalpine forests are now burning more than at any point in the past 2,000 years.” “This is not about the distant future,” Schneeberger said. “The Forest Service has confirmed that the Montana fire season is now 78 days longer that it was in the 1970s. I was on a fire crew in Wallace, Idaho in 1978 and was surprised that they would lay off the entire seasonal crew on September 1st. That was considered the end of the major fire season back then. Bitterrooters know all too well that September is an active month for fire now.” BCAG plans to follow this donation with other actions to benefit the community by planning for, and improving, the local response to climate change.

Citizen Crews challenges council to limit Stevi mayor’s authority by Victoria Howell The Stevensville Town Council spent a portion of its August 12th meeting listening to former mayor Jim Crews tell them that they were operating under an illegal emergency declaration. The result was that the council will hold a Committee of the Whole meeting to discuss the issue and decide how to proceed. Since losing to Brandon Dewey in a mayoral election in 2017, Crews appears to have spent a considerable amount of time researching and filing complaints alleging that the current mayor is not following the laws regarding his legal authority as mayor. According to Mayor Dewey, Crews

filed nearly 30 complaints in six months, so many that it prompted the Town to develop a special online portal for citizen complaints so that Town staff could more easily manage them. In this case, Crews maintains that the mayor and council have been operating under an emergency declaration that should have been terminated some time ago. Dewey had declared a disaster emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 31, 2020. The declaration was retroactive from March 12, 2020, the date that then-Governor Steve Bullock declared a State of Emergency. Although current Governor Greg Gianforte

lifted the State of Emergency on June 30, 2021, the declaration by Mayor Dewey has never been rescinded. The declaration states, among other things, that the mayor is authorized to “enter into agreements and contracts and make purchases and expenditures without adhering to state and local procurement requirements, including those in Titles 7 and 18, MCA and to the town’s purchasing policy. This authorization is limited only to agreements, contracts, purchases, and expenditures reasonably necessary to implement the Declaration and to no other agreements, contracts, purchases, or expenditures.” See STEVI, page 2

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Covid cases on the rise in Ravalli County The Ravalli County Public Health Department is seeing the expected secondary spike with daily increase in reported positive cases, according to a press release sent out on Friday afternoon. Twenty-five cases were reported Thursday to Ravalli County Public Health with an additional 35 cases as of 4 p.m. on Friday. For daily active case counts residents can go to the Montana DPHHS website at https://montana.maps.arcgis.com/apps/ MapSeries/index.html?appid=7c34f341253643949 1adcc2103421d4b. According to the release, the Public Health Department continues to trace confirmed positive cases in an effort to identify contacts. With the increase of cases, delays will occur in contact calls. Public Health advises to stay home if you are sick or know you have been exposed to someone who is sick. Handwashing, physical distancing and masking is still the best practice to keep individuals healthy, according to the department. “Vaccine is our best chance for reaching community immunity and decreasing individual severity of illness. Vaccination is highly recommended and widely available,” stated the release. For vaccine locations visit vaccinefinder.org. “Ravalli County Public Health thanks our community health care workers for their continued hard work supporting, caring for, and treating our residents,” the release concluded.

Hamilton School District grapples with mask policy by Nathan Boddy The Hamilton School Board met on Tuesday, August 17th for what they certainly knew would be a long evening. Topic number one for the trustees was the re-opening plan for the school district, specifically, whether or not masks would be required. Superintendent Tom Korst provided the trustees with a proposed action plan, bulleted into nearly a dozen categories of security measures for controlling the spread of the COVID-19 virus within schools. The first, and nearly only measure discussed by the public at Tuesday’s hearing, was “universal and correct wearing of masks.” See SCHOOL, page 5

Sign on the door of Hamilton High School. Photo by Nathan Boddy.

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Bitterroot Star -- Page 2

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Stevi: council to consider Covid recovery plan continued from page one

Another section states that the mayor has the authority “to administer all affairs and departments of the Town, including, but not limited to, implementing orders for employees to work from home and self-quarantine.” The declaration also states that termination of the declaration will be by “subsequent order from the Mayor.” Crews believes that the mayor should terminate the declaration immediately since a disaster emergency doesn’t exist. He says the council should request that the mayor rescind the declaration immediately, and “restore the Town of Stevensville to its constitutional form of government, resume normal meeting schedules and locations.” The council meetings have been held at the North Valley Public Library community room since March of 2020 in order to allow for social distancing. Crews also recommends that a list of all agreements, contracts and purchases made while the Declaration is in effect be compiled for public review. At the end of 2020, the Town purchased approximately $92,000 of computer equipment with CARES Act funds. According to Mayor Dewey, the state had given a deadline of December 30 to spend the funds and the council wasn’t going to meet again due to the holidays. He said that he and the former finance officer quickly pulled a proposal together and ordered the items. The claims for these purchases did not come before the council for approval until July 22, 2021, at which time the council approved the claims unanimously. Crews asked that the council schedule a “Council of the Whole” meeting to review and determine the validity of all agreements, contracts and purchases made during the Disaster Emergency Declaration. “The review is necessary as the current administration has shown a propensity to procrastinate bringing claims before the council,” said Crews. “This has been shown to be the case as indicated during the council meeting of July 22, 2021 when approximately $92,000 worth of claims for computer purchases were presented approximately seven months after the

purchases. This was noted by council member Allen who did not, nor did the remaining members of the council, take formal actions to stop this sort of activity by the current administration. This is necessary to restore and validate the checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches of our local government. The Declaration of Disaster Emergency did not include this provision in order to protect the citizens of the Town of Stevensville and their assets and best interest.” Finally, Crews says that although the Town’s Purchasing Policy states that the policy may be suspended during a declared emergency or disaster, only the council has the authority to make that decision, not the mayor. “The council gave the mayor powers that are reserved and assigned to the town council, which I believe is not legal as the council cannot assign powers to a mayor that are not assigned by the state legislature.” He asked the council to pass a motion requiring the mayor to comply with all provisions of the Town’s Purchasing Policy and recognizing that the council has not suspended the Purchasing Policy. Crews spent the rest of his presentation giving the council a lesson on the powers and duties of a mayor. Crews maintains that Dewey has greatly overstepped his legal authority and the council has been complicit in allowing it to happen. He said the council needed to pass budget amendments for any expenditures not in the budget, including those related to funds coming to the Town for COVID-19 relief, and that had not been done. Council member Sydney Allen said that asking the mayor to rescind the emergency declaration might be premature, due to the current rise in COVID-19 cases. Crews responded that the council needs to have that declaration terminated so that they can take back their legal authority, regardless of any emergency. “You need to enforce your own rules and your own laws… you need to take control.” Mayor Dewey said that although the governor has said that there is

no statewide emergency at this time, there can still be a local emergency. He also said that the declaration is required to be in effect in order to qualify for FEMA funds to respond to the pandemic. He said the wording of the declaration was provided by the Montana League of Cities and Towns whose general counsel reviewed it. The local declaration was also reviewed by the Town’s attorney. “They found no issues with it whatsoever,” said Dewey. Dewey said the mayors of many other municipalities in Montana, which have the same form of government as Stevensville, also issued the declaration. Dewey said the declaration gives him authority to make purchases related to the pandemic, but not general purchases. The council voted unanimously to hold a Committee of the Whole meeting to discuss developing a COVID-19 recovery plan. Discussion would include an analysis of the mayor’s Declaration of a State of Local Disaster Emergency that remains in effect. The meeting is scheduled for August 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the library community room, right before the regular council meeting at 7:30 p.m. In other business: • Under claims, council member Jaime Devlin questioned the increase in the cost of the Town’s liability insurance. Last year the cost was $23,000; it has gone up 130% this year. According to Mayor Dewey, the insurance rate is based on the last five years of losses which were $288,000. Dewey said a good share of that was from sewer backups that occurred mostly in 2017. In addition, recently settled lawsuits brought by former clerk Audree Tribbensee against the Town of Stevensville and (former) council member Bob Michalson were covered by their insurance carrier. “Those amounts add up to six figures,” said the mayor and will be considered in the insurance rate calculation for the next five years. • Wendi Planty, the new finance officer, reported that she is currently working on bank reconciliations which are a year behind and need to be done before the 2020 audit can be completed.

• Fire Chief Jeff Motley said the department is on track to break a yearly record for requests for service with 442 to date this year. Motley said Marcus Daly Ambulance Service currently has 17 unstaffed shifts and calls during those times are being covered by fire department volunteers. Motley said the fire department also needs more volunteers. He also reported that the fire department raised $6,500 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association during its recent “fill the boot” campaign before the Creamery Picnic parade. • Parks and Rec Director Bobby Sonsteng reported that 103 patrons took advantage of the free swim offered during Creamery Picnic. He said the pool would be closing for the season on August 26. He noted that Burnt Fork Veterinary Clinic had donated two pet waste stations for the bike path. • Police Chief Mac Sosa reported that from his standpoint, Creamery Picnic was “a huge success for an event that had two parades and two stages with bands several blocks apart. We had zero arrests. That’s a credit to the department, the employees of the town, the volunteers and the citizens. That’s unheard of for an event of that size.” • Paul Ludington was elected as council president. • Paul Ludington was appointed to the Planning & Zoning Board. • Jaime Devlin was appointed to the TIFD/TEDD Board. • Sydney Allen was appointed to the Park Board. • Karen Wandler was appointed to the Airport Board. • Sydney Allen was appointed to the Climate Action Advisory Board. • The council approved a construction bid of $117,200 for the Airport Gate Project. The project will be 100% funded by FAA and Covid funds. • The council approved a contract addendum for Town Attorney Scott Owens. • Budget workshops were set for August 18 and August 25 at 5 p.m. at the North Valley Library community room.

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Bitterroot Star -- Page 3

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Bitterroot College in transition by Michael Howell

After failing to get legislative approval for establishment of a Bitterroot College District about a decade ago, the University of Montana stepped in and established the Bitterroot College University of Montana. But the urge to create an independent college district under local control did not subside and in the last biennium legislation, Senate Joint Resolution (SJR)15 was passed, overwhelmingly approving the first Community College district in the state of Montana in over 50 years— the Bitterroot Valley Community College District (BVCC). The result is we have a functioning Bitterroot College UM, a program of the University of Montana, still offering basic entry level courses in which credits can be applied to a full degree at the UM and a newly established Bitterroot Valley Community College governed by a locallyelected board, and able to cater to the unique needs of Ravalli County citizens, students and businesses. “There is an inaccurate belief that what currently exists in Hamilton—the Bitterroot College UM¬—is a community college.” said BVCC Board Chair Marci

Smith. “It is not.” Smith said the ultimate goal of the Bitterroot Valley Community College is to be an educational and career-training source for all ages. While the BVCC will still offer the same courses and opportunities currently offered at BC—Associate degrees, MUS credits, dual credit and early college options for high school students— it will also have the autonomous authority to bring a new focus on career and technical education and industry-recognized credential programs tailored to the unique needs of the growing Bitterroot Valley and Western Montana. Right now, however, it is a little like standing with one foot on the dock and another on the ship. The University of Montana and the Board of Regents have agreed to keep the Bitterroot College UM program running for a couple more years while the BVCC works on getting a financial footing under its venture. The BVCC is currently operating under a provisional budget of $400,000 provided by the legislature for assisting in the transition. “That may sound like a lot,” said Smith, “but it’s peanuts compared to what we need for a functioning college.” Smith said the budget of

$200,000 per year for two years would pay for some office help, a clerk and maybe an IT person. The bottom line, according to Smith, is that the college district is going to have to go back to the voters for approval of a levy. “That’s the big hurdle we are working towards right now,” said Smith. “I think the biggest thing about becoming an independent community college is that people can continue on the paths that exist there already to move into a four-year program at a cheaper price or they can take a different path into career training working with local businesses.” She said opportunities to design courses are already being explored with local companies, such as electrical contractors looking for certified electricians, and the new biotech lab that is looking for skilled lab technicians. She said the new college will have the ability to provide the welders, dental hygienists, radiology technicians and other specialists that the Bitterroot is in need of. This will be one of our main strengths, I think, when we are up and running,” said Smith. BVCC board members met last week with the Provost and Vice-Provost from the University

and they expressed nothing but support, according to Smith. She said they have nothing but the best interests of the new college in mind. She called it a win/win situation because they would continue to be a feeder to the university system by providing the same set of Associate degrees, dual credit and early college options for high school students. The BVCC board, elected last May, meets monthly. They have only formally met twice since being formed but they have all been working hard, according to Smith, putting together a plan of operation and a budget that the public may be willing to support. Right now, classes continue just like they did before and the Hamilton School District, which owns the building and has been renting it to the university, seems agreeable to transferring the lease to the BVCC. Smith is hopeful that the new college will be up and running by the fall of 2023. The BVCC trustees encourage folks to stop by their booth at the Ravalli County Fair to learn more and get involved. Their booth will be shared with the current Bitterroot College UM. The booth is located under the grandstands in the north corner.

It’s not goodbye, but see you later I write this with a bittersweet heart. This is my final paper with the Bitterroot Star. I have been at the Star since June of 2014 (also from April 2010-August 2011). I have enjoyed my time working for the Star and getting to meet so many new and wonderful people. Being a representative of the Star has only strengthened my love of the Bitterroot Valley and the amazing people that live here. So many of my clients have grown to be friends who I respect, people I admire, people I can laugh with. You all taught me so much about what it means to be local and to be proud of where I come from. I am truly grateful and humbled that so many great, local businesses entrusted your advertising dollars with me during my time here. I only hope you all had as positive of an experience as I did. I want to give a special thank you to Michael and Victoria Howell for all the years I worked for them. Victoria took a chance on giving me a job I had no experience in,

believed in me, and mentored me both on a professional and personal level. I will always be grateful for this. To Jean Schurman, thank you for showing me the ropes, guiding me to be a good rep to my clients and being there to see me grow. I will forever cherish our Mondays in the office, the three of us working to get that week’s paper out, celebrating our accomplishments on projects and breathing a sigh of relief when it was all finished. While I won’t be at the Star anymore I am a Valley girl for life and you will still see me around. I will be starting a new position shortly with A2Z Personnel and look forward to my new adventure. Thank you all! For the last time, Liz Cook Bitterroot Star Newspaper

Jesse Mullen is the Publisher

Editor’s Note: All of us at the Bitterroot Star wish Liz a fond farewell and offer sincere good wishes on her future endeavors.

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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

School: limited mask use for grades K-5 only Korst’s proposal was essentially a hybrid plan, wherein only students kindergarten through 5th grade would have any mask requirement at all. These students would only be required to wear masks when in groups and locations other than their regular ‘cohorts,’ or small groups. The proposal also makes clear that, under an order by the CDC, students and staff being transported with buses will all be required to wear masks until further notice. The proposal also addressed physical distancing policies, contact tracing, diagnostic and testing for staff, among other measures, but the mask policy was the only measure which seemed to draw the ire of people on both sides of the issue. Patrick Hanley, chair of the school board, expressed to those gathered that, “this is not easy,” and that the trustees had all spent a significant time considering how the school would re-open this fall. He added, “I can almost guarantee you that, no matter what decision we come up with, some of you will not be happy.” Despite that fact, he urged people to make their comments in a civil way and with respect. “That’s what we’re trying to teach the children,”

he added. While the public comment portion of the evening did unfold smoothly, emotions were clearly running high. Comments ranged from concern about dental health while wearing masks, to mind control and loss of IQ points from mask mandates. Said Richard Huls, of Hamilton, “We’re teaching our kids to be afraid.” Amy Elliott added to that notion by suggesting that the community, “trust your body’s immune system to do what the good Lord has designed it to do. Trust in God to protect you.” While Ms. Elliott places her faith in God to protect her body, she cited Montana House Bill 435 to protect the school district from any litigation which could arise from corona-virus related lawsuits, and Senate Bill 501 as justification for why the school couldn’t legally enforce any mask mandate. Elliott, who spoke multiple times, justified her opinion using the phrase, “my body, my choice.” While Hamilton School District 3 may be the only school district in the valley to use any mask mandate, it certainly isn’t the only district nation-wide dealing with uncertainty during the start of the school year. Wide-ranging points of

view, coupled with easily available information and misinformation on the internet, have parents and students on edge. While the Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction, Elsie Arntzen, last May encouraged Montana school districts to rescind or allow to expire any face covering requirements, the Montana Medical Association held a press conference on August 19th sending the opposite message. “Our message is based on researched facts and proved scientific data,” said MMA President, Pamela Cutler, adding, “Masking is a tried and true measure that protects the wearer and protects others too. We recommend universal masking for grades K-12. It worked for our schools last year, and it can keep our kids in school this year.” Following more than two hours of public input at the Hamilton School District meeting, trustee Seth Gale Wyrick made a motion that seemed to directly address the many comments about ‘personal choice’ made by many of the speakers. His motion would have required masks for all students through grade 6. He stated that he would prefer to, “give the choice about masks (only)

to any family that has also had a choice about vaccines.” Currently, only people over the age of 12 have the option to receive the vaccine. He asserted that people 11 years old and under shouldn’t be forced into an unsafe environment when they don’t have the option to protect themselves with the vaccine. “Mask choice cannot exist independent of vaccine choice,” said Gale Wyrick, adding that, “Those two choices go hand in hand, at least in my mind.” Trustee Gale Wyrick’s motion failed, and the board ultimately did pass the proposal as written by Superintendent Korst, with the only amendment being to revisit the policy as needed. As cases are currently on the rise in both Ravalli County and Montana, with a total of 60 new cases reported to the Public Health Department on Thursday and Friday, that revisiting could be sooner than many people hope. Even prior to the vote, Korst mentioned that there was a likelihood that COVID cases were going to increase, adding, “there’s a likelihood that we’re going to be modifying and talking about this throughout the year. If I had to bet, I think that’s going to be the scenario.”

Public comment ends on Mud Creek Project by Michael Howell The last day for registering objections to the Bitterroot National Forest’s Draft Environmental Assessment and decision notice of finding of no significant impact on the Mud Creek Vegetation Management Project was on Monday, August 23. The vegetation management, fuels reduction, and transportation system project encompasses approximately 48,486 acres including the West Fork Bitterroot River–Rombo Creek watershed, and portions of Nez Perce Fork–Nelson Lake, Little West Fork, Lloyd Creek, Lower Blue Joint, and Painted Rocks Lake watersheds, southwest of Darby. According to the EA, the primary purpose of the project is to restore healthy, resilient forest ecosystems that meet multiple resource objectives for the area, including fire and fuels,

wildlife, aquatics, and recreation, among others. The proposed action is designed to improve landscape resilience to disturbances such as insects, disease, fire, and drought through a combination of vegetation and fuel reduction treatments. As a result, this project uses a conditionbased implementation approach that is responsive to changing conditions and allows the flexibility to achieve desired conditions. Condition-based management is a system of management practices that relies on specific design features to create desired outcomes on the ground. The proposed action describes a suite of activities available to manage the project area over a period of approximately 20 years. The implementation

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standards relating to elk habitat effectiveness, elk habitat, old growth, and coarse woody debris. According to West Fork District Ranger Dave Fox, as of Monday morning the Forest Service had received a total of 10 letters of objection. He said most of them had objections to certain components of the decision while a few apparently filed letters stating they would object to any changes in the decision. Fox said that the Forest Service will review the objection letters over the next two weeks and determine if the objections are not based on any new information, but are based on points that were made during the public review process. They will also verify that the objector has standing, meaning that they participated in the public review process and made their views known. Once these preliminary requirements are ascertained to be met, the objections are forwarded to process involves several steps to move the Regional office for review by the an activity through identification Objection Review Panel. The panel is and prioritization, field review, made up of specialists in the issues contracting and documentation, raised by objectors and are from and monitoring as well as adaptive forests across Montana and Idaho management. Implementation of the who did not participate in the design Proposed Action will require projectof the project. Once the panel reviews specific forest plan amendments the objections, their recommendation to the 1987 Bitterroot Forest Plan is forwarded to the Deputy Regional to suspend certain Forest Plan Forester for final review. According to Fox, the Deputy Regional Forester Your Western Montana Real Estate Experts then generally holds a “resolution meeting” with Judy Porter (406) 214-5718 the objectors to see if a resolution to the issues Voted Bitterroot’s Best Realtor Twice! OUCH OINT can be worked out. He Owner, Broker, GRI, ABR said such a meeting could Judy@TouchPointProperties.com PROPERTIES occur some time between September 20 and Sarah Armijo (406) 396-4901 October 1. Following the Knowledge Realtor Associate resolution meeting, the Professionalism Sarah@TouchPointProperties.com Deputy Regional Forester will write a Letter of Expertise to the Bitterroot Holly Berner (406) 239-4158 Direction National Forest advising Realtor Associate TouchPointProperties.com them on what actions to Holly@TouchPointProperties.com take with regard to the project.

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Bitterroot Star -- Page 6

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

MT Department of Agriculture facilitates first Montana Beverage Show The Montana Department of Agriculture brought together businesses and professional buyers from across the state today at the first ever Montana Beverage Show. Two Bitterroot businesses won awards, Willow Mountain Winery and Westslope Distillery. Hosted in the capital city of Helena, nearly 30 Montana beverage companies showcased their valueadded products—ranging from spirits and ciders to kombuchas and coffee—to professional buyers interested in featuring beverages crafted in the Treasure State. “The Montana Department of Agriculture is keenly focused on promoting value-added agriculture,” said MDA Acting Director Christy Clark. “The Montana Beverage Show provided an avenue for us to facilitate connections between businesses and buyers that will result in more Montana-made products being made and distributed

for the enjoyment of folks far and wide.” The following Montana businesses received Governor’s Choice Awards in five different categories: Best in Craft Beer: Missouri Breaks Brewing (Wolf Point) Best in Wine: Willow Mountain Winery (Corvallis) Best in Cider: Big Mountain Ciderworks (Kalispell) Best in Spirits: Westslope Distillery (Hamilton) Best in Hand-Crafted Beverages (non-alcoholic): Wild Calf Coffee (Bainville, MT) After wrapping up this event, the Montana Department of Agriculture will turn its attention to the Montana Food Show happening October 25th in Missoula. Montana businesses interested in showcasing their value-added products at this event can learn more and register at agr.mt.gov/mtfoodshow.

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Estelle Shuttleworth and Phil Romans with their haul from Anglers Roost to Demmons. Photo Credit Bitter Root Water Forum.

River cleanup held On Saturday, August 14th, volunteers spread out along the full length of the Bitterroot River with one purpose, to clean up. The Bitter Root Water Forum a local non-profit that works to protect, enhance and restore waters in the Bitterroot hosts this annual event the second weekend of August every year. “We try to clean up the full length of the Bitterroot, with walking sites and floating stretches from Sula and Painted Rocks to Missoula,” says Katie Vennie, Bitter Root Water Forum Communications & Outreach Manager. “This year we had 95 volunteers and only a few areas that weren’t claimed.” A total of 1,727 pounds of trash were collected this year including 12 tires and a lot of rusty metal. “Most folks reported finding less trash,” said Vennie. In 2017 the Water Forum started a Clean Up All Year program distributing re-usable river cleanup bags throughout the valley, partnering with local businesses, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks fishing access sites, and city parks to place bag stands in places frequented by outdoor enthusiasts. “Since starting the program our volunteers have reported finding less ‘litter-type’ trash. It seems to allow them the chance to get some of the less obvious pieces that have probably been in the river a long time,” says Vennie. “We got a lot of metal this year.” Bitterroot Disposal partnered with the Water Forum to help do even more with the Clean Up All Year program this year. “Bitterroot Disposal is proud to sponsor 5,000 river clean up bags to support ongoing efforts to keep our beautiful river free from litter,” said Jen Bernosky, Community Relations Manager for Bitterroot Disposal. The new bags feature a label to better identify the bags as “Clean Up Bags” and add an opportunity for outreach for the Water Forum and Bitterroot Disposal. “After years supporting the annual River Clean Up event with donated services, we’re excited to also help encourage river clean up year-round,” said Jessica Murphy, Bitterroot Disposal Operations Manager. Bitterroot Disposal donates a dumpster for the annual Bitterroot River Clean Up every year.

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Opinion Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Thanks from NV Library Foundation

The North Valley Public Library Foundation board would like to thank the wonderful Bitterroot Valley community for your support of our annual fundraising golf tournament, Birdies for Books. This year’s event, on Aug. 14 at Whitetail Golf Course in Stevensville, raised more than $4,500 for the library. Eight teams competed in the event, which included a silent auction and luncheon. We’re grateful to all those who participated, plus our generous hole sponsors: Ace Hardware, Farmers State Bank, Fireside Pizza & Sandwich, First Interstate Bank, Foothill Equipment Rentals Inc., Kutting Edge salon, Matthew Avionics, Schultz Construction, and Yaskus Family Dental. In addition, the board appreciates those who gave items for the silent auction and special hole prizes: High Peaks Physical Therapy and Fitness Consultation, Jim Thomason, Sonny’s Performance Auto LLC, Hamilton Golf Club, Sun Mountain Sports, Montana Chocolates, Jen Tracy Massage, and Paul O’Bagy. Watch for more events throughout the year in support of the North Valley Public Library. NVPL Foundation Board Carla Sanders (President), Amy Horlacher, Donna Bainbridge, Jody Torrey and Maryjo Lykins

COVID is big business

We are at war! Our freedoms and liberties are quickly disappearing, but the atrocities that are happening in the medical world and our schools are beyond comprehension. 1Timothy 6:10 says “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” How many of you have experienced a loved one needing medical attention only to find out that you must comply with draconian rules before care will be given? “First Do No Harm” is no longer the oath of the medical profession. If you are still living in fear from the mainstream media feeding you lie after lie after lie, then you probably need to read no further because you have been brainwashed into thinking that all of this is “for our own good,” and the government would NEVER do such things. For the rest of you that know what is going on, when will We rise up and destroy the stronghold that the medical industry and schools has over us? Pharmakeia (where we get our English word pharmacy) in the Greek is defined as “witchcraft, magic, the use of spells and potions of magic, often involving drugs.” If you’ve been paying attention to Montana, it seems common sense is still alive and well. There is no so-called emergency, nobody

is dying from the Fear Agenda, but are actually dying from all the things people used to die from prior to March 2020. Businesses can no longer keep you from shopping in their stores, NOTHING is mandated, NOTHING! But the fear that the main stream media spread was powerful. Did you know that it is ok to be sick? Did you know that is how you build a strong immune system? Of course you know but somehow the “news” has scared you into forgetting that. Hospitals have become concentration camps right under our noses. Nursing homes are no better. If, God forbid, you think you need to go to the hospital, you will be strongly coerced into being “tested.” Tests equal cases and cases equal $$$$$. They will re-test you until they get a positive reading so they can tag you with “C-19”. C-19 equals Big Money! Did you know that you are worth more to the hospital if you test +? And if they can intubate you, that’s even more money? According to Kaiser Health News in Montana you are worth 315,000.00 for a positive case. Why would you do that? Why would you add to the madness? Why is it ok for a stranger to be with your loved one but not you? Why is it ok for our loved ones to suffer alone? Human interaction with loved ones is the absolute best treatment there is! So why are we sitting back letting this evil dominate us? People are not getting the attention they need because they know if they go to a hospital their chances of coming out alive are not good and if they die they will die alone. So people withholding getting treatment and are dying because of the fear that has enveloped our land. How does it feel now that you know we are being prostituted? And that brings me to our children. At a recent Florence School Board meeting they proceeded to talk about applying for grant money tied to the latest round of scamdemic money. In order to receive said money they have to Comply! There was a list of mandates that included masking, social distancing and quarantining. So if there is no emergency are you starting to see a pattern here? When we asked about the money and why they were prostituting our children and how did they survive before Covid money, we were told this conversation was over. We were asked if we had a million dollars in our pocket. A million dollars?? Wow! Apparently they only want to interact when nobody questions their actions. They are putting the love of money over the well being of our children. And then there is CRT (Critical Race Theory), Gay Straight Alliance (recruiting our children into the gay lifestyle) which would take more space then allowed to explain. When is enough, enough Montana? When are you going to stop talking, keyboarding and texting and start fighting? Our rights come from God, not the State. Our state legislature did amazing things this past session but we are still at war! We can’t rely on 1 individual or our government to fix this. The election was stolen! Why didn’t we do something about it then? Why did we just accept it? It was

obvious. We are broken! We The People are ultimately responsible to enforce the supreme law of the land, which is The US Constitution. When will we start Standing Together For Freedom? Terri Lackey Stevensville

Get vaccinated, wear a mask

Montana Nurses Association (MNA) is the recognized leader and advocate for the professional nurse in Montana, representing over 3,000 RN (registered nurse) and APRN (advanced practice registered nurse) members. MNA promotes professional nursing practice, standards, and education; represents professional nurses; and provides nursing leadership in promoting high quality healthcare. MNA recognizes that it will take all of us working together to control the spread of the Covid virus. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) uses the best science and data available at the time to protect the American people, knowing this is ever changing as the virus is evolving. The CDC recently announced that vaccinated Americans living in areas with high or substantial coronavirus transmission should wear masks while indoors in public areas. The current data suggests that infections and hospitalizations occur in a very small proportion of those who are fully vaccinated, but vaccinated people can spread the virus to others. Bringing back masks for vaccinated people, especially while indoors, reduces the risk that a person with a breakthrough infection will infect an unvaccinated person, who remains at a much higher risk of serious illness or death (Unvaccinated Americans make up the overwhelming majority of hospitalizations and deaths across the country). While it is impossible to know who is vaccinated and who is not, let’s take care of each other and our state by wearing masks. Covid related hospitalization data from the past eight weeks from June 5 to July 30 shows that 89% of Montanans who were hospitalized had NOT received the Covid vaccine. Masks, handwashing, and social distancing remain the easiest, most non-invasive methods to help stop the spread of Covid. Let’s keep our state open by simply asking those who are not vaccinated to wear a mask, and for those who are vaccinated, to kindly wear a mask while indoors in the public. As Montana is currently experiencing an increase in Covid infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, let’s act now to prevent further outbreaks. Encourage your family and friends to get vaccinated, wear a mask, and minimize the risk of Covid transmission. With the arrival of the Delta variant, the risk for children is rising. Hospitals are struggling to find nurses, even beds and oxygen as the Delta variant surges. MNA is concerned about the

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many variants and encourages all Montanans to get vaccinated who can do so. The Covid vaccines continue to be remarkably effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. MNA anticipates FDA authorization of the Covid vaccine very soon and this should encourage more Montanans to get vaccinated. When science speaks, MNA listens. MNA continues to ask Governor Gianforte, Lt. Governor Juras, and our elected officials to lead us through this pandemic with respect and support for our public health professions by endorsing their recommendations and supporting all of our healthcare providers and stakeholders who use science and evidence-based data to provide the best public healthcare for all of our citizens. MNA simply asks that everyone in (or visiting) Montana get vaccinated for those that can, please wear a mask especially if unvaccinated, and kindly wear a mask (vaccinated or not) in public areas. Keep Montana, your Montana healthcare workers, and fellow Montanans safe… MNA kindly asks, get Vaccinated and Wear a Mask! Vicky Byrd, MSN, RN Chief Executive Officer Montana Nurses Association

Problems mounting under Biden

Homeless problem – Missoula plans on expanding how they handle this group and where they will let them camp. Very little mention of intervention to get the mentally ill folks help nor drug abuse therapy for those addicted. The city and county officers, of course, assure us there will not be any increase in the number of these folks. Study just released over in Billings where they traced some of their homeless, found that 93 of this group cost the city over $10 million last year. Most large cities are experiencing these same problems. Everett WA just shut down a lemonade stand being run by a 12-year-old because it violated a city ordinance while within sight homeless folks were being left to illegally camp on city property. Denver is spending twice as much on the homeless problem than they spend on K-12 education and veteran problems. The homeless campers have taken over a park near City Hall in Seattle and some employees are afraid to come to work now. Southern border problem – things continue to get worse. Record numbers of illegal immigrants are arriving and have overwhelmed the Border Patrol’s ability to process them so many are being allowed to simply disappear into our country. Additionally, the checking of these folks for COVID seems to be nonexistent. What should scare each See LETTERS, page 10

Bitterroot Star staff Jesse Mullen is the Publisher

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Information about your Bitterroot Star Bitterroot Star promise We strive to cover all the news and entertainment important to the people of the Bitterroot Valley. Our entire staff takes part in deciding what appears in these pages and all content is locally generated. If you have a story idea or want some event publicized, contact any of the people you see here. Call us 406-777-3928. Printing information The Bitterroot Star is published every Wednesday by Bitterroot Star Newspaper, Co. Standard postage paid at the United States Post Office in Stevensville, MT 59870. The SSP’s advertising and editorial content deadlines are Fridays at 5 p.m. Our View/Letters Star editorials frequently appear at the top of this page and are written from the position of the newspaper, usually with the influence of several people, and in the hope that they will carry the weight of our decades of leadership. The personal columns and letters appearing elsewhere on this page, and others, represent the opinions of single individuals and do not necessarily reflect the position of the newspaper. The Star welcomes and encourages your letter to the editor. Letters on local topics or issues are given priority for publication; letters should be 600 words or less and may be edited. Shorter letters generally have a better chance of prompt publication. While letters expressing appreciation for a specific, out-of-the-ordinary action are welcomed, letters with lists of names of contributors, donors or volunteers are not accepted as letters to the editor. A Member 2016 signature, address and telephone number (for verification, not publication) are required. We will not publish letters that are libelous or scurrilous in nature. Letters of thanks are offered at a reduced price in our display ads. Member 2021

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Gamblers Anon

Gamblers Anonymous meets Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church, 411 S. 5th Street in Hamilton.

WIC clinics

Ravalli County WIC is a nutrition education program that serves pregnant, post-partum, and breastfeeding women, children from birth to age 5 and women whose pregnancies have ended early. WIC also welcomes dads, grandparents, and foster families. The WIC program is offered In Hamilton Monday through Thursday 8:30-4:30 at 205 Bedford Street, Suite P, District Courthouse Building in Hamilton. The Stevensville clinic is open on Wednesdays at the United Methodist Church, 216 College Street in Stevensville. The Victor Clinic is the second Tuesday of the month at the Victor Nazarene Church. The Darby clinic is open every month on the third Monday of the month at the Darby Library.Call 406-802-7180 for more information.

Family Shelter

The Family Shelter of the Bitterroot is dedicated to helping homeless and needy families in the Bitterroot Valley. If you are interested in helping or need help, call Gary Locke for more information, 2398833.

Calendar Wednesday, August 25, 2021

1 p.m. For info or to volunteer call 642-3320.

Hamilton Senior Center

Open for lunch Monday, Wednesday, Friday, serving from 11:45-12:30 p.m. Canasta (Hand and Foot), Every Mondays, 12:30 p.m. Cards/ shufflers provided. $1. Pinochle every Friday, 1:00 p.m. All supplies provided. $2. The Center is located at 820 N. 4th Street.

Hamilton Golden Age Club

Pinochle, 1st & 3rd Mondays, 1:00 p.m. Coffee provided; no food please. $2. Pinochle, 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 1:00 p.m. Coffee provided; no food please. $2. Light exercise Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9-10:00 a.m. 50 cents. The Club is located at 527 South 5th Street.

Stevensville Senior Center

Stevensville Al-Anon will meet on Monday, July 5 at 7:30 in the library of the Stevensville United Methodist Church, 216 College. Meetings will continue on the first Monday of the month until further notice. Anyone who has been affected by the disease of alcoholism in a family member or friend is welcome. For more info call Hazel at 239-0878.

Stevenville Senior Center is now serving meals at the Center Monday thru Friday at 11:30 am. You can still pick up your weekly meals on Monday at 11 am to 11:30 am Coffee Club at 8:00 am M-F Exercise 10:00 am Tuesday and Thursday Quilters the second Tuesday of each month 6:00 pm Pinochle Saturdays at 7 pm Afternoon Pinochle Fridays 12:15 pm Bridge Mondays at 12:15 pm

Three Mile Coffee

Sapphire Quilt Club

Stevensville Al-Anon

Three Mile Coffee Club meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at 1064 Three Mile Creek Road. Everyone is welcome. Good coffee, conversation and get to know your neighbors. All ages welcome. For information call Colleen at 777-3710.

BitterRodders Cars

BitterRodders Car Club meets the first Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at BJ’s Restaurant, 900 N. 1st in Hamilton. Everyone welcome. For more information call 961-3136.

Divorce Care

Divorce Care is a free class/ support group for those needing support, hope, and healing during and after divorce. Divorce Care meets at Hamilton Assembly of God every Wednesday evening at 6:30 starting February 3 through April 29. Anyone can join at any time. Please see Divorcecare.org for more information.

Soul Suppers

Soul Suppers in Stevensville Served Every Wednesday! Free home cooked carry out meals with a message served every Wed.evening at 6 p.m. 101 Church St. Stevensville. For more information, contact Corey at 406) 214-8708.

Victor Senior Center

Serving meals at the Center Monday Wednesday and Friday at 11:30 a.m. You can still order and pickup meals to go on Monday from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Bridge every Tuesday at 1 p.m. Bingo every Tuesday at 6 p.m. Pokeno 2nd and 4th Friday at

2nd Tuesday of each month, Senior Citizens Center, Stevensville. Doors open 6 p.m. Start 6:30 p.m.

Hamilton Parkinson’s Disease Support Group

We are up and running again. New location. We meet 3rd Monday of the month. At 1:00 pm. We will be meeting at the Corvallis United Methodist Church (youth center) to the east of the church. Located on the corner of Corvallis Cemetery Rd. and Eastside Heat. Big white church. Any questions please call me. Ginny Wigen, coordinator HPDSG. 406-544-9186.

St. Mary’s Parish Mass

Join us for Mass every Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. (currently NO Mass scheduled for St. Joseph’s in Florence).

Victor Heritage Museum

The Victor Heritage Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. through Labor Day. The Museum is in downtown Victor on the corner of Main Street and Blake Street. Contact the Musuem at 406-642-3997; victormuseum@ cybernet1.com; or Suzanne at 406363-3165.

Summer Meal Program

A free summer meal program is available for pick up every Monday from 11 a.m. to 12 noon through-

out the summer at the Stevensville Masonic Lodge, corner of E. 3rd and Church. Ths is available to any child, ages 0-18. Enrollment in Stevensville schools is not required. Pick up 203 Main St. Stevensville • 777-0028 a week’s worth of food for breakfast and lunch, including milk and fresh fruit.

ST. STEPHENS EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Stevensville Playhouse auditions

The Stevensville Playhouse Board is excited to let you know that some wonderful shows are in the works! Please see the event opportunities list below! The Outsider Auditions: Aug. 30 Performances: Oct. 15-24, 2021 On Golden Pond Auditions: Oct 25 Performances: Dec. 3-12, 2021 Showtime in Stevensville Dec. 31, 2021 Beehive the 60’s Musical Auditions: Jan. 24 Performances: March 4-20, 2022 Smile Auditions: March 21 Performances: May 6-22, 2022 Orphan Trains Auditions: July 11 Performances: July 22, 23, 24, 2022 Dracula Auditions: Sept. 6 Performances: October 14-23, 2022 The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe Auditions: Oct.10 Performances: Dec. 2-11, 2022 Showtime in Stevensville Dec. 31, 2022 Take some time and listen to the radio production of “Flash Gordon”! Check the website: stevensvilleplayhouse.org or the facebook page for a free link to this show!

Stevensville High School Registration

High school registration for Stevensville High School will be August 24, 25, and 26 (8:30am3:30pm). Freshman and Sophomores registration will be August 24, Juniors and Seniors registration will be August 25 and if a student misses coming in on designated days, they may register on August 26. New students need immunizations, birth certificate and transcript when registering. Current students check your schedules in Infinite Campus. If schedules need to change, students should report to the high school office on their designated grade day.

Lutheran preschool BBQ

Our Savior Lutheran Preschool is throwing a BBQ! To celebrate the start of preschool, the Church invites registered students and their families—as well as families interested in registering—to enjoy hamburgers and hotdogs and all that good stuff. On Thursday, August 26, come from 5-7pm to check out the school while children play and meet new friends while someone else runs the grill. Dinner is served at 6pm. Stevensville’s Our Savior Lutheran Preschool classes begin September 7 for three-year-olds and September 8 for fours. Parents may call 777-5625 weekday mornings Monday-Thursday for information or call Joyce Andrade anytime at 369-2536. Our Savior’s early childhood program is designed to develop socialization and basic skills in boys and girls, ages three through five. Games, songs, books, playtime, projects, and activities, promote skills, relationships, and a hunger for learning. The children interact with new people and new activities that lead to being ready for kindergarten. Best of all, they will find what they are craving—new experiences, new ideas, and new friends. Our Savior, affiliated with the Lutheran Church––Missouri Synod, is located at 184 Pine Hollow Road, south of Stevensville off the Eastside Highway. Proceeding past Burnt Fork Market and beyond Burnt Fork Veterinary Clinic, at the curve, turn east onto Pine Hollow Road. Cross the tracks and the canal, and Our Savior will be on your left, marked by three crosses. Our Savior, affiliated with the Lutheran Church––Missouri Synod, is located at 184 Pine Hollow Road, south of Stevensville off the Eastside Highway. Proceeding past Burnt Fork Market and beyond Burnt Fork Veterinary Clinic, at the curve, turn east onto Pine Hollow Road. Cross the tracks and the canal, and Our Savior will be on your left, marked by three crosses.

Civic Club meeting

The Stevensville Civic Club will hold a Creamery Picnic wrap-up meeting on Thursday, August 26 at 6 p.m. at Kodiak Jax. This meeting is for Civic Club members and volunteers to talk about what went well this year and what might be improved for next year. Pizza will be served. To RSVP or for more information contact Liz Cook, Civic Club President, at 880-2007.

Book Signing and Reading

Enjoy a rare opportunity to meet five authors of local history for a book signing on Friday, August 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. in St. Mary’s Chapel. Authors Jane Lambert, Jim Harmon, Bill Turner, Larry Strate and Rosie Bosse will do a short reading from their books. St. Mary’s Gift Shop is located at 315 Charlos Street in Stevensville.

Worship at 11:00 a.m. In this Church there shall be no outcasts. Call 406-777-5734 for more information.

Scarecrow Festival

Scarecrow Festival is coming October 1st and 2nd. Start designing your scarecrow and watch for more information after Creamery Picnic. Or for more information call Gretchen at River’s Mist Gallery 360-6716.

St. Mary’s Holiday Bazaar registration

Saturday, November 13th, 9:00am to 4:00pm. St. Mary’s Mission Parish located in Stevensville hosts a local bazaar featuring local artisans and crafters. Lunch and drinks will be available for purchase. There will be a raffle and a 50/50 drawing. Vendors will be asked to donate 1 item to the raffle. This year each 10x10 space will be $35.00 and you must supply your own tables. Contact Phyllis Green (916-296-3435) for application, text message is preferred.

Square Dancing

Square Dancing this fall! The Solo Stars based at the Lolo Dance Center will hold dances on the 1st and 3rd Sundays starting in September. The Boots & Calico Square Dance Club of Hamilton will start its season holding dances on the 2nd and 4th Sundays starting on October 10th. All dances for both Clubs will be on Sundays, 3-5 beginner lessons and dancing from 5-7 PM. Round dancing will be to CD’s. All dances will be $7 and masks are optional. For more info on these Sunday Square Dances, call Dee Casey (Solo Stars), 2188179 or Boots & Calico: Ray Dunbar 370-4414 or Kathy Finney 360-5034.

Home Buyer Education Class

The Bitter Root RC&D will hold its next Home Buyer Education class on Saturday, September 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. To request a registration package and reserve your place, email Angie at bitterrootrcd@ cybernet1.com or call her at 406-363-5450. The cost is $75 per household (up to 2 participants). Full and partial scholarships are available. Space is limited. Attendees must attend the entire session and participate in a one-on-one intake and financial counseling session prior to the class to qualify for the course certificate. This fulfills the education requirement of government insured or funded loans such as VA, FHA, MT Housing, NeighborWorks-MT, USDA Rural Direct and Guarantee, etc. All registrations for the September class must be received by 3 p.m. on August 26; this includes the completed paperwork and payment. The one-on-one counseling sessions are scheduled as registrations are completed.

Golf Scramble to benefit LifeGuard Group

The 4th annual LifeGuard Group Golf Scramble will be held Friday, September 10 at the Hamilton Golf Course. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with a shot gun start at 10 a.m. Teams are welcome to sign up by calling Carson at 406-396-5053 or go to the LifeGuard Group facebook page. Human trafficking is the fastest growing crime with an estimated 40.3 million individuals being sexually exploited globally and 2 million being exploited in the United States. Along with that, every hour, 34 more individuals enter the life of human trafficking. The LifeGuard Group is made up of experts that are committed to providing an aggressive and comprehensive approach to fight human trafficking. The groups works to respond, rescue, restore and revive in order to bring a survivor full circle and back onto his/

her feet. The LifeGuard Group has recently obtained property in the Bitterroot for a safe house where they are able to give survivors of human trafficking a place to be rehabilitated. All the profits from the golf tournament will go towards making this safe place a reality.

Coding for Kids registration

Coding for Kids fun fall classes are open for enrollment...robotics, drones, design and film. See you there! www. codingstevensville.net contact@codingstevensville.net

Prepping your Garden/Field for Winter with Leon Stangl

September 4 @ 10:00 AM - September 4 @ 12:00 PM Join us for this Building a Stronger Bitterroot event at Cultivating Connections with guest speaker and Bitterroot Farmer Leon Stangl. Leon will share what he has learned about building healthy soils in the Bitterroot Valley to promote moisture retention, and create greater biodiversity. He also will encourage you to think differently about weeds. In the long haul he wants to save you time, money and labor while increasing your yields with ecologically responsible methods. Bring Your Questions! Some of the topics he can address: soil structure, soil fertility, composting, use of redworms, irrigation solutions, pest management, pasture viability, season extenders, livestock, fencing, growing vegetables, berries and medicinal herbs. See you there. -Bristol, Cobey, and Laura- the Building A Stronger Bitterroot Team Building A Stronger Bitterroot is a way for us to gather as a community, share knowledge, build our collective capacity, and move our valley forward toward a more resilient future More about our Speaker, Leon Stangl: Leon grew up in northwest Iowa and actively participated on a large farm; helping to raise hogs, cattle, chickens, as well as grow commodity crops. In that time he learned to fix just about anything with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, weld, operate machinery and problem solve. Since living in Montana he has been a forest service firefighter, fly fishing guide, landscaping crew manager, computer systems operator, horse ranch manager, and farm manager at a seed company. He started his own farming business in 2005. He has over 45 years of experience growing produce and raising livestock. Since 2016 he has been teaching classes on how to grow a successful garden in the Bitterroot Valley. Leon has been encouraged to use his skills to help others find successful and practical ways to grow food and manage lands. He emphasizes sustainable methods to build soil, retain moisture and optimize production.

Looking for the Bitterroot Star? It’s FREE on more than 100 newsstands from Lolo to Conner. Or call us at 777-3928 and we’ll let you know where the closest stand is.

Obituary Wednesday, August 25, 2021

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Rita Ann Yarbrough Rita Ann Yarbrough joined her Lord in heaven on August 19, 2021, peacefully in her home surrounded by her family. She was born on June 11, 1931, in Grand Forks, ND, to Lawrence and Jeannette Butler, the eldest of eight children. The family moved to Michigan when she was eleven years old. She graduated from Midland High School in 1949 and from Saint Mary’s School of Nursing three years later. She then moved to California where she met and married the love of her

life, Clyde Yarbrough, and together they raised seven children. Children include Stephen Yarbrough, Stan Yarbrough (deceased), Keith Yarbrough (Dorene), Claudia Neufeld (Dennis), Mary Wingert (Steve), Jeannette VanTassel (Claude), and Gena Leak (Cecil). Rita had 18 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years in 1997.

Rita had many interests and hobbies. She loved playing games of all kinds, especially cards and dominos. She was involved with Red Hats, TOPS, her church, and especially her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. They were her greatest source of joy. Rita loved reading and would often read a book a day. She moved to Montana five years ago

to be near her daughters and their families, and quickly made Stevensville her home. She was very impressed with how friendly and welcoming everyone she met was. She made many wonderful friends here. Rita was a blessing to the lives of many. She is greatly loved and will be greatly missed. Rita requested there be no formal funeral service. We hope when you remember her, it will be with love in your heart, like she had for others.

He belonged to Y Indian Guides with Michael and the Lions Club in Washington. He loved card games, baseball, baseball and other sports cards and comics. He is survived by his wife and step son Michael, Rea’s brother Sam who he supported from the time he was 10, a brother Barry Ross of Vacaville, CA, nephew

Maurice of Vacaville, CA and numerous cousins, nephews and nieces. There will be a Celebration of Life on Sunday, September 5, 2021 at the American Legion Hall in Stevensville MT 59870 at 10:00 A.M. located at 754 Middle Burnt Fork Road. Chaplain David Andrew officiating. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www. whitesittfuneralhome.com.

death by his parents and sister-in-law Carolyn. He is survived by his wife Linda of Corvallis MT; brother, Robert of Corvallis MT; son, Laurence (Randi) of La Mesa CA; niece, Jeanette (Rob) Smith and family of Corvallis MT; nephew, Christian of Corvallis, MT. Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at the Daly-Leach Chapel. Interment followed at Corvallis Cemetery with military honors presented by the US Navy and the Corvallis American Legion. Condolences may be left for the family at www. dalyleachchapel.com The family suggests memorials to: Corvallis Cemetery @ P.O. Box 217 Corvallis MT 59828.

with his wife Kay. They are active members of a spiritual community, the Center for Spiritual Life and the Dances of Universal Peace. Tony is a storyteller who cares deeply about indigenous cultures. Tony loved camping and canoeing with his wife Kay, traveling the West. He loved community yet savored his yearly month of solitude in which he volunteered for the Selway Bitterroot Foundation, working at the Shearer cabin.

Tony continues to touch the hearts of many through his book “The Lupine Walker.” Tony is survived by his wife Kay, his daughter Heather, grandsons Solomon and Ross, stepchildren Aaron and Laura and their children. Loved by many, his spirit and inspiration carry on. Connect with the spirit of nature, honor our earth, help her be healthy and live fully! It’s been a good ride, says Tony. You have a good ride too. In his honor, contributions could be made to the Selway Bitterroot Foundation.

Bruce Richard Ross Stevensville - Bruce Richard Ross, 79, of Stevensville, MT, passed away on February 20, 2021, following a 26-month battle with cancer. He was born in Newark, New Jersey on December 20, 1941. He received a 2-year degree in forestry from Paul Smith College in 1963. He then joined the Navy and served on the 1st nuclear attack submarine, the Robert E. Lee, for three

years and then three years in reserves. He was married to Rea Ross on December 10, 1972, they were married for 48 years. He worked for Weyerhaeuser Co. for 27 years, retiring from his position as Import and Export Coordinator in 1997. In Montana, he worked for over 20 years in two nurseries, Earth & Wood and Empire.

Donald Palmer Thorson Corvallis - Donald Palmer Thorson, 78 of Corvallis passed away Sunday, August 15, 2021 at his home in Corvallis. Don was born May 2, 1943 in Hamilton, MT to the late Alvin and Edith Thorson. He attended and graduated from Corvallis High School and University of Montana. Don married Linda L. Jessen on June 17, 1972.

Don and his brother Bob operated A.E. Thorson & Sons Manufacturing. He served as a Commander, US NAVY Reserve (RET) onboard the USS Benington and USS Peleliu. Don was active in 4-H, the Water Board and Corvallis Cemetery. He enjoyed History, stamps and coins. Don was preceded in

Tony Rasch Tony Rasch, born December 1, 1944, walked many miles on this earth and touched the hearts of many before his passing on August 12, 2021. He passed peacefully in his home in the Bitterroot Valley with his wife and daughter at his side. One of the highlights of Tony’s life was his Lupine Walk where at 36 years old, Tony decided to leave time behind and follow a river to its source. He backpacked across Wyoming and Montana. Later in life, he completed his trek hiking across Arizona and Utah completing the trip from Mexico to Canada. Tony has hiked across Wyoming twice, first on his lupine walk and later along the Hand Cart Trail where he walked from Iowa City to Salt Lake City retracing the footsteps of his ancestors. His love for wild flowers, mountains and nature has touched the souls of many. Born in Pocatello, Idaho, his family moved to Jackson, Wyoming where he graduated from high school and spent his spare time skiing, hiking and mountain climbing. Tony is a free spirit, it is not uncommon to hear stories of him sleeping under the stars or jumping off an iceberg. During his years at

the University of Utah, Tony spent summers working on the Teton trail crew where he climbed Mount Moran solo. Next came one of the highlights of his life in which Tony volunteered for the Peace Corps, spending three years in Shambu, Ethiopia, where he crossed the Blue Nile river with Wally Charlo on a cowhide boat filled with straw. He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro where he could touch the stars and had a spiritual awakening. Then he moved to Seattle for graduate school with his wife Phlox. Tony continued to climb mountains and on Mount Kulshan (Baker) he had a vision a child would come to him and soon his daughter Heather Kulshan, a gift from the mountains, was born whom he baptized in the mountain stream. Next, he moved to Olympia where he continued to work for the Department of Fisheries. A few years later he worked overseas in Oman where he traveled beaches observing fishermen and villagers helping develop their Department of Fisheries. Tony loved adventures and untouched lands. He liked things wild, uninfluenced by modern

times. Other treks took him to Denali, Denmark, Mexico, Iceland, Guatemala and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. In his mid-years, he settled in Bozeman, Montana where he married his wife Kay. They entertained many friends and were active in the Dances of Universal Peace. Kay is an accomplished chef and Tony was an avid gardener. Tony loved being a grandfather and playing games with his grandkids and taking them backpacking and camping. Tony was a writer with published books. He also loved Scrabble and spent hours writing Scrabble books and creating word lists and formed the Hamilton Scrabble Club. Tony moved to the Bitterroot Valley in 2007

Book Signing and Reading At Historic St. Mary’s Mission & Museum

Friday, August 27, 2021 Enjoy a rare opportunity to meet five authors of local history for a book signing from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in St. Mary’s Gift Shop. Authors Jane Lambert, Jim Harmon, Bill Turner, Larry Strate and Rosie Bosse will do a short reading from their books. Saturday Series continue on September 25 and October 16 at 11:00 am

Bitterroot Star -- Page 10

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

LETTERS cont. of our readers is that this is being done in SECRECY by the Biden administration. It’s time for some of us to stand up and yell, “the President has no clothes on.” Defunding the police – some cities are finally realizing that this concept is nonsense. Crime rates continue to spiral out of control to include not only murders and robberies, but random shootings, carjacking and looting. This week Portland finally decided to move back toward sensibility by hiring back officers who had previously left, only to be faced with a lack of applicants – DUH! Final thought – seems to this old cowboy that we can fully expect the homeless problem to further spiral out of control as a direct result of letting all of these illegal immigrants in. If we are already short on housing and good paying jobs, why wouldn’t we expect the flood of illegals to make it worse??? Jerry Esmay Stevensville

Parents –do you know?

School will be starting soon and there have been many changes in recent years in the public school system. Now is the time to speak out and let your voice be heard. Parents, do you know, really know, what is being taught to your children? Do you know if they are being brainwashed into thinking that socialism-communism is good, and our republic government outdated and bad? Do you know if the sinful lifestyle of the LGBT and sex change is presented as something right and acceptable, while God’s word clearly calls this an abomination to God? How about history? Is it truly what happened or changed to fit the “left’s” propaganda scheme? Do you know what books they read or whether masks or the covid shots are required, under the falsehood of helping to keep the students safe. Masks are not helpful and do more harm than good. The covid shot is NOT a vaccine, but an experiment, and they want to use your children as “guinea pigs” to experiment on. Therefore, you need to get to know who is on the school board, ask them

questions, go to the meetings, voice loud and clear your opinion, read the textbooks, spend a day attending the classes at school. Have open communication with your child so he or she can freely discuss what happened during their school day. Do not allow evil propaganda to confuse your children’s thinking. Help keep our schools morally correct and teaching the truth. Grace Wilson Stevensville

Capelle’s obsession

Yet another whining letter from Ty Capelle in the August 4, 2021 issue regarding the rebuilding of St. Francis of Assisi Church. The church was built in 1896 and is in need of many expensive repairs, as well as enlargement to serve the parish community which has grown since 1896. Not a dime of taxpayer (or Mr. Capelles’) money has been requested for the project. Mr. Capelle seems to have made it his life’s ambition to block the building of the new church (which would from the outside look essentially the same as the current one.) All the legal fees he is complaining about would have never come about if the church neighbors hadn’t created them. One has to wonder about the true source of Mr. Capelle’s animus towards the church. Teresa Larsen Victor

Open letter to President Biden

Mr. President, You’re ruining your presidency and America by plagiarizing ridiculous Socialist dictatorial gibberish into government. God says (Isa. 55:7-9 NIV), “Let the wicked man forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn… to our God, for he will freely pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways… As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Humpty Dumpty and all D.C.’s king men’s machinations reaffirm God’s plan is best. Please return to it. All America would rejoice! Charles E. Wissenbach Pinesdale

Heard of the “For the People Act”?

Our democracy will fail without it. Learn more: https://my.lwv.org/montana League of Women Voters Montana Medicare fraud is big business for criminals – Medicare loses billions of dollars each year due to fraud, errors, and abuse.

A difficult summer for our rivers

I balance my professional and family life with time on the river. River time, usually with a rod in hand, is a critical part of my quality of life as a Montanan. This summer that life feels very threatened by

high temperatures, a winter with low snow pack, a bad fire season, and the sheer volume of anglers seeking out native trout on our blue ribbon trout streams. Yet I’m worried about my future as an angler, and I’m sure our state’s fly shop owners, outfitters, and guides who are all part of the $7 billon outdoor recreation economy our rivers support, are even more concerned. As a Missoulian, a large part of my river days are spent on the Blackfoot River and its tributaries. I feel fortunate that the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act is in the works to help protect this important watershed. What this legislation needs to move forward is support from Senator Steve Daines. This summer is a wake-up call, and our rivers and native trout need all the help we can offer them. Senator, please help move the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act through Congress now. Derek Laine Missoula

Concern over Corvallis curriculum

Trust but verify! On August 17, my husband and I met with Jon Konen, the Superintendent of Corvallis Schools. We were concerned about Critical Race Theory tenets (CRT) being taught through the vehicle of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) that will be a focus of the schools this fall. The Superintendent stated firmly, “…Critical Race Theory (CRT) will not be taught through the vehicle of SEL in the Corvallis Schools.” However, using Reagan’s maxim, we decided to “verify” what Konen told us. What we found was shocking. As part of that verification, we reviewed an OPI document entitled Montana Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies that a school board member had given to my husband. The name of CASEL, The Collaborative for Academic Social Emotional Learning, is at the top of the first page. Five CASEL core competencies for what educators and students will be required to do and learn throughout their K-12 experience form the basis for the Montana SEL program. We counted at least 10 of those learning objectives that are clearly CRT wording. In an article in The Federalist, February 8, 2021, “How SocioEmotional Learning Became Another Vehicle for Anti-White Racism in Schools,” respected author and education researcher, Jane Robbins wrote about a June 2020 CASEL webinar, entitled, “SEL as a Lever for Equity and Social Justice.” In that webinar, CASEL’s CEO, Karen Niemi and two colleagues proclaimed “That SEL should be used to elevate ‘favored’ students, based primarily on ‘RACE’, over ‘disfavored’ students.” Continuing the theme, one presenter stated, “A color-blind approach, ignores the humanity of the people you’re interacting with. Doing so makes us ‘reproductive’ of the inequities that we are experiencing in our schools, in our communities, in our healthcare systems, etc., etc.” Reaffirming this thinking, CEO Niemi, declared that

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“social-emotional learning must actively contribute to anti-racism.” ANTI? when she and her cohorts specifically state that they will “favor” students based primarily on RACE? NOTE: Anytime you see the words, Equity and Social Justice, you should recognize the racist tone and main idea of what will be presented: White Supremacy, White Oppression, White Privilege. Robbins continues, “…The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) is now brazenly trumpeting a troubling aspect of SEL - the opportunity to turn impressionable students into leftist activists.” There is another troubling aspect to SEL. As further described by Jane Robbins: “More and more time is being redirected from academic instruction to “socialemotional learning” (SEL)—but not the cultivation of knowledge.” Instead, they learn the “correct” attitudes, beliefs, opinions, and behaviors for left wing activism. Perhaps this is the reason that Corvallis had low scores on the state tests last year for reading and math. CASEL is promoting reverse racism and is “gaslighting” people to cover their tracks. Gaslighting, defined by Psychology Today, “…is an insidious form of manipulation and psychological control. Victims of gaslighting are deliberately and systematically fed false information that leads them to question what they know to be true, often about themselves. They may end up doubting their memory, their perception, and even their sanity. Over time, …it’s increasingly difficult for the victim to see the truth.” Does Corvallis Superintendent Konen fully understand CASEL and its insidious racist effect on our children? Is he being pressured by Arntzen, the Biden Administration or the Corvallis School Board to ignore CASEL’s racist performance goals to instead take money from the statewide funding source called the Montana State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ARP-ESSER)? The nearly $122 billion of federal funding in ARP-ESSER is designed to support the Nation’s schools in safely reopening and sustaining safe operations of schools while meeting the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of students resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic. This money however comes with strings, many of which are evident in the Montana Plan. Corvallis is required to submit their flow down of the state plan before the end of August and they are supposed to make it public. Parents and Grandparents, request this plan and study it. Ask if the ARP-ESSER plan can be modified. Ask what flexibility local education leaders have to write their own performance goals? It’s up to you now…. Ask lots of questions and demand answers. Do your own research on CASEL. Find out with whom Arntzen aligns – the children or CASEL and the Feds? What will YOU do about CASEL to minimize their grip on Corvallis’ children? Helen Sabin Corvallis

52 years of Bringing Live Theatre to Northeastern Montana

You can see it everywhere you look: safety, and how it’s protecting all kinds of work all over our state. The proof is in how we’re getting back at it – creating, tending, teaching and building. Montana State Fund is proud to help protect work and workers, and it’s clearer than ever that safety works here. See how Montana companies are putting safety to work at safemt.com.

Terms of Endearment August 20 – September 5

Based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize winning author Larry McMurtry. As challenges test the resilience of a mother-daughter relationship, this bittersweet and touching ‘dramacomedy’ captures the delicate bonds of family ties. The 1983 film starring Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson was nominated for a record high 11 Oscars, winning Best Picture and multiple other categories.

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE AT www.fortpecktheatre.org SHOW TIMES Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m. • Sundays 4:00 p.m. fortpecktheatre.org or call 406-526-9943 FPST will be practicing social distancing and safety protocols

Bitterroot Star -- Page 11

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Chuck Stranahan’s

Flyfishing Journal

Streamers at dawn!

“When will the Fish Wildlife and Parks end this hoot-owl closure?” I’ve heard that question quite often in recent days. On my home river, the Bitterroot, hoot-owl came later than it did for a number of neighboring rivers. For all of us, I predict only that FWP won’t act in haste. On-then-off-then-on-again restrictions don’t work well for the angling public or the fishery resources. What to do until hoot-owl is lifted? The fluctuating water temps affect more than the anglers. Most notably, in my eyes, insect hatches get thrown off. The trout, when they’re not dealing with thermal stress, tend to do just fine. These days, that might mean they’ll be cruising the shallows pre-dawn in search of anything that swims – crayfish (some of our rivers are full of them,) minnows (all of our rivers are full of them,) sculpins (there are more of them in our rivers than you might think,) and their children (yes, those pretty trout will eat their children.) The venerable Doug Swisher, whose books written a half-century ago changed the way we fish, once told me as a general rule, to fish during the most pleasant part of the day. Here’s how that works: Early spring, fish the middle of the day after things warm up. Mid-June, you’ll probably do well fishing all day. This time of year, most years, fish early and late, or early only. As the weather cools down, the cycle reverses. This year has been a pariah. The day temperatures earlier this summer went berserk. Now, they’re up-and-down. And where are the bugs? What’s hatching? The dry fly fishing isn’t what we expect.

Chuck

Stranahan

a few tricos, those itty-bitty #20 blackbodied mayflies on the water, enough to provide some decent fishing in some places. I’ve heard reports of scattered blue-winged olive hatches. Hecubas? Maybe a few, but not many. And not that many pale morning duns – just enough to keep things interesting. Even the terrestrials are thrown off. The spruce moths get washed out by the rains, and the grasshoppers make it back just in time to get washed out again. If you’re fishing early in the day where you’re not stressing the fish, carry some of anything you might see and plan on using what works. And plan to start with a nymph dropper below a hoppercolored or purple (it works) foam fly, or a #10 Parachute Hopper or Brindle ‘Chute. When you start getting more hits on the top fly

than the bottom one, get the bottom fly off and get serious with the dry.

What’s (sorta) hatching? That isn’t to say it’s nonexistent. There are

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Best advice – fish streamers early My best advice, though, if you’re up for a little adventure, is to get out early – real early – and fish a streamer.

Just about two weeks ago I had a regular customer come into my shop in a frantic search for Sparkle Minnows. “I’m not kidding, Chuck – twenty nice fish – all of them decent sized – in one morning on a Sparkle Minnow. You got some? Where are they?” I had to confess, no, I don’t have any Sparkle Minnows – they’re being tied as we speak. He left his number, the Sparkle Minnows arrived, and in the meantime the scrap of paper with his number got misplaced on my evermessy fly tying bench. (If you’re reading this, my bad and I’m sorry. I’ll hold some for you. Promise.) The Sparkle Minnow is simple to fish: pretend it’s a Mepps Spinner. Make it swim on a medium retrieve. Cast it up-andacross, and swim it back across the current in front of you. Do the same with any other baitfish or baby trout pattern, and there are many: Kiwi Muddlers, Double Bunnies, Doctor Spratleys, and the venerable Wooly Bugger are some of the others. Another good one is the J. J. Special, a fly that can resemble a crayfish. Long-time friend and MeasureNet maker Jeff Abel swears by that fly. He makes it work especially well this time of year. Let it sink, short strips, stop-andgo, the trout come out and pounce on it. You don’t need to be an expert to fish streamers. It’s true; the experts tend to catch big fish on streamers. The main reason for that is they’re out there, often in the early hours, and they have a fly in the water. Do that much, and you never know. On the very next cast… Why not join them?

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Bitterroot Star -- Page 12

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

State parks see increase in visitation in 2021 Montana State Parks from around the state: Southwest: Lewis & Clark South-central: Cooney state park visitation call Kyan recorded more than 1.5 million Northwest: Flathead Lake Caverns State Park had the Reservoir State Park had the Bishop at 406-444-3364. To visitors from January through State Park (all units) had the highest visitation in the region highest visitation in the region view the complete report visit: June of this year. Compared highest visitation in the region with 57,177 visits, an increase of with 124,834 visits, a decrease https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/ with same time period last at 147,003, visits, a decrease of 262.8%. of 16.6%. content/assets/fwp/stateparks/ year, visitation increased by 8.4% North-central: Giant Springs Southeast: Makoshika State reports/2021-midyear11.1% and increased 44.1% West: Milltown State Park had the highest visitation in Park had the highest visitation visitation-report.pdf. Or visit in comparison with 2019 had the highest visitation in the the region as well as the state in the region with 72,650 visits, online and click on “Montana visitation. Of the 45 state parks region with 48,361 visits, an at 212,329 visits; an increase of an increase of 24.3%. State Parks Visitation Reports.” that were seasonally open increase of 88.1% 6.3% For more information on during the first half of The Bitterroot Star Weather Summary the year, 27 experienced an increase in estimated Bitterroot Seven Day Forecast visitation compared with last year. “For the second straight year, the state parks system has experienced significant Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday visitation growth for the first half of the year,” said Mostly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Partly Cloudy Sunny Mostly Sunny Partly Cloudy Beth Shumate, state parks 79 / 46 73 / 45 71 / 43 72 / 44 78 / 51 83 / 54 82 / 55 division administrator. Local UV Index Detailed Local Forecast “Our staff, volunteers, Today we will see mostly cloudy skies, high temperature of 79°, humidity of 36%. South and partner organizations southwest wind 1 to 5 mph. The record high temperature for today is 99° set in 1926. have done an excellent Expect mostly cloudy skies tonight, overnight low of 46°. West wind 2 to 5 mph. The 0 - 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11+ job of providing a safe record low for tonight is 29° set in 1910. Thursday, skies will be mostly cloudy, high and inviting place for 0-2: Low, 3-5: Moderate, temperature of 73°, humidity of 46%. West wind 2 to 6 mph. Thursday night, skies will be 6-7: High, 8-10: Very High, people to experience some mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain, overnight low of 45°. 11+: Extreme Exposure of the most outstanding historical, cultural, and Weather Trivia Peak Fishing/Hunting Times This Week recreational opportunities Peak Times Peak Times Has there ever been a year that Montana has to offer.” without an Atlantic Day AM PM Day AM PM The top five most visited hurricane? Wed 2:56-4:56 3:18-5:18 Sun 5:48-7:48 6:11-8:11 parks between January Thu 3:39-5:39 4:00-6:00 Mon 6:34-8:34 6:58-8:58 and June of this year were: Fri 4:21-6:21 4:42-6:42 Tue 7:23-9:23 7:48-9:48 ACROSS DOWN 1. Giant Springs Sat 5:04-7:04 5:26-7:26 www.WhatsOurWeather.com 1. Sound 1. Formal “your” State Park, Great Falls – 5. Organization of Petroleum Exporting 2. French ___, instrument 212,329 visits (up 6.3% Weather History Sun/Moon Chart This Week Countries 3. U.S. Air Force from last year?) 9. Tube 4. Shaft Aug. 25, 1987 - Morning Day Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset 10. Seasoner makers 5. Less than two 2. Spring Meadow thunderstorms produced heavy rain Wed 6:47 a.m. 8:28 p.m. 10:14 p.m. 10:09 a.m. Last First 11. Spoken 6. Sticks Lake State Park, Helena – in eastern Nebraska and 8/30 9/13 Thu 6:48 a.m. 8:26 p.m. 10:32 p.m. 11:17 a.m. 12. Detain 7. Remove southwestern Iowa. Stanton, Iowa 152,515 visits (up 91.5%) Fri 6:49 a.m. 8:24 p.m. 10:52 p.m. 12:23 p.m. reported 10.5 inches of rain. Water 13. Unroll, like a flag 8. Burial chamber 3. Flathead Lake Sat 6:51 a.m. 8:22 p.m. 11:14 p.m. 1:29 p.m. was reported up to the handle of 15. Clairvoyance 10. Musician (3 wds.) Sun 6:52 a.m. 8:20 p.m. 11:41 p.m. 2:34 p.m. State Park (all units), New Full automobiles west of 16. Motionless stance of a hunting dog 14. Give a new title Mon 6:53 a.m. 8:18 p.m. Prev Day 3:39 p.m. 9/6 9/20 Flathead Lake – 147,003 Greenwood, Neb. in pointing game (2 wds.) 17. Dim Tue 6:55 a.m. 8:17 p.m. 12:14 a.m. 4:40 p.m. visits (down 8.4%) 18. Aerial 18. Tipped 4. Cooney Reservoir Last Week's Almanac & Growing Degree Days 21. Sticky black substance 19. Lowest point Aug. 26, 1949 - A hurricane made State Park, Roberts – Date High Low Normals Precip Farmer's Growing Degree Days 22. Metal bracket that holds stones 20. Banal landfall at Delray Beach. Winds 124,834 visits (down 94 55 85/50 0.00" reached 153 mph at the Jupiter 8/16 together 23. Air (prefix) Date Degree Days Date Degree Days 16.6%) Lighthouse before the anemometer 8/17 74 53 85/50 0.07" 26. Expression 24. Deed 8/16 24 8/20 14 5. Lake Elmo State failed. The hurricane caused 45 8/18 58 52 85/50 0.07" 8/17 13 8/21 13 28. Reel 25. Otherwise million dollars damage to crops. The 8/19 74 47 84/50 0.00" Park, Billings – 106,754 8/18 5 8/22 14 29. L 27. Unrefined metal hurricane also caught the Georgia 8/20 72 56 84/50 0.17" 8/19 10 visits (down 11.6%) 30. Extremely long time periods and South Carolina coast resulting in 8/21 70 56 84/49 0.25" Growing degree days are calculated by taking the average temperature State park snapshots 31. Leaf maker for the day and subtracting the base temperature (50 degrees) from the another two million dollars damage.

Crossword Puzzle

?

Answer: In 1907, four tropical storms formed, but none became hurricanes.

32. Remark

© Feature Exchange

8/22

75

54

83/49

0.03"

average to assess how many growing days are attained.

Jon Tester values rural communities. That’s why he negotiated for high speed internet in the infrastructure bill. WITH RURAL HIGH SPEED INTERNET:

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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Bitterroot Star -- Page August 23, 2021 Posting Date13

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Bitterroot Star -- Page 14

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Call

777-3928 Deadline Monday

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SALES ESTATE SALE - EVERYTHING MUST GO! Futon, dressers, entertainment center, bedding, cookbooks, all variety of household goods, lots of miscellaneous items. 516 Buck Street, Stevensville. Saturday and Sunday, August 28 + 29th, 8-4.

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HELP WANTED

TOWN OF DARBY PART-TIME ASSISTANT CLERK The Town of Darby is accepting applications for an Assistant Clerk position. Computer and phone skills needed. Accepting applications until the position is filled. Position is for 20-30 hours per week, potential for full-time status. Minimum qualifications, job description and application packet are available at either Darby Town Hall, 101 E Tanner Avenue, Darby MT or at darbymt.net. Questions contact 406-821-3753. 8-18 thru 9-8. MAINTENANCE ENGINEER. FACILITIES SERVICES/ MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY – BOZEMAN. Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. For complete job announcement and application procedures, click on: https://jobs.montana.edu/postings/22346. Equal Opportunity Employer, Veterans/Disabled GROUNDSKEEPER. FACILITIES SERVICES/ MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY – BOZEMAN. Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. For complete job announcement and application procedures, click on: https://jobs.montana.edu/postings/25088. Equal Opportunity Employer, Veterans/Disabled

HVAC/R MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN. **RECENT WAGE INCREASE** MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY – BOZEMAN. For complete job announcement and application procedures, click on: https://jobs.montana. edu/postings/24507. Equal Opportunity Employer, Veterans/Disabled

WEB APPLICATION DEVELOPER/SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR, MSU EXTENSION, full time, Bozeman. MSU. Responsible for design development, implementation and testing of dynamic web applications, system software, services and databases. Apply online at http://msuextension.org, Careers. Equal Opportunity, Veterans/Disabled. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: THE LEWISTOWN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE is requesting resumes for the position of Chamber Director. This is a full-time position responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Lewistown Chamber including public relations, office management, membership, visitor and new resident information, fundraising and the Charlie Russell Chew-

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Library Summer Reading Programs The Summer Reading Programs are done! Come in to pick up your prizes. If you filled out your whole card, remember to do a book review on two books to get entered into the grand prize drawing. Book reviews can be written, drawn, photography or a book merge. Email toemilys@ northvalleylibrary. org. The grand prize drawing will be held August 31. Cards must be returned to the library by August 30 at 7pm. If you can’t make to the library before then submit

your card electronically at https://forms.gle/ ugsBHzdE5tWRvSsA6 to get entered into the grand prize drawing. (Note: all prizes must be picked up in person at the library). North Valley Public Library is located at 208 Main Street Stevensville, MT. The library thanks you for keeping all Montanans safe by practicing social distancing, wearing a face covering, and washing your hands. For more information visit northvalleylibrary. org, on Facebook or Instagram, or give us a call at 406.777.5061.

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Bitterroot Star -- Page 15

Third dose of vaccine recommended, available for certain immunocompromised individuals About 22,000 Montanans eligible for third dose now Montana health care providers can now offer third doses of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to certain immunocompromised individuals following new recently announced federal recommendations. “This is great news because we know the impact COVID-19 has with high-risk groups,” DPHHS Director Adam Meier said. “The updated recommendations will ensure those most vulnerable to complications from COVID-19 can get as much protection as possible.” Meier said while authorized vaccines have proven to be more than 90% effective in protecting against most variants, emerging data suggest people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems do not always build the same level of immunity compared to people who are not immunocompromised. The CDC estimates that around 3% of those eligible for vaccination are in these groups, which is an estimated 22,000 Montanans.

Nationally, fully vaccinated immunocompromised people have accounted for a large proportion of hospitalized breakthrough cases (4044%). Immunocompromised people who are infected with COVID-19 are also more likely to transmit the virus to household contacts. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccines for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised including people who have: • Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or blood cancers. • Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system. • Received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking related medicine to suppress the immune system. • Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome). • Advanced or untreated HIV infection. • Active treatment with highdose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress one’s immune response. More information about the updated recommendations is available on the CDC website here.

Montana Twenty-First Judicial District Court, Ravalli County In the Matter of the Name Change of Beasju Huckleberry Champlin Petitioner Cause No.: DV-21-231/5 Dept. No.: 2 Notice of Hearing on Name Change This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a change of name from Beasju Huckleberry Champlin to Bijou Jean Champlin. The hearing will be on 9/2/2021 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the Courthouse in Ravalli County. Date: 7/29/21 Paige Trautwein Clerk of District Court By: Amber M Deputy Clerk of Court BS 8/4, 8/11, 8/18, 8/25

Montana Twenty-First Judicial District Court, Ravalli County In the Mater of the Name Change of Stephen George Moore Cause No.: DV-21-287 Dept. No.: 1 Notice of Hearing on Name Change This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a change of name from Stephen George Moore to Skip Stephen Moore. The hearing will be on 09/22/2021 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the Courthouse in Ravalli County. Date: August 3, 2021. Paige Trautwein Clerk of District Court Janenne Sorenson Deputy Clerk of Court BS 8/11, 8/18, 8/25, 9/1

___________________

MONTANA TWENTYFIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF HEIDI STROM, AKA Avery S. Strom, Deceased. Cause No. DP-21-4 Dept. 2 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the abovenamed estate. All persons having claims against the said deceased are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank, the Personal Representative, Jennifer Turner, Vice President, return receipt requested, at the Law Offices of LAWRENCE D. JOHNSON, Attorney at Law, P.O. Box 500, Hamilton, Montana 59840, or filed with the Clerk of the aboveentitled Court. Dated this 28th Day of January, 2021. CAPE COD FIVE CENTS SAVINGS BANK By: Jennifer Turner, Vice President P.O. Box 20, Orleans, MA 02653 BS 8/11, 8/18, 8/25

John D. Greef ATTORNEY AT LAW 302 W. Main St. Sidney, MT 59270 (406) 360-8117 Personal Representative MONTANA TWENTYFIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: David Keith Robinson, Deceased. Case No.: DP-21-91 Department No. 1 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the abovenamed estate. All persons having claims against the decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to John D. Greef, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, 302 W. Main Street, Sidney, MT 59270, or filed with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court. DATED this 6th day of August, 2021. John D. Greef, Personal Representative BS 8/11, 8/18, 8/25 ___________________

___________________

DPHHS acting State Medical Officer Dr. Maggie Cook-Shimanek said people should talk to their doctor about their medical conditions to find out if an additional dose is appropriate for them. “People with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because they are at higher risk of serious, prolonged illness,” Cook-Shimanek said. “An additional dose could help prevent serious and possibly life-threatening COVID-19 infection in immunocompromised people. The vaccines continue to be very effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 in individuals who are not immunocompromised.” Patients can self-attest and do not need to prove their diagnosis to be eligible for an additional vaccine dose. While vaccination is likely to increase protection, people who are immunocompromised should also consider other protective measures such as wearing a mask, maintaining six feet of social distancing, avoiding crowds, and avoiding poorly ventilated indoor spaces to protect themselves and those around them. Close contacts of immunocompromised people are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The age groups authorized to

Legals

___________________ NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town Council of the Town of Stevensville will hold a public hearing during their Council Meeting on August 26, 2021 at 7:30 pm at the North Valley Library Community Room at 208 Main Street, Stevensville, Montana, 59870 for the purpose of obtaining public comments regarding the Preliminary FY21-22 Budget. The Town has completed its preliminary budget for FY21-22. A copy of the preliminary budget is available for review on the Town’s website, townofstevensville. com and at the office of the Town Clerk located at Town Hall. FY21-22 Final Budget Approval will be considered at the regular meeting of the Town Council on Thursday, August 26th. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to express their opinions regarding the preliminary budget. Comments may be given orally at the hearing or submitted in writing via email to clerk@townofstevensville. com<mailto:clerk@townofstevensville.com> or US mail to Town Clerk, P.O. Box 30, Stevensville, MT 59870 before 5:00 pm August 26, 2021. Questions, comments or more information may be obtained by contacting Town Hall at 406-777-5271. Attest: Jenelle Berthoud, Town Clerk BS 8-18-2021, 8-25-2021 ___________________ Naomi J. Cheeney Cheeney Law, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840 Phone: (406) 363-9060 Attorney for Personal Representative MONTANA TWENTYFIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF BRENT ADRIAN WALSH, Deceased. Case No.: DP-21-92 Dept. No. 1 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

EN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the abovenamed estate. All persons having claims against the decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to Janice E. Walsh, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law PLLC, PO Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or filed with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court. DATED this 10th day of August 2021. /s/ Janice E. Walsh, Personal Representative BS 8/18, 8/25, 9/1 ___________________ LEGAL NOTICE ANTHONY L. ARELLANO, NOTICE IS NOW GIVEN, THAT PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF MC 706-601, ET, SEQ, AND THE CONTRACT YOU SIGNED, THE CONTENTS OF YOUR STORAGE UNIT IS NOW SUBJECT TO AN OPERATORS LIEN. UNLESS THE ACCRUING BALANCE IS PAID IN FULL, AND ALL CONTENTS REMOVED FROM THE UNIT, BEFORE 12 NOON, AUGUST 27, 2021, THE CONTENTS OF THE STORAGE UNIT WILL BE REMOVED AND SOLD AT XTRA SPACE RV & MINI STORAGE, 350 OLD CORVALLIS RD., HAMILTON, MT, 59840, AT 1 PM ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2021. BS 8/18, 8/25 ___________________ Montana Twenty-First Judicial District Court, Ravalli County In the Mater of the Name Change of Tina Ann Gillespie Cause No.: DV-21-279 Dept. No.: 1 Notice of Hearing on Name Change This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a change of name from Tina Ann Gillespie to Tina Ann Hengeveld. The hearing will be on 09/29/2021 at

receive the additional dose are unchanged from those authorized to receive the primary vaccination series: • Pfizer: aged 12 years and older • Moderna: aged 18 years and older Additional doses should be administered at least four weeks after a person receives their second dose of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The updated guidance on the third dose does not apply to the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. DPHHS is encouraging Montana vaccine providers to become familiar with the CDC’s recommendations and begin offering an additional dose to eligible individuals within this population as soon as possible. A notification has been sent to all Montana local county health departments and Tribal partners. DPHHS said there is sufficient supply of vaccine available in the state to provide these additional doses and to others who are unvaccinated. The third doses will be available the same way Montanans are now receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, such as at pharmacies, clinics and other providers. For more information on how to find a COVID-19 vaccine in Montana visit covidvaccine.mt.gov

1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the Courthouse in Ravalli County. Date: August 20, 2021. Paige Trautwein Clerk of District Court Kimberly Provence Deputy Clerk of Court BS 8/25, 9/1, 9/8, 9/15 ___________________ Naomi J. Cheeney Cheeney Law, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840 Phone: (406) 363-9060 Attorney for Special Administrator TWENTYMONTANA FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF CLARK M. ADAMS, also known as GARY CLARK MICHAEL ADAMS, Deceased. Case No.: DP-21-100 Dept. No. 2 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Special Administrator of the abovenamed estate. All persons having claims against the decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to Daniel Adams, the Special Administrator, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law PLLC, PO Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or filed with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court. DATED this 19th day of August 2021. /s/ Daniel Adams, Special Administrator BS 8/25, 9/1, 9/8 ___________________ NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING LIBRARY BUDGET ADOPTION FY 2022 North Valley Public Library District Board of Trustees completed the final budget for fiscal year July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022 at the August 18, 2021 board meeting. The Board will hold a public hearing on the final budget

on Thursday, September 2, 2020, at 3:15 PM, at which time the Board will take comment, then adopt the final budget. Any taxpayer or resident of the Library District may appear for or against any part of the budget. This public hearing will be held in the Library Community Room at 208 Main St., Stevensville. A copy of the budget is available at the Library. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Library Director Denise Ard at 777-5061. BS 8/25, 9/1 ___________________ NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR PERMISSIVE MEDICAL LEVY North Valley Public Library District Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing on Thursday, September 2, 2021 at 3PM in the Library Community Room at 208 Main St., Stevensville. The purpose of this hearing it to take public comment and pass a Resolution regarding the proposed permissive medical levy for health care premium increases for Fiscal Year 2022. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Library Director Denise Ard at 777-5061. BS 8/25, 9/1 Montana 21st Judicial District Court, Ravalli County In the Matter of the Name Change of Linda Renee Viehmann, Linda Renee Viehmann, Petitioner Cause No. DV-21-318 Dept. No.: 2 NOTICE OF HEARING ON NAME CHANGE This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a change of name from Linda Renee Viehmann to Renee Lin Viehmann. The hearing will be on September 30, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the Courthouse in Ravalli County. Dated: August 23, 2021. /s/ Paige Trautwein, Clerk of District Court. By: Barbara Beat, Deputy Clerk of Court. BS 8-25, 9-1, 9-18, 9-15-21.

Bitterroot Star -- Page 16

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