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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!”
‘The B Volume XXXV, Number 8
Wilderness sentinel
Established 1985 - Locally owned & independent
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Lowell benefit Sunday By Jean Schurman
Last spring, while en route to Boise for their son and grandson’s graduation from lineman school, Nancy Lowell and her daughter Jamie were in a serious accident in the wilds of Idaho. Nancy was Life-flighted to Boise for treatment of broken ribs, back, collar bone, and facial injuries resulting in extensive dental issues. She is home now but still facing many hours of rehab and more surgeries. Jamie stayed by her mom’s side while Nancy was in the hospital but when she returned home, the doctors discovered that Jamie’s back was also broken in several places. She has been unable to work since then. Several friends and neighbors are putting on a benefit for these two ladies this Sunday, September 15, at the Rustic Hut in Florence. The event will run from 1 to 7 p.m. Titled the “Nancy and Jamie Lowell, We All Love You Benefit,” the event will offer something for everyone. One of the most unusual items is a beautiful handmade wooden inlaid tray made by Dr. Steve Cummings of Wyoming. He normally sells these trays for anywhere from $500 to $700. He was the first veterinarian Nancy worked for as a vet tech years ago. Other items include several handmade quilts, jewelry including Native American earrings, a cord of wood and a handmade wood box, a float trip on the Bitterroot At any time of day, St. Mary’s Lookout is a marvel to behold. Photos courtesy of Sheryl Olson.
St. Mary’s Peak Lookout – cultural and economic asset By Michael Howell
If you look up at St. Mary’s Peak from the valley floor around Stevensville on a clear day you can see a small cube-shaped dot protruding from the ridgeline at the mountain top. What you see is the St. Mary’s Lookout, the perch from which for decades dedicated individuals have scanned the surrounding forests for signs of fire. The iconic structure is worth a closer look, and though its primary function as a fire tower has been mostly usurped by more modern detection
methods, it still stands as a place of historic interest and draws visitors from all over the world. St. Mary’s Lookout was the eighth fire tower to be listed in the National Historic Lookout Register and the first to be listed by the U.S. Forest Service. The current lookout is actually the second one to be built on the spot. The first, a fifty-foot tall wooden tower built out of timbers, was erected in the early 1930s and had a telephone installed for reporting fires. According to an article in the Helena Independent published on June 1, 1931, “Telephone crews of the forest service are building a telephone line to the lookout tower
on St. Mary’s peak. The new lookout tower on the mountain peak west of Stevensville will be one of the best and highest lookout towers in the district when completed and it is said that the telephone system to it will be completed in a short time. “For two weeks men have been digging holes and setting poles for the forestry line. It will connect with the main telephone line at the Stevensville bridge and will follow roads and lanes southwest to the foothills and then up the mountain side.” The fire tower itself was constructed See LOOKOUT, page 8
Jamie and Nancy Lowell.
This beautiful inlaid tray will be auctioned on Sunday at the “Nancy and Jamie Lowell, We All Love You Benefit.”
River by Osprey Outfitters, a Texas hunt, photo shoot certificate, two Robert Neaves wildlife prints and much more. The auction will begin at 4 p.m. There will be food available as well, including hamburgers, hot dogs, and chips. If you want to bring a dish, you are more than welcome to, according to Steve Morton, who is in charge of the food. If you cannot attend but wish to make a cash donation, make checks to 406 Family Aid Foundation and either mail them to 549 Cash Nichols Road, Stevensville MT 59870 or deliver them to A2Z Personnel in Stevensville at 215 Main.
Hamilton council discusses farmers market parking issues
By Michael Howell
Parking in Hamilton can be a thorny issue and conflicts over residential parking during the Farmer’s Market, which occupies portions of 3rd, 4th and State Streets on weekends in the summer, is an issue that has in the past led to angry outbursts and yelling matches. Not this time. Somehow Council President Travis Martinez was able to air some complaints from local residents in the area and listen to ardent supporters of the Farmer’s Market without anyone raising their voice. To top it off, the discussion ended with a glimmer of
potential resolution. Before the agenda item came up for discussion, Jim Olson, who was involved in the formation of the Farmer’s Market and has served on the board, spoke in support of the market. Olson said the market was started by the Ravalli County Museum as an attempt to help small businesses. He said the market generates a lot of money for the vendors and some even rely upon the summer market for their living or a good part of their living. He said they have had problems over the years but have tried to be good neighbors. Local resident Randy Mathis was the first to speak on
the agenda item and registered his complaint in a soft spoken but sincere tone. “I don’t have anything against the Farmer’s Market people making a living,” he said. “But I have lived here for 16 to 17 years and in the last several years parking has gotten atrocious.” He said he knew of at least 10 families on the block that were finding it very difficult to get in and out of their homes every weekend in the summer. He suggested that offstreet parking be enforced. City Public Works Director Donny Ramer said that the See HAMILTON, page 11
Stevensville Council addresses lighting district assessments By Michael Howell
At a special meeting on Sept. 5, the Stevensville Town Council approved lighting district assessments for Twin Creeks, Creekside and Peterson subdivisions but without the administration’s recommended 3% increase. Mayor Brandon Dewey proposed a 3% increase in the basic assessment to boost the reserve funds in the accounts based upon Finance Office Robert Underwood’s recommendation. Underwood said that the 3% increase was necessary to boost the reserve funds in the accounts to the generally accepted level of 20%. Councilor Steve Gibson said that he opposed raising the fees. Councilor Dempsey Vick asked about the impacts of a 1% increase versus a 3% increase.
Underwood explained again about the need for reserves and the standard measure of 20% of the budget. He said the assessments were designed to meet the costs of the electricity for the streetlights and nothing more, but that a reserve was needed to pay the bills if anyone is late in paying their taxes. Councilor Patrick Shourd said that he was willing to go with the 3% increase because it was recommended by the finance officer, whose professional opinion he trusts. Councilor Dempsey Vick expressed a willingness to go along with it until a couple in the audience spoke during public comment, saying that they both work and a $1 increase in their taxes was a dollar they couldn’t afford. John Munk also spoke
against the increase. When asked if he would rather pay the increase or have the lights turned off if the fund runs short, he said he would rather have the lights turned off. He said there was only one light on his block anyway. The motion under discussion to approve the assessments with a 3% raise was rescinded and a motion was passed to make the assessments with a 0% raise. In a separate budget discussion, the Mayor asked the Council for any questions they needed answers to or disagreements they may have with his proposed budget so that he would have time to work on any changes. Right away Councilors Robin Holcomb and Gibson let him know that they were not going See STEVI, page 11