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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!”
t s e B e h ‘T
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REAL ESTATE AUCTION Saturday, October 6th
Personal Property 10AM • Real Estate 1PM
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Volume XXXIV, Number 9
Irrigation 101
Established 1985 - Locally owned & independent
Stevi to place security cameras in Lewis and Clark Park
By Michael Howell
On the shore of Lake Como, Al Pernichele, Bitterroot Water Commissioner, explains how water from the Bitterroot River is managed. Photos courtesy of Bitter Root Water Forum.
Annual irrigation tour held
Bitter Root Water Forum helps demystify irrigation in the Bitterroot
Whether it’s wheel lines, hand lines, or a pivot system, irrigation is something that you can see happening daily in the Bitterroot. But if it’s not your day to day life, you might have some questions about it. That’s what the Bitter Root Water Forum was hoping to shed light on during their Irrigation in the Bitterroot tour last Wednesday. About 20 community members, some who have been in the valley for years and others who are newcomers, boarded a bus in Hamilton Wednesday afternoon and headed up to Lake Como for their first stop. There Al Pernichele, Bitterroot Water Commissioner, gave a history of how water has been managed in the Bitterroot and discussed how water is dispersed throughout the valley. John Crowley, manager of the Bitter Root Irrigation District (BRID), gave participants an exclusive look into the inner workings of Lake Como and discussed BRID’s role in water storage and distribution with “The Big Ditch.” The next stop featured the Ward Ditch diversion and fish screen. Rhonda King and Tim
Meuchel of Daly Ditches Irrigation District discussed their system featuring nine main ditches that serve nearly 2,000 water users. Fish biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Chris Clancy, also spoke there about fish screens and how they are used to reduce the number of fish caught up in the ditch systems. The final stop was at Homestead Organics Farms, where owners Laura Garber and Henry Wuensche discussed how the water is used on the land and for their final products, the crops. Tour participants were treated to a sample of peppers and hemp tea to bring the day full circle from the water storage, distribution and use, to the result of locally grown food and crops.
The Bitter Root Water Forum is a local nonprofit that works to bring the community together to protect, enhance, and restore the Bitterroot watershed that we all rely on. Along with educational tours like this they also provide youth education and on the ground restoration to improve water quality in the valley. “Education is a very important part of our mission,” says Water Forum Executive Director, Heather Barber. “Giving youth and adults a chance to learn more about our water resources is at the core of what we do. Providing an opportunity to share how important irrigation and agriculture is to the Valley helps connect people to this place.”
Chris Clancy, FWP Fisheries Biologist, describes how a fish screen functions.
Youth Dynamics coordinator looking for more foster homes By Michael Howell
The new Family Development/Community Outreach Coordinator in the Missoula office of Youth Dynamics, Victoria Roberts, is excited about taking on her new position which includes Helena “and everything in between, including the Bitterroot valley.” Youth Dynamics is a Montana-based non-profit child placing agency and mental health center with locations throughout the state. They have been serving at-risk children and families since
Victoria Roberts, Family Development/Community Outreach Coordinator.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
1981, employing approximately 500 Montanans, and serving over 2,000 kids each year. “We wrap supportive services around foster care placements in order to help children recover from past trauma,” said Roberts, “and foster care is one of the many services we provide to Montana kids.” She said their goal is to build strong families and make a difference in Montana, one child at a time. According to. Roberts, there are currently 3,952 children in See FOSTER, page 2
Concerns about drug dealing, bad language, and vandalism took front seat at the last Stevensville Town Council meeting, culminating in a decision to place security cameras in Lewis and Clark Park and pay for the cost of replacing the soccer nets that were vandalized. The issue of drug dealing at the park was broached by Council President Bob Michalson at the beginning of the meeting when, following the police report, he said that he had received two calls in the last three days about drug dealing in town. Michalson said that there was a “Mexican gang” openly dealing heroin in the streets and at the park. He claimed to know the location of the gang and said that a couple of the gang members did not speak any English. “This is an ongoing thing that is very real,” he said. Police Clerk Jenelle Berthoud suggested that Michalson have the people he talked to contact the police department and share any information they might have about drug dealing in town. Police Chief James Marble, who was not present when Michalson made his comments, said later that he was not aware of any real “gang” activity currently
in Stevensville. “But is there drug activity going on in the open? Absolutely, unfortunately,” said Marble. He said Stevensville’s drug problem seems to be getting a little worse lately. He attributes that, to a large degree, to having a one-man police force. He said “bad guys” know the situation and can see it as an opportunity, leading to an influx of criminal activity that compounds the problem. “We need a properly equipped and funded police force if we want to preserve the smalltown atmosphere of peace and tranquility that we still have,” said Marble. [see accompanying article “Starting from Scratch”] The first item on the council’s agenda was to install security cameras and security lighting in Lewis and Clark Park. Michalson said that the issue had been discussed and tabled for years and something needed to be done. Council member Robin Holcomb said cameras may have to be considered in all the town’s parks. Mayor Brandon Dewey said that he had contacted other mayors around the state and that while a couple have placed security cameras at their town dump sites, none had placed any cameras in their parks, although Helena was considering it. Dewey said the cost was substantial to install a security
system, mainly due to the requirement for a climate-controlled environment for the DVR system. Police Chief Marble said that Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks was using less expensive game cameras and having good luck with them. They are less expensive and they can be moved around from place to place or moved from park to park. He said his department used them during vandalism spree at the town’s cemetery. He recommended having the mayor price some game cameras and come back with a proposal. Cathi Cook, who has been on the soccer board for 12 years and served as president for the last eight years, said that she has been coming to the council for at least the last six years trying to get some action about the vandalism problem. “I’m sick and tired of tiptoeing around this issue,” said Cook. “We need to be proud of this park and we need to take good care of it. Let’s get off our butts and take this town back.” Then she offered to donate $5,000 toward the installation of some cameras and said the offer was good until December 31. Mayor Dewey said that he needed some specific direction See STEVI, page 3
Hamilton skatepark rolling ahead By Michael Howell After years of effort, the installation of a skatepark in Hamilton is about to become a reality. Last week. Bryan Dufresne, president of the board of Circle 13 Skatepark, the non-profit organization that is installing the skatepark in Claudia Driscoll Park, under a Memorandum of Agreement with the City of Hamilton, gave the City Council members a sneak preview of the design concept which was officially “unveiled” at the Bedford Building in Hamilton on Monday, September 17. “I’m excited,” Dufresne told the council members. “I think it’s a fusion of everything we hoped for.” He said the design accommodates everyone from those who need a challenge to those who barely know how to stand on a skateboard. Dufresne said that with the addition of a street section that makes a loop around the outer edge, kids who have hardly been on a skateboard will be able to
coast and be out of the way for the most part but able to watch all the other activity and learn. “It’s a fantastic place for kids to learn who don’t know anything about skating,” he said. Then there’s the middle section – the rollers – for people getting ready for deep transition. He said the “hard core deep transition skaters” have some egg-shaped bowls that can be challenging and, of course, a lot of fun. Dufresne said that what they were going to emphasize at the “unveiling” and continually as things move forward is the “etiquette” involved in skating and the importance of showing a respect and appreciation for the facility that the community was providing the skaters. The council members were assured that a couple of things in the conceptual design were not going to be installed, like the rock formation and the trees, since they would actually be safety hazards. After hearing some concerns about the potential impact on
the bandshell in the park where many performances are held, a landscaped berm was incorporated into the design to serve as a sound barrier. It will also serve to provide some elevated seating for bandshell performances. Evergreen Skateparks, the company contracted to install the skatepark, was expected to be in town on September 17, “looking, flagging and pondering,” said Dufresne. Work is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving, according to Dufresne. Cost of the total project is estimated at about $300,000. Circle 13 Skatepark received some major contributions to finance the construction, including a $100,000 donation from Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament, a $50,000 donation from Bill Watkins, owner of Discovery Care Centre in Hamilton, and another $45,000 from the Montana Skatepark Association. Fundraising is still a little short of the goal by about $25,000 and contributions are welcome.