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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!”
‘The B Volume XXXIV, Number 3
Established 1985 - Locally owned & independent
Creamery Picnic turns 106!
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
‘Dark money’ -
Commissioners ask state to investigate environmental groups’ funding sources
By Michael Howell
A new event at the Creamery Picnic this year was perhaps the most popular. The Greased Pig Race pitted 10 teams of four people against each other for the best time in catching the pig and sitting it in a bucket, all while slipping and sliding in the muddy pen. The betting was stiff, with money raised split between the contestants, their sponsors, and the Stevensville Cviic Club. The crowd appeared to love the antics. Michael Howell photo.. The Stevensville Creamery Picnic community celebration has been taking place the first weekend in August for over a century and this year was no exception, notwithstanding that it was nearly cancelled. Following a post on social media that the event had been cancelled, and some output from the rumor mill, Stevensville’s Mayor Brandon Dewey quickly called a town hall meeting and it was obvious from the response that the community would not allow the beloved Picnic to die. Although that initial cancellation may have affected overall attendance, other factors such as exceptionally good weather – with very little smoke – and hard work by the many volunteers who stepped up to help put on the event, along with a lot of advertising, made for a The float created by owner Jaime Williams and her staff at A2Z Personnel took Best Overall in solid event. Now, on to the 107th? the Grand Parade, tying together this year’s theme of “The Great Outdoors” with her employment agency theme. Michael Howell photo.
The Ravalli County Commissioners sent a letter to Montana State Attorney General Tim Fox last week asking him to have the state Justice Department investigate the finances of several environmental/conservation organizations that they believe are being financed by “dark money.” “In our capacity as local elected officials we have been attacked by well-funded organizations who engage in blatant, and extremely misleading political activity with little or no public disclosure of how much money is being raised or from whom the funding is generated. We are frustrated with the lack of transparency and accountability on the funding sources and are concerned with potential non-compliance with state and federal laws by these environmental groups,” they wrote. The commissioners ask Fox to initiate a Montana Department of Justice investigation into seven specific organizations including Montana Conservation Voters, Montana Environmental Information Center, Montana Wilderness Association, Montana Wildlife Federation, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Montana Mountain Mamas, and Our Land, Our Heritage. The commissioners claim that, “Through misleading and disingenuous media campaigns, we believe these groups have economically harmed several of Montana’s rural counties reliant
upon agriculture, outdoor recreation, natural resources and real, meaningful multiple-use access to our public lands as fundamental components to our local heritage and economic vitality. The 2017 fire season is the most recent of many, demonstrating the devastating economic impact to our businesses and the emotional and physical harm to our citizens through legal challenges and delays in active forest and wildlife management.” The commissioners’ letter came in response to “concerning information” submitted to them by Keith Kubista, which included material from the Montana Outdoor Coalition entitled “Montana in the Crosshairs: How Foreign/ Out of State Money is Trying to Influence Treasure State Voters,” and “A Tangled Web Environmentalists Weave” from the Montana Outdoor Coalition regarding how certain environmental groups are funding and engaging in advocacy efforts in Montana, and the Green Decoy Report. The commissioners quote Governor Steve Bullock in the letter and cc’d him the contents, stating that, “On June 8, 2018. Governor Bullock announced his Executive Order requiring the recipients of major contracts with the State of Montana to disclose dark money spending in elections. He stated, ‘Where Citizens United opened the door for a wave of dark money, Montana will shine the light… Montana will again See FUNDING, page 3
Historic Stevensville church building in need of repairs By Michael Howell
The Stevensville United Methodist Church is due for some repairs, according to church member Paul Ludington who is working hard to raise funds for the project. The building, originally constructed in 1885, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, America’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. The congregation raised funds to match a $5,000 grant and obtained an architectural assessment of the building which found “a pressing need to remove and replace the extant roof which includes repair of water damaged exterior and interior materials at the Fellowship Hall entrance.” It also includes exterior repairs, painting, cleaning of roof drains and landscaping repair. In all, the whole project is estimated to cost over $300,000. Ludington said that using something like asphalt shingles would greatly reduce the cost. “But then you would lose the historical character of the building,” said Ludington. “We think these shingles were installed
in the 1928 remodel,” he said, referring to the work done on the building when the Methodist churches, both North and South, acquired it. The building was constructed in 1885 and served as the town’s grade school. According to the architectural report, it was built as a two-story, three-room, cross-shaped building in the Italianate style that was popular in the country from the 1840s through the mid-1880s. “It featured a low pitched roof decorated with paired carved brackets, tall corniced windows, two entrances with singlestory porches and a lantern-style ventilator atop the roof.” Significant changes to the building occurred during the growth of enrollment of the school in 1906, with a two-story room addition to the north. As the school outlived its usefulness, a new school was built to the east (and since demolished), and the old school building was purchased by the Stevensville Woman’s Club. Ludington said that the club had trouble keeping up with the maintenance for such a big building and it ended up being empty for a few years. He said the Methodist
August 10th • 6:00 pm • • • EVENT CENTER • • • Ravalli County Fairgrounds
church was located where Jesus Community Church is now. “So they traded properties,” said Ludington. “Actually, I think they sold it for a $1.” He said they held potlucks on the lawn to fund a major remodel. According to the report, the transition from school to church was most significant architecturally. It included additions of a new façade, “which transformed the building and its complex additions into a unified whole and a monumental portico with graceful Tuscan columns replaced the original porch entry, a large domed cupola replaced the ventilator, and windows were embellished with art glass.” The windows “embellished with art glass” are still intact and each bears the name of the person or persons who footed the cost of the window, about $28 at the time, including such notables as Amos Buck, William Caple, and Mrs. Sharp. Standing on the lawn in front of the above described façade, Ludington pointed to the weather vane atop the domed See CHURCH, page 3
Paul Ludington, a board member of the Stevensville United Methodist Church, is helping with the capital campaign to raise money for preservation work on the historic building located at . Michael Howell photo.
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