In late summer and early fall, many Montanans were unpleasantly surprised to receive notices telling them their property values had skyrocketed. The reappraisals, due every six years from the state Department of Revenue, meant their property taxes would take a big leap forward, too. In areas like Gallatin and Flathead counties, where the 2002-2008 period saw a dramatic real estate boom – followed by a bust – some property values increased 300 percent or more.
But there was hope for people feeling the pain. First, property owners could seek relief by appealing their appraisals, either by asking for informal reviews from the Department of Revenue (DOR) or by appealing directly to their County Tax Appeal Board. Second, local governments could decrease their mill levies, the formulas that actually determine how much property tax residents pay.
Kalispell man introduces initiative that would cap property tax increases
DOR Director Says Reappraisal Process Working
Homes near Lone Pine State Park. - File Photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon
[read more]Phelps will finish 15th year next July
Whitefish City Attorney Announces Retirement
Whitefish City Attorney John Phelps has announced his retirement, to become effective in July of 2010.
Citing “all of the good reasons that everybody would like to retire,” Phelps said after 32 years of practicing law he wants to spend more time with his family, including his granddaughter. He also looks forward to hiking, camping, traveling and helping out with the nonprofit organizations with which he’s involved. Phelps owns a ranch with his wife.
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Citing “all of the good reasons that everybody would like to retire,” Phelps said after 32 years of practicing law he wants to spend more time with his family, including his granddaughter. He also looks forward to hiking, camping, traveling and helping out with the nonprofit organizations with which he’s involved. Phelps owns a ranch with his wife.
Small-town culture kept payment system alive during credit craze
With Less Credit, Layaway Makes a Comeback
Heidi Marcum, left, checks out clothing at Rocky Mountain Outfitter with help from employee Jandy Cox in Kalispell. Businesses like RMO have traditionally used layaway programs while larger national chains are only beginning to do it again because of the economy. – Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon
Heading into the frantic Christmas shopping season, national headlines are proclaiming a resurgence of layaway payment programs as businesses respond to cash-strapped customers who have grown weary of credit cards. Large chains that previously regarded layaway as archaic are now viewing it as a viable alternative. For customers, wobbly from the recession, it’s a safer way to budget and avoid rising credit card interest rates.
Layaway’s return to prominence is significant, as it represents a shift away from the credit-driven consumer philosophy that has taken part of the blame for the nation’s economic woes. Instead of shoppers getting what they want now and dealing with payments later, more are buying what their current budget allows and exhibiting patience. Credit cards, of course, will still be popular during the holiday season.
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Layaway’s return to prominence is significant, as it represents a shift away from the credit-driven consumer philosophy that has taken part of the blame for the nation’s economic woes. Instead of shoppers getting what they want now and dealing with payments later, more are buying what their current budget allows and exhibiting patience. Credit cards, of course, will still be popular during the holiday season.
DNRC to extend public comment period an additional 30 days
Proposed Spencer Lake Logging Prompts Concern from Some Residents
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A proposed logging project in a heavily-used network of trails near Whitefish has residents there mobilizing to make sure that recreation is considered as part of the plan. In October, the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation announced plans for a timber sale on state school trust land encompassing the Spencer Lake area, three miles west of Whitefish.
According to the DNRC, work on the sale layout could begin next summer, with actual thinning taking place in the late summer or fall of 2011. But although the proposed sale is in its very early stages, some recreational users of the area and local leaders are being proactive in meeting with the DNRC to ensure that the character of Spencer Lake, and the mountain rising above it, isn’t inexorably altered.
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According to the DNRC, work on the sale layout could begin next summer, with actual thinning taking place in the late summer or fall of 2011. But although the proposed sale is in its very early stages, some recreational users of the area and local leaders are being proactive in meeting with the DNRC to ensure that the character of Spencer Lake, and the mountain rising above it, isn’t inexorably altered.
Potluck dinner planned for Nov. 22
Multi-Faith Project Plans Second Thanksgiving Service
Participants in the Flathead Valley Multi-Faith Project Ed Myers, Ina Albert, Rev. Darryl Kistler, Rev. Chad Jones and Rabbi Allen Secher, left to right, meet around a table at the Museum at Central School to make plans for the groups second Thanksgiving dinner. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon
Nearly one year after their first official event, leaders of the Flathead Valley Multi-Faith Project are planning their second annual potluck Thanksgiving dinner for Nov. 22. Last week, the heads of several Flathead faith communities gathered in the basement of Kalispell’s Central School Museum to hash out the structure of a service that would be, at once, non-denominational, yet deeply spiritual.
“We thought it was important to have a unified voice and to show that we actually have much more in common in terms of our spiritual and faith traditions than we do different,” Darryl Kistler, pastor of the United Church of Christ in Kalispell, said.
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“We thought it was important to have a unified voice and to show that we actually have much more in common in terms of our spiritual and faith traditions than we do different,” Darryl Kistler, pastor of the United Church of Christ in Kalispell, said.
Banff Mountain Film Festival tour comes to Kalispell
A Big Festival Born in a Small Town
Banff Mountain Film Festival 2009: Will Gadd on B.C.'s Hunlen Falls in the film "Hunlen." - Photo courtesy of The Banff Centre
The small Alberta town of Banff, where the population is only slightly higher than the elevation, may seem an unlikely candidate to spawn the largest mountain film festival in North America. But if you look closer, at its illustrious Banff Centre of arts and culture, at its stunning mountainous surroundings, perhaps it all makes sense.
From Oct. 31 to Nov. 8, more than 10,000 moviegoers crowded into theaters throughout Banff, a town of just over 8,000 in Alberta, for the famed Banff Mountain Film Festival. From 277 total entries, 62 films were chosen for the festival. Screenings included outdoor adventure films and documentaries serving as in-depth cultural examinations. Winners in various categories were named.
[read more]
From Oct. 31 to Nov. 8, more than 10,000 moviegoers crowded into theaters throughout Banff, a town of just over 8,000 in Alberta, for the famed Banff Mountain Film Festival. From 277 total entries, 62 films were chosen for the festival. Screenings included outdoor adventure films and documentaries serving as in-depth cultural examinations. Winners in various categories were named.
Three new councilors elected in Whitefish
In Whitefish, Small-Town Politics Take on a Big-Time Feel
Phil Mitchell, Chris Hyatt and Bill Kahle, left to right, were the winners in this year's election.
The race is over. Let the healing begin.
That is the sentiment expressed by newly elected Whitefish City Councilor Bill Kahle. In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 3 election, the Whitefish political landscape had become one of contentiousness, even bitterness at times. It wasn’t necessarily a function of the candidates themselves as much as a product of outside influences, with mailers and interest groups sparking the fire, and public intrigue fanning the flames.
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That is the sentiment expressed by newly elected Whitefish City Councilor Bill Kahle. In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 3 election, the Whitefish political landscape had become one of contentiousness, even bitterness at times. It wasn’t necessarily a function of the candidates themselves as much as a product of outside influences, with mailers and interest groups sparking the fire, and public intrigue fanning the flames.
Treasure State has sixth-highest volunteer rate in nation
With Obama’s Plan, AmeriCorps Could Greatly Expand in Montana
Rachael Milne organizes papers during a financial literacy class at the Faith Free Lutheran Church in Kalispell. Milne is an AmeriCorps Vista volunteer from Valdosta, Ga. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon
President Barack Obama’s call for volunteerism is being heard loud and clear in Montana. But long before the president came to office, the Treasure State was a bastion for community service. Now, with Obama’s plan to triple the size of AmeriCorps, Montana could be gearing up for a considerable increase in its already sizeable volunteer base.
Montana perennially has one of the highest rates of community service in the nation. A study by Volunteering in America states that 36.6 percent of Montanans volunteer for some form of service, giving the state the sixth-highest rate in the nation.
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Montana perennially has one of the highest rates of community service in the nation. A study by Volunteering in America states that 36.6 percent of Montanans volunteer for some form of service, giving the state the sixth-highest rate in the nation.
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