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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!” – Established 1985 – Locally Owned & Independent
Find the latest updates and information on the COVID-19 pandemic at www.bitterrootstar.com Volume XXXVI, Number 3
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Wednesday, August 5, 2020
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Public Health Officer’s resignation in abeyance simply accept the resignation once a suitable replacement had been selected and received the required orientation and training. County Commissioner Jeff Burrows expressed some reluctance, saying he wanted to make sure that if she was going to continue to serve for some indefinite period that she was really committed to the job. “I just want to make sure if you are in, that you are all in,” said Burrows. Calderwood said that she understood his concerns and then said, “I’m all in.” Although public comment was supposed to be limited to a discussion of the Public Health Officer position and not get off on topics like wearing and not wearing masks, members of the public insisted on broadening the discussion. Many complained about the governor’s latest masking order and were critical of Calderwood
By Michael Howell
The concrete has been poured so the granite slab that will hold the Tribute Wall at Stevensville’s Veteran’s Park can now be installed by members of American Legion Post #94. The Tribute Wall will hold the names of every Stevensville resident who has made the ultimate sacrifice for their country while on active duty. Pictured l to r: Warren Price, Dorsey Decker and Ron Peeples.
Although the county’s Public Health Officer Dr. Carol Calderwood announced in a widely distributed email which was also sent to the press, her intention to resign in two weeks, the Board of Health, at a meeting on Tuesday, July 28, decided to hold the resignation in abeyance until a fully oriented and trained replacement is on board. Calderwood agreed to the arrangement. Calderwood had expressed in her letter of resignation a willingness to help the Board in the transition process. Board members Dr. Michael Turner and Roger DeHaan expressed doubt about being able to do that in two weeks and that a longer transition period would be necessary. A three-month transition period was proposed but then dropped. It was decided to leave the exact time-frame open and agreed to
for “blindly” accepting it. Some called the whole emergency a hoax. One constant refrain was that the situation was not a medical issue but a political issue and called for a political solution, not a medical one. Alan Lackey, for instance, said that so many businesses had been closed in the state that “the cure has become worse than the illness.” He too called for a political solution, saying, “We need someone not associated with outside people like the Governor and the CDC.” Some medical solutions were also discussed, however. The controversial alternative medical treatment using Hydroxychloriquine, promoted and used by President Trump, and the health establishment’s refusal to endorse it, was also a recurrent theme. As was the notion that the CDC was
See PUBLIC HEALTH, page 3
New Stevensville military 137-lot Burnt Fork Estates proposed for Stevensville memorial being installed As many readers have probably noticed, the Tribute Wall previously located at Veterans Park adjacent to the former Main Street Association building was removed some time ago and has not been reinstalled. The removal was motivated by the tree removal work and installation of the new information kiosk. At the time of removal, the American Legion Post 94 members were planning on using this opportunity to undertake some much needed repair and renovation work on the panels and attachments. Many of the name strips were needing replacement due to the weather effects and the panels needed to be repainted. However, the costs associated with this renovation caused the Post members to re-evaluate this early planning. The Tribute Wall was erected in the 2002-03 time frame to honor those local citizens who were and would be serving our nation on active military duty in the “War on Terror” which resulted from the attack on our nation on September 11, 2001. Over the years
since, eligibility for the placement of names expanded to allow for the placement of names of active duty personnel from outside the local area, thus greatly expanding the size of the monument. Post member Chuck Burgmeier said that Post 94 members have recognized that the “War on Terror” has now become our nation’s longest war with no end in sight and general citizen patriotism is greatly diminished from when the wall was originally erected. The question of what happens to the wall if the war ever ends has also been raised. He said the above reasons/ concerns have led the Post 94 members to decide on a major refocus of the Veterans Park to be that of a memorial to honor those Stevensville area citizens who have given their lives while on active military duty. Their decision has been proposed through Town Hall, Stevensville Civic Club and the Stevensville Garden Club. The major inscription will be more inclusive than just honoring the names of those KilledIn-Action (KIA) and is based on information extracted primarily from the three books published by a former Stevensville citizen,
Jack Bird, on WWI, WWII and Korea. However, the Vietnam and War-On-Terror names came from searching through local funeral home records. The list includes names from WWI and WWII as well as the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the War on Terror. The proposed inscription reads “DEDICATED TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE STEVENSVILLE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR THEIR COUNTRY WHILE ON ACTIVE DUTY” Burgmeier said that further research is required before any final decisions. They propose to visit the Saint Mary’s Mission staff and the Museum staff for possible leads and also want to use the Bitterroot Star. Anyone with any information concerning names you believe should be inscribed on this monument can contact either Chuck Burgmeier at (253)3807016 or Jerry Esmay at 7775517. Work has already begun on the project. According to Burgmeier, the concrete has been poured and a granite slab is being installed.
This drawing shows what the new military memorial monument at Veteran’s Park will look like. However, in addition to listing those killed in action, it will also list the names of all Stevensville citizens who have died while on active military duty.
By Michael Howell
The Town of Stevensville is reviewing a subdivision application for Burnt Fork Estates, a planned residential and commercial addition to the town that has already raised some notes of alarm amongst a few adjoining neighborhood residents despite the fact that no public meetings have yet been held to consider the project. The proposal, submitted by Dwight and Ralph Hooley of Burnt Fork Enterprises LLC in January 2020, is to create a 137lot subdivision on the 57.68-acre parcel, consisting of 78 single family lots, 43 multi-family lots and 16 light commercial lots. The development lies adjacent to Creekside Meadows subdivision and runs south along Logan Road to Middle Burnt Fork Road. The single-family lots are planned to go in adjacent to the Creekside Meadows subdivision and the multi-family lots will be installed to the south. The commercial lots will be developed on about 10 acres further south alongside Middle Burnt Fork Road. The subdivision is planned
to be completed in phases with a phase completed every other year starting with Phase 1 expected to be completed by December 31, 2022 and the final phases in by December 31, 2030. Burnt Fork Estates proposed phasing schedule: PHASE 1 = 13 LOTS – DEC. 31, 2022 PHASE 2 = 24 LOTS – DEC. 31, 2024 PHASE 3 = 19 LOTS – DEC. 31, 2026 PHASE 4 = 22 LOTS – DEC. 31, 2028 PHASE 5 = 23 LOTS – DEC. 31, 2030 COMMERCIAL PHASE = 16 LOTS – DEC. 31, 2030 For many years the land has been a grazing meadow for cattle. It was flood irrigated from diversions of creeks flowing from the southeast. When Ellison Cattle Company decided to subdivide the land in 2003, this 57.68 acres was included for the final three of the five original phases of the development. Ellison completed the first two phases of Creekside, but did not continue with phases 3, 4 and 5. So the land remains undeveloped, although it has been
annexed into the Town of Stevensville and zoned for residential use. Due to the passage of time since the original subdivision approval, the Town has determined that a new preliminary plat application is needed. When the Town of Stevensville annexed this property, they zoned it for single-family and multi-family use. R-1 single family zoning runs from Phase 1 of Creekside Meadows south to the quarter section line in the middle of the property. “We intend to leave this zoning intact,” it states in the proposal, “thus protecting the residential pattern of Creekside development and extending it well into Burnt Fork Estates.” R-2 zoning was applied to the remainder of the property running south to Middle Burnt Fork Road. The developers propose to leave most of the R-2 Zoning intact but are requesting a change to light commercial zoning for the southerly 10+/- acres adjacent to Middle Burnt Fork Road. The developers claim the change is appropriate, given the See SUBDIVISION, page 10
Burnt Fork Estates Preliminary Plat
The proposed Burnt Fork Estates subdivision is planned to be completed in phases on the east edge of Stevensville with a phase completed every other year starting with Phase 1 expected to be completed by December 31, 2022 and the final phases in by December 31, 2030.