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Volume XXXVI, Number 6
www.bitterrootstar.com
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
County considers establishing a polling place
By Michael Howell
Ravalli County Commissioner Jeff Burrows told the Bitterroot Star on Monday that the County Commissioners were considering establishing a single polling place at the Fairgrounds First Interstate Building for the upcoming November 3rd elections. The meeting to make the decision was scheduled to take place Tuesday morning. A public meeting on the issue was already held at the First Interstate Building last week to take public comment. According to Burrows, the public response at the meeting was overwhelmingly
in favor of having a chance to vote at the polls. He said as a result the commissioners began brainstorming possible ways to make polling places available. Establishing polling places across the valley, mostly in school district facilities, has been the traditional approach. But with the COVID-19 emergency measures in place, the traditional use of those facilities would necessarily be limited due to social distancing requirements and would also be difficult to arrange. The biggest problem, according to Burrows, was going to be getting enough experienced election judges to turn out.
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According to Burrows, those people are mostly older and in a vulnerable age range for COVID19. Election Administrator Regina Plettenberg said that she polled the volunteer group that serves as election judges. Out of 174 volunteers, she said, 80 said they would definitely be willing to serve, 60 said maybe, depending on how much the epidemic progresses or not, and 20 said definitely no. She said that it left her without enough experienced judges to have multiple polling places across the valley as usual, so she recommended to the commissioners if they were wanting to
go to the polls, it would probably mean consolidating polling places. Burrows said that it seemed like there were enough experienced and willing volunteers to staff at least one polling place. He said they brainstormed the options and it is likely that it will be established at the First Interstate Building at the Fairgrounds in Hamilton. Burrows said that they were still going to encourage people to use absentee ballots. He said with only one polling place it could mean long lines due to distancing and also a long wait. “We are trying to make a team effort of it with everybody,”
said Burrows. “We can’t do it without Regina and without the staff she provides, so we are trying to work out the difficulties at the polling place. It may be noticeably reduced since there is only one polling place, but the election should look similar to what we’ve seen in the past general elections.” Burrows said that he talked to some individuals and groups who had expressed concerns about being able to vote at the polls and it seems like they are OK with the solution. He called it a reasonable compromise considering all the difficulties involved. According to Plettenberg, if the First Interstate Building is
designated by the commissioners as a polling place, the entire parking lot could be used for parking and the building adjoining the Interstate building could be used as well. Plettenberg said that voters would receive a mailing to alert them to the location of the polling place and that mailing would include an application for an absentee ballot. She said they were encouraging people to get on the absentee list to reduce the lines and the waiting at the polling place and also give those who feel uncomfortable about attending a See ELECTION, page 3
Stevi adds public participation options to virtual meetings By Michael Howell
After coming under fire for excluding public comment at the Town’s meetings on the Zoom platform, Stevensville Mayor Brandon Dewey has announced that under the new operating procedures citizens will have a chance to participate in the town’s decisions prior to the making of any decision by phoning in. Guidance is provided on the town’s website about how to make public comment over the telephone.
The public may also make written comment by submitting a “Real-time Public Comment Form.” Each meeting agenda contains a link to the public comment form on the Town’s website for that specific meeting. Comments submitted through the form are automatically sent by email to the governing body of that meeting (Town Council or board members). Written comment may also be submitted by email. In the announcement it states that emails can be sent to publiccom-
ment@townofstevensville.com in advance of, or during, any meeting. Comments sent to this email address are forwarded to the appropriate governing body by the Town Clerk. Please note the meeting you are providing comment for in your email. The mayor’s announcement goes on to state that these electronic public comments submitted in writing through the options listed will be uploaded to the Town’s website daily.
See PUBLIC, page 3
Cinnabar Fire burning east of Stevi at 90 acres on Monday
Phase 3 of the new Veterans Memorial in Stevensville is now complete, thanks to Rock Star Surfaces who donated and placed the granite. Pictured, l to r: Chuck Burgmeier, Legion Commander, Carl Breault, and Jeff Strain, owner of Rock Star Surfaces. Cheryl Burgmeier photo.
C. Ben White Memorial Fishing Access Site one step closer
By Michael Howell
The Ravalli County Commissioners put one of the final pieces of the puzzle in place last week when they approved the use of Ravalli County Open Lands Bond Program funding for the acquisition of approximately 97 acres of private land along the West Fork of the Bitterroot River for creation of the C. Ben White Memorial Fishing Access Site (FAS). The property, originally owned by the White, Dickman and Stomberg families, was eventually consolidated into one holding by the Stomberg family as they slowly moved towards potential public ownership of the property, a long standing dream of young C. Ben White, grandson of W.W. White for whom the smaller, leased 1.5 acre FAS was dedicated. Ben White died at the age of 24 in a motorcycle accident before his dream could be realized, but his mother, Marty Stomberg, persevered and has finally brought the dream to realization. The Stomberg family received multiple offers from private buyers but opted to give FWP the opportunity to acquire the land instead, because they wanted to see the land protected and open to the public. It will expand the smaller, existing 1.5-acre FAS currently leased by FWP as the W.W. White Memorial FAS and
permanently protect public access, recreation and wildlife values at the gateway of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River canyon. The C. Ben White Memorial FAS will be the only FWP-owned or operated FAS on the West Fork of the Bitterroot River and would complement an array of other boating and access sites owned
and operated by the USFS on the upstream portions of the West Fork. It would share approximately a half mile boundary with adjacent National Forest land, and would permanently protect access, recreation, and wildlife
See WHITE FAS, page 3
The Cinnabar Fire is a lightning-caused fire burning in the Carron Creek drainage within the Welcome Creek Wilderness on the Missoula Ranger District. The fire is located approximately 10 air miles east of Stevensville and 15 miles south of I-90 in the Rock Creek drainage. The fire was first reported burning on Wednesday, August 19 and by Sunday had grown to 30 acres. According to a Lolo National Forest Service report, a helicopter was actively conducting water bucket drops while 14 firefighters were on the scene assessing access points to develop a suppression strategy. Fire behavior was active with isolated trees burning. “The terrain is steep and the fire is burning in heavy downfall and beetle-killed timber
which presents many challenges to firefighters. At this time, the District is taking suppression action from the air with frequent water bucket drops as firefighters continue to assess the opportunity for access on the ground. There are no structures threatened at this time. A Type 4 Incident Commander has been assigned to this full-suppression incident. Crews are evaluating heli-spot locations and conducting reconnaissance on the fire to further develop a suppression strategy,” states the forest report. By Monday, however, the fire had tripled in size from 30 acres to 90 acres and 65 personnel were on the scene and the fire had been upgraded to a Type 3 incident. The helicopter remains in use and the firefighters are using indirect tactics to strengthen fire
lines to the west of the fire with the objective of keeping the fire east of the Bitterroot Divide in the Welcome Creek Wilderness area. Ground crews are taking indirect suppression actions along the Bitterroot Divide Road #2129 and the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313 north of Ambrose Saddle which will be used as key holding lines over the next few days. Firefighters will work indirectly along this road and trail to strengthen these areas by reducing fuels. These roads and trails are outside of the Wilderness boundary. A hose lay will also be put in place along parts of the Bitterroot/Rock Creek Divide Trail #313 to further strengthen fire line in this area. A helicopter is available See CINNABAR, page 2
Cinnabar fire northeast of Stevensville in the Sapphire Mountains. Forest Service photo.