If you've driven along the Hungry Horse Reservoir or camped near Swan Lake, you have Shawn Boelman to thank. As Assistant Forest Engineer for the Flathead National Forest, he's spearheaded projects that restored campgrounds and improved the surface of more than 100 miles of backwoods roads. Now he's being honored as the Northern Region Managerial Engineer of the Year.

Boelman joined the U.S. Forest Service in 2003 after working for the Bureau of Reclamation in New Mexico and Billings. As a program manager, he's led many projects, large and small, relating to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“Shawn works every day to make this forest a better place while also keeping an eye on the horizon towards making the Forest Service a better resource for the nation,” said forest supervisor Chip Weber.

Shawn, who is married with two children, will receive the award at the annual Northern Region engineering meeting on March 1.

 

E-mail Story   Print Story

 

The Abbie Shelter will be presenting The Vagina Monologues at the O'Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish on Feb. 21 and 22. Proceeds from the performance will support the shelter, which provides support for women who have been victimized by domestic abuse or sexual assault.

According to Executive Director Hilary Shaw, the shelter provides refuge for abused women, a 24-hour crisis line and support groups. The shelter was established in 1976.

“We're the primary support service for domestic violence victims in the valley,” she said.

The Vagina Monologues was written in 1996 by Eve Ensler and first performed in Greenwich Village, N.Y. The play focuses on women and their sexuality and performances around the globe have raised millions of dollars for anti-violence groups. Shaw said the Abbie Shelter has been presenting the play for the last eight years and that it's always one of its biggest fundraisers.

“It gives voice to women and survivors and gives them a place to tell their stories,” she said.

Shaw said the play has an important message, especially at a time when only one out of 10 rapes are ever reported. She also said that one in four women will be sexually assaulted.

Tickets to the show are available at all Montana Coffee Traders locations for $15, or $18 at the door. Students and seniors can get in for $10. The show, produced and performed by volunteers, starts at 7:30 p.m., but doors open an hour earlier for a social hour, featuring music, wine and chocolate.

For more information about the show or the Abbie Shelter call (406) 752-4735. The shelter's 24-hour crisis line is (406) 752-7273.

 

E-mail Story   Print Story

 

Kyle Johnson, a Columbia Falls native and 31-year employee of Glacier National Park, was awarded the National Park Service Intermountain Wilderness Champion Award this month in recognition of his work as a wilderness specialist, including his efforts with Glacier's back-country permit and training programs.

“Kyle is a stalwart protector of Glacier's wilderness values and embodies the wilderness spirit. He is respected for his knowledge, expertise and leadership as a wilderness specialist, and we are very fortunate to have him at Glacier,” said Superintendent Chas Cartwright in a press release.

The award was established to recognize National Park Service employees in the intermountain region who are doing notable work in preserving wilderness areas. Johnson has expanded these efforts by working closely with groups both in and out of the park, including the Flathead National Forest and University of Montana. According to a press release, Johnson has also worked on visitor information programs that have aided parks throughout the country.

“I'm honored to work at Glacier National Park and be recognized for my role in protection of this special place,” Johnson said. “The job we have as stewards is bigger than one individual and I'm fortunate to work with a great team at the park.”

 

E-mail Story   Print Story

 

What would people do for a year's supply (or 52 cases) of Black Star Beer? More than a thousand spectators, some from as far away as the South Pacific, found out Saturday during the Whitefish Winter Carnival and Black Star Beer Barter, hosted at the Great Northern Brewing Company.

Everything from an old bus to a fire dance were judged by a five-person panel, which included pro skiers Andy Mahre and Lynsey Dyer.

In the end, three entrees scored the top prize of a year's supply of beer. The winners: Troy Nooroa, who traveled all the way from the Cook Islands, to present his fire-dancing skills; pro skaterboarders Al Partanen and David Gravette who wowed the crowd with endless tricks and jumps; and Parker Beeson, who offered his vintage 1970 Volkswagon Bus, dubbed the “ultimate party bus.”

A fourth offering also captivated the judges panel. Cancer survivor Peggy Miller pledged to walk 52 laps in an upcoming Relay for Life and the brewery offered a $5,000 donation to the American Cancer Society in her name.

To see what you may have missed, check out this video from the weekend's festivities.

 

E-mail Story   Print Story

 

If you've ever wanted to sing your heart out or show off a bizarre talent, and you're a student or employee at Flathead Valley Community College, then you'll want to mark Feb. 16 on your calendar. That's the day of auditions for the third annual "FVCC's Got Talent" competition. The event is sponsored by the community college's student government and is scheduled for March 16. Prizes are awarded to the top performers.

The deadline to register for auditions is Feb. 14. For more information contact Sharon Randolph at 756-3981 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

And for a preview of who you may be going up against, check out this video from last year's competition.

 

E-mail Story   Print Story

 

Whitefish Winter Carnival is picking up speed in its fun and funny ways, and the revelers have crowned their King Ullr and the Queen of the Snows for this year's festivities.

(If you need a primer on what I'm talking about, read this article on last year's carnival.)

Richard and Carol Atkinson were crowned as this year's king and queen of the carnival. Here's a little more about the Whitefish royalty.

King Ullr

Born in Middletown, CT, Rich graduated from College High School in Montclair, NJ. He attended Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT and flunked out after his first semester of his junior year. Rich joined the U.S. Army and graduated from the Army Language School in Monterey, CA. He served as an Intercept Operator in Bad Aibling, Germany. After completing his military service, he graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder, CO. Married, he and the family (sons Douglas and Michael) moved to Bowie, MD where his daughter Sharon was born. He worked at nearby NSA as a cryptologic mathematician and cryptanalyst from 1963-1981. There he met his current wife Carol and they now have 11 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter.

In 1979 he and his brother started the highly successful, upscale travel publication, Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report. In 1981 they added The Harper Collection. That same year, tired of government service, he and Carol devoted full time to nurturing and expanding the publications while traveling the world. In 1985 they discovered Whitefish, MT, purchased a home and moved there in 1986.
Rich has been involved in several fundraising projects in Whitefish, starting with the outdoor Ice Rink in 1988 and ending with the completion of a $5.2M Performing Arts Center in the Whitefish Middle School in 2011. He served on the Glacier National Park Fund Board and the Beacon Advisory Board. He also started the girls' soccer program at Whitefish High School and coached in 1992 and 1993. His first real introduction to Winter Carnival was 2007 when he and Carol were the Grand Marshalls of the Winter Carnival Parade after receiving the Great Whitefish Award in 2006.

Queen of the Snows

Born in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, Carol graduated from Penn State University with a BA in Liberal Arts and from the University of Maryland with a Masters in Educational Technology. She spent close to twenty years at the National Security Agency as an Education and Training Officer and Cryptanalyst. Her second career took her all over the world as a writer and copy editor for Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report. She and her husband Richard moved to Whitefish in 1986.

With over twenty years of fundraising and philanthropic endeavors in this community, Carol is honored to take on the title of Queen of the Snows. Her fundraising efforts have included both ice rinks, the WAVE and the Whitefish Middle School Auditorium Project. Previous Board appointments have been to the Flathead Festival, Glacier Symphony and Chorale, Glacier National Park Fund and Flathead Beacon Advisory Board.

Currently, Carol serves as the President of the Whitefish Community Foundation and she chaired the Grants Committee for five years. She is the founder of the Whitefish Arts Council and volunteers for the Whitefish Theatre Company and Tamarack Grief Resource Center Summer Camps. In addition, Carol has served as a fundraising consultant for Glacier Symphony and Chorale, Tamarack Grief Resource Center, Shepherd's Hand Clinic, Alpine Theatre Project, Whitefish High School Campus Redevelopment Project and the Anaconda Community Foundation. Carol and Richard were given the Great Whitefish Award in 2006 and served as Grand Marshalls of the Winter Carnival Parade in 2007.

By the way, this year's theme is "Fiesta Pescado Blanco." For more information on upcoming events, check out the website.

 

E-mail Story   Print Story

 

Whitefish isn't the only place celebrating winter this weekend as the Lakeside/Somers Chamber of Commerce and Blacktail Mountain host the annual Winterfest on Saturday. From a pancake breakfast to live music, sleigh rides and a pig roast, there is something for everyone.

Festivities will kick off bright and early at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast at the Lakeside Chapel. Tickets are $5 per person or $15 for a family and all proceeds from that helps the Lakeside Chapel Youth Group.

After that people can register and participate in the 10th Annual Family Cup Ski and Snowboard races on Blacktail Mountain. Registration takes place at the mountain lodge between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. and races start at 11 a.m. on Emmons Ridge. Besides races up on the mountain, there will be sporting clays in Somers and, depending on weather, a snowmobile poker run from the Lake Mary Ronan Lodge to Muley's at Blacktail Mountain. And once competitors arrive at Muley's they can enjoy music by Danielle Oliver at 2:30 p.m. Sleigh rides will be available up on the mountain throughout the day.

The entire day wraps up at the Tamarack Brewing Company for a pig roast at 5 p.m. and live music by 20 Grand at 7 p.m. For more information about the event call the brewery at (406) 844-0244, Blacktail Mountain at (406) 844-0999 or the Lakeside/Somers Chamber of Commerce at (406) 844-3715.

 

E-mail Story   Print Story

 

For folks looking for a new winter activity, the Izaak Walton Inn in Essex will be the place to be this weekend. The historic inn is hosting Ski Fest on Saturday and Sunday, and people can get free cross country skiing lessons on area trails.

“It's just a weekend to introduce folks to cross country skiing and is for people who may not know much about it,” said the inn's Amanda Kern.

Festivities will start at about 10:30 each day and go until mid-afternoon. Sportsman and Ski Haus will be on hand with demo gear that people can use free of charge and the Izaak Walton's gear will be available to rent at reduced rates. Trail passes are free all weekend. Kern said the event has been going on for more than a decade and is always popular.

“It's usually a busy weekend and we're excited to see so many people,” she said.

For more information call the Izaak Walton Inn at (406) 888-5700.

 

E-mail Story   Print Story