New grassroots institute joins efforts to promote language as fluency dwindles and elders age

Saving the Salish Language

By Myers Reece, 12-19-11



	Caption: A recent gathering of the Salish Institute. Photo courtesy of the Salish Institute

Fewer than 50 people are believed to speak Salish fluently on the Flathead Indian Reservation and most of them are in their 70s, leaving a deeply uncertain future for the language in Northwest Montana.

With that in mind, Rosie Matt, Chaney Bell and Echo Brown have started up the Salish Institute, a grassroots movement dedicated to improving the “health, culture, education and environment of the Salish and Pend d’Oreille people.”

The institute, a nonprofit organization based out of St. Ignatius, has held three community meetings since October and will have more in the future. Though the gatherings are open to discussion on any community issue, attendees have made clear that a primary concern is keeping the Salish language alive, Matt said.

The institute, which also hosts weekly Salish language choir practices for youths, is developing partnerships with other organizations in the hopes of creating a network that can achieve community-wide goals.

“Here on the reservation we’re at a critical point in order to save our language,” Matt said.

The Salish Institute joins other organizations on the reservation that provide resources for language learning, including the Nkwusm language school and Salish Kootenai College. The People’s Center in Pablo is also starting classes in January, according to the center’s program manager, Lucy Vanderburg, a longtime teacher and advocate of language as a vital link to one’s heritage.

“It’s always on my agenda to encourage people to learn the language,” she said. “It’s always been one of my passions to teach the language.”

Vanderburg is one of the reservation’s remaining fluent Salish speakers. Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, she said her family spoke Salish in their home, as did many other people throughout the community.

“I can remember going to the post office or the grocery store with my mom, and you’d run into somebody you knew and they spoke the language,” she said. “I guess I always thought it would be around.”

Both the Bitterroot Salish and Pend d’Oreille traditionally spoke dialects of Salish, sharing a common language family with other tribes in the Northwest. The third tribe that makes up the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation is the Kootenai, which speaks its own language.

Matt and Vanderburg encourage Kootenai speakers to form their own language programs. Vanderburg hopes to have Kootenai instructors teach courses at the People’s Center, while Matt said she knows of somebody trying to form a grassroots Kootenai language group.

“We have been asked, ‘Why aren’t you including the Kootenai?’” Matt said. “We just want to focus on this language family and cultural heritage, but we would love someone to do this for Kootenai.”

Matt said she has gotten to know Bell and Brown, her fellow Salish Institute founders, through years of working together at different language and cultural programs. They decided the reservation could use an organization that takes a “holistic approach to learning culture,” one that carefully considers factors such as history, environment and language.

The nonprofit’s first three meetings have been well attended, Matt said, and she expects them to grow in the future.

“The idea is to be inclusive as possible,” Matt said. “Everyone is welcome. Everyone who comes to the meetings is a part of the institute.”

Even with the Nkwusm school, Salish Kootenai College and adult language classes taught around the reservation, Matt said “we haven’t been able to create new fluent speakers.” The elders who are fluent, Matt said, increasingly lack the energy to dedicate much time to teaching language. Matt doesn’t want the reservation to lose all Salish fluency once the elders are no longer around.

“We feel that we don’t have a lot of time because those elders are old,” she said.

Despite the dearth of fluency, Vanderburg said “people are trying to learn it and I applaud them for trying.” Years ago when Vanderburg worked on a cultural committee, she was in frequent contact with her elders, who spoke passionately of language’s cultural importance. Even if those elders have passed, their message still resonates.

“I think one of the things that I learned with working with those elders is that you have to know your language to know your true culture,” Vanderburg said. “That was one of their hopes and dreams – that would the language would stay alive.”

For information on Nkwusm, visit www.salishworld.com or call (406) 726-5050. To reach the People’s Center, visit www.peoplescenter.org or call (406) 883-5344. The Salish Institute can be reached by phone at (406) 210-2502 or found online at www.thesalishinstitute.com. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/saving_the_salish_language/25849/

Whitefish

PLACES: Stumptown Art Studio

By Lido Vizzutti, 12-04-11



	Caption: Connor Donohue, 11, works at the glass fusion station at Stumptown Art Studio in Whitefish. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Sometimes, the best gifts are the ones that come from our own imaginations. So if you’re still looking for a perfect item for that special someone, roll up your sleeves and give the gift of an original piece of art by getting creative at Stumptown Art Studio in Whitefish.

Choose from a number of already prepared bisque ware, from bowls, plates and mugs to cookie jars, figurines and piggy banks. Glazes, paints and brushes are provided.

If the gift of glass is more what you’re looking for, create your own one-of-a-kind glass fusion piece. Invent something functional like plates or buttons, or fabricate stand-alone art pieces or pendants.

Walk-ins are welcome and all proceeds from the sales go toward the nonprofit’s art programs and workshops for children and adults.

For youngsters in the holiday spirit, Stumptown hosts “Santa’s Workshop” on Dec. 12-16. Each day focuses on a different project, including ornaments, beading and wireworks, stocking and wreaths.

For interested adults, check out the fused glass ornaments workshop on Dec. 7. Or, bring the whole family for a holiday show of student work on Dec. 9.

For more information visit www.stumptownartstudio.org.

How to get there: The Stumptown Art Studio is located at 145 Central Ave., downtown Whitefish. If going north on U.S. Highway 93 through downtown, turn right onto Central Avenue. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/places_stumptown_art_studio3/25578/

Joel Fuller shows shades of Steelers star, who shares childhood roots

Polamalu’s Footsteps

By Myers Reece, 12-02-11



	Caption: Last Line of Defense: Libby’s Joel Fuller, No. 5, in a game against Eastern Washington. - Photo courtesy of Daryn Hendrickson

Montana State University safety Joel Fuller has a photograph from his childhood that, when viewed today, seems to foreshadow his football future.

In the photograph, a young Fuller is seen with Troy Polamalu, who is arguably the NFL’s premier strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fuller’s father Neil coached Polamalu at Douglas High School in Winston, Ore., before moving to Northwest Montana where he became coach at Libby High School and coached another athletic strong safety – his son.

For Fuller, the photograph is a reminder of the roots he shares with Polamalu. And it’s one of many reasons the NFL star remains an inspiration today.

“I’ve studied him over the years,” Fuller said last week. “I feel that he’s the best safety in the league. He’s fearless. And he’s a great role model.”

In his first year as starting strong safety for the Bobcats, Fuller has done his best to emulate Polamalu. The junior was named second team Big Sky All-Conference after a regular season in which he finished fourth on the team in total tackles and second in pass breakups.

Fuller now turns his attention to Dec. 3, when MSU hosts New Hampshire in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The Bobcats are ranked seventh in the nation and New Hampshire is ranked 12th. It will be Fuller’s first career playoff start.

“I’m excited; it’s a great opportunity,” he said. “They’re a great team and I’m glad we’ve got them at home.”

Head coach Rob Ash said Fuller has done a “fantastic job” filling the shoes of departed defensive backs Jordan Craney and Michael Rider, who were both captains as seniors in 2010. Ash said Fuller is a “smart” and “heady” player who has developed into an “outstanding tackler.”

Though Fuller is “quiet and unassuming” by nature, Ash said his safety is becoming more of a vocal leader. Next year, Ash expects big things out of Fuller, who will be playing in his final year for the Bobcats.

“He needs to look at trying to be first team all-league or All-American,” Ash said. “I think Joel Fuller has that ability.”

But anybody who watched Fuller play in high school in Libby may not have even guessed he would end up playing safety. Fuller was a three-time Class A all-state selection at quarterback, in addition to racking up accolades at safety. According to the Bobcats, Fuller threw for 6,399 yards in high school, fifth best in state history for all classifications, and 69 touchdowns, which is third best in state history. He also rushed for 1,000 yards.

Fuller said he received interest in playing quarterback in college, including from the University of Montana. But he decided he wanted to play safety and he felt “Montana State was the best fit.”

“I miss it sometimes,” Fuller said of playing quarterback. “But I know I’m in the right spot.”

Ash says, though Fuller “can still throw the ball,” he doesn’t envision any scenario in which the junior would return to the offensive side of the ball.

“We have a pretty good quarterback,” Ash said, referring to standout sophomore DeNarius McGhee, a friend of Fuller’s.

During the Bobcats’ 36-10 loss to rival Montana on Nov. 19, Fuller felt he made mistakes that led to big plays for the Grizzlies. He called it “a disappointing performance for myself,” though there’s no time to hang his head. With the playoffs looming, Fuller can only use the UM loss as a learning experience.

“You never want to lose those games, but at the same time we still have the playoffs to look forward to,” Fuller said. “We can focus on that and put (the loss) behind us.”

And no matter what happens in Saturday’s game, Fuller said it has already been a magical ride in his first year as starter, playing for a program that has developed into a championship contender.

“It’s great,” he said. “You love winning as a competitor. We’ve done a great job for the most part. I like the atmosphere that we have here with the fans. It’s been a lot of fun to be a part of.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/polamalus_footsteps/25581/

Tyler Miller faces death penalty for Christmas shootings

Accused Double Murderer Found Competent for Trial

By Molly Priddy, 12-02-11



	Caption: Tyler Miller appears in Flathead County District Court on Oct. 26, 2011. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

A Flathead District Court judge found a Kalispell man accused of murdering a woman and her daughter last Christmas to be mentally competent for trial.

Judge Stewart Stadler issued his ruling on Dec. 2, saying Tyler Michael Miller, previously known as Tyler Michael Cheetham, has the ability to understand court proceedings and assist in his defense.

Prosecutors say Miller shot and killed his ex-girlfriend Jaimi Hurlbert, 35, and her daughter, Alyssa Burkett, 15, on Dec. 25, 2010. Miller is charged with deliberate homicide and faces the death penalty.

Stadler’s ruling came after a brief competency hearing on Dec. 2, at which mental health professionals from the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs testified about the results of an Aug. 30 evaluation of Miller. The facility serves as the only public psychiatric hospital in the state.

According to psychologist John Van Hassel, the evaluation lasted roughly two-and-a-half hours at the Flathead County Detention Center. He told Deputy County Attorney Allison Howard that he found no mental disease or defect that would preclude Miller from understanding court proceedings or prohibit him from assisting in his own defense.

Van Hassel’s conclusions were supported by Dr. Virginia Hill, a psychiatrist at the Montana State Hospital, who testified that she found no mental health reasons that would prevent Miller from participating in or understanding legal proceedings. Hill participated in the Aug. 30 evaluation and also interviewed detention center staff regarding Miller.

Under cross-examination from public defender Nicole Ducheneaux, Van Hassel said mental health evaluations typically occur at the state hospital facility in Warm Springs, where patients stay for about a month and are kept under observation.

Howard asked Van Hassel if he was concerned that Miller’s mental state could have deteriorated in the three months between the evaluation and the Dec. 2 hearing, to which Van Hassel said he was not because there was no mental disease found to begin with.

He also said he is confident in the evaluation’s findings despite not being able to observe Miller at the state hospital. Miller was also on mood stabilizers and anti-psychotic medication for about three weeks prior to the evaluation, Van Hassel said.

Multiple legal motions filed in this case hinged on Miller’s mental competency, Stadler noted, and he urged the attorneys to keep the case progressing since it is scheduled for a March trial.

An evidence suppression hearing should be scheduled soon, the attorneys said.

Miller’s case is the first time the Flathead County Attorney’s Office has sought the death penalty since 1983. County Attorney Ed Corrigan filed his intent to pursue capital punishment in March, citing Miller’s callousness and pride in the murders during his alleged confessions after he was arrested.

Court records state that Miller confessed to killing Hurlbert and Burkett with a .45-caliber pistol. Miller was also allegedly using methamphetamines at the time of the murders, according to court records. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/accused_double_murderer_found_competent_for_trial/25628/

Local ski shops are cornerstones of winter sports community

Snow Falls, Business Rises

By Dillon Tabish, 12-02-11



	Caption: Jason Keister removes extra wax while putting the finishing touches on the bottom of a ski at The White Room Mountain Shop in Whitefish. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

As much as Dean Maurice wants to flip over the sign on his business’s door saying “Gone Skiing” and drive up the road to Blacktail Mountain, these days he knows he better stay put – for the most part.

Maurice will still lock up his small ski shop in Lakeside and take a powder day on occasion, but not very often. He can’t afford to miss too many days of work during the winter months, and other sporting goods retailers in the area understand this as well.

The arrival of snow signals the beginning of the winter sports season, unofficially spanning from November to May, when some niche businesses in the valley hope to build up a financial cushion that will sustain them throughout the year.

“Snow puts everybody to work, from the guys that plow the driveway to ski shops. Snow is really important,” said Maurice, who owns and operates Lakeside Ski & Sports, which is now open for the winter.

With two downhill ski areas within 40 miles of each other and another in Libby, along with vast cross country and snowmobile opportunities, the Flathead Valley is a winter sports hub that indulges a growing active community. Both Whitefish Mountain Resort and Blacktail Mountain Ski Area have seen an increase in visitors over the last few seasons, and local chambers of commerce have touted an increase in Canadian visitation as the leading force for tourism.

In other words, snow is big business.

“I don’t know if (a good snow year) actually gets more people into the sport, but when it’s a good snow year everybody goes more,” said Joe Tabor, co-owner of Stumptown Snowboards in Whitefish. “There’s always a lot of great energy when it’s a good year.”

Outdoor enthusiasts, whether local or visiting, have a nice list of familiar and new businesses that tap into winter sports enthusiasm. There are the bigger, broader stores such as Sportsman & Ski Haus, a longtime staple in the community.

And then there are the alcove shops like Maurice’s and Tabor’s, or Rocky Mountain Outfitter in Kalispell, or The White Room Mountain Shop and Stumptown Snowboards in Whitefish. These are shops that not only serve the winter sports community, but also foster and become home to its culture.

Most local ski shops anywhere are small operations, but Maurice’s is certainly the smallest. As a “one-man band,” Maurice owns and operates the Lakeside business, which opened a year ago down the road from Blacktail in a refurbished shipping container now clothed in wood. Maurice offers rentals, gear and services, usually for those heading up to Blacktail.

“I’m not going to make a million dollars but I think I’m in a good spot,” he said.

Maurice closes up after ski season but hopes to one day expand the business to include water sports and mountain biking. For now, he’s trying to build a comradely base with consistency and workmanship his customers can rely on.

Up north in Whitefish, that’s exactly what both Stumptown Snowboards and The White Room have done.

The oldest snowboard-only shop in Montana, Stumptown opened in 1992 when snowboards were “still kind of an outlaw sport,” as Tabor says.

Now that the sport is mainstream, Tabor and his wife Kristin have grown their shop to two locations – one downtown that offers gear, clothing and equipment and one on Big Mountain that deals mostly in rentals.

The Tabors have seen quite an evolution since they first opened their popular snowboard hub. The days of selling boards only to adults have disappeared – one of the shop’s biggest “bright spots” has been selling children’s equipment – and the industry as a whole continues to advance seemingly as fast as technology.

Stumptown, located downtown, stays open year round selling clothing and other accessories. But don’t be mistaken; the icon hanging on the wall is what Stumptown is all about: Joe’s first snowboard he built in junior high shop class in Whitefish.

Over on Lupfer Avenue, The White Room recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. Opened by Charlie Duffy and Tim Thomas, the 1,500-square-foot building is full of unique offerings, from skis to coats to everything in between.

Business has improved every year since opening, Duffy said, and this year is already on pace to be a record year.

One aspect that Duffy says sets The White Room apart is its ski wall, which is a source of pride. The shop showcases an impressive line of brands, with the only Armada skis in the valley and some lesser-known names like Fat-ypus and 4Frnt that Duffy believes are worthy of mountain riding.

“We’re very particular,” he said. “We only represent nine to 10 brands on our wall and we test out all the skis personally a year in advance.”

Like all the shops around the valley, The White Room is full of experienced outdoor enthusiasts. Although he doesn’t get to ski 100 days a winter anymore, Duffy still knows the needs and wants of his fellow recreationists. He also knows that selling someone the wrong ski for a higher price does not help anyone in the long run. That’s part of the trust Duffy hopes to establish with his customers.

“I can’t really put my finger on why but we’re just trying to help as many people as we can,” Duffy said, adding, “We’re a smaller company and we tend to establish personal relationships with our customers. The ultimate goal is to get them skiing.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/snow_falls_business_rises/25574/

Your Weekend Guide

On Tap: Art Walk and Whitefish Hockey

By Molly Priddy, 12-02-11

Live Music:
Friday: Miles Fortenberry at the Cottage Inn; Open Mic at the Boiler Room; Handel's Messiah at Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts; Classique Cats at Rainbow Bar and Casino; Blue Smoke at Symes Hot Springs Hotel; Be a Star Karaoke at Southfork Saloon; Christian Johnson at Craggy Range Bar and Grill; Kniption Fit at Great Northern Bar

Saturday: Live Classic Country at Eagles Lodge; Can't Hardly Playboys at Paddy's Touchdown Lounge; Amy Holtz at the Cottage Inn; John Dunnigan at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake; Touch Of Christmas at Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts; Handel's Messiah at Whitefish Performing Arts Center; Kathy Colton & the Reluctants at Symes Hot Springs Hotel; Be a Star Karaoke at the Rocky Mountain Roadhouse; Kniption Fit at Great Northern Bar; Karaoke with Jody at Rainbow Bar and Grill; The Flip Wilsons at Craggy Range Bar and Grill

Sports:

Friday Whitefish Women's Faceoff Tournament at Stumptown Ice Den; MRP Arena Cross at Majestic Valley Arena

SaturdayWhitefish Women's Faceoff Tournament at Stumptown Ice Den (also Sunday)

Arts and Events:
Friday: Night of Lights in Columbia Falls at Downtown Columbia Falls; 100 year celebration at The Eastside Brick; Festival of Trees at Bigfork Museum of Art and History; Downtown Kalispell Art Walk starting at 5 p.m.; Polson Annual Parade of Lights in Downtown Polson; Local Art Sale at Colter Coffee; Holiday Story Theatre Experience 2 at Glacier High School; Annie: The Musical at FVCC; The Sound of Music at O'Shaughnessy Center; Why We Ride at Whitefish Middle School; The Kootenai Valley Nutcracker at Libby High School

Saturday: Glacier Nordic Club Annual Potluck & Auction at Rocky Mountain Lodge; Holiday Story Theatre Experience 2 at Glacier High School; Annie: The Musical at FVCC; The Sound of Music at O'Shaughnessy Center

For a full listing of times and other events, go to www.flatheadevents.net. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/on_tap_art_walk_and_whitefish_hockey/25629/

Public Policy Poll

Poll: Gingrich Up Big in Montana

By Web Master, 12-01-11



	Caption: Newt.org

Public Policy Polling results released this week show Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich surging to the front of the pack in Montana and gubernatorial candidate Rick Hill maintaining his lead.

PPP surveyed 700 Republican primary voters in the state between Nov. 28 and Nov. 30 and found the former speaker of the House of Representatives opening a healthy lead over the rest of the field, with 37 percent of GOP voters preferring Gingrich for president.

Here are the full results of the survey, which has a +/-3.7% margin of error.

Newt Gingrich: 37%
Ron Paul: 12%
Mitt Romney: 11%
Michele Bachmann: 10%
Herman Cain: 10%
Rick Perry: 5%
Jon Huntsman: 3%
Rick Santorum: 1%
Gary Johnson: 1%

PPP also polled Republican voters in Florida and found Gingrich opening up a big lead in that state, with support from 47 percent of GOP voters. From PPP:

The magnitude of Gingrich's leads now is an indication that he's appealing to every segment of the Republican electorate. He's up with the Tea Party in both states (53% to 24% for Cain and 7% for Romney in Florida, 42% to 18% for Bachmann, 13% for Cain, 10% for Paul, and 5% for Romney in Montana.) But he's winning over party moderates as well (33% to 22% for Romney in Florida, 31% to 17% for Romney in Montana.) Gingrich's favorability in Florida is 72/21 and in Montana it's 65/23. You don't attain those kinds of numbers without having a lot of appeal to every faction in the party.

The Democratic polling company also surveyed the Montana GOP gubernatorial primary, in which many voters are still unfamiliar with candidates in the crowded field.

Rick Hill has the most name recognition and is still the early frontrunner, with support from 37 percent of Republican voters. Here are the full results:

Rick Hill: 37%
Ken Miller: 10%
Jeff Essmann: 5%
Jim Lynch: 4%
Neil Livingstone: 3%
Jim O’Hara: 3%
Corey Stapleton: 2%
Bob Fanning: 1%

[End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/gingrich_up_big_in_montana/25605/

From local wine to outdoor gear, we make your holiday shopping a little easier this season

2011 Gift Guide

By Lido Vizzutti, 11-30-11

[End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/2011_gift_guide/25595/

Lack of documentation and “collective memory” leads to disagreement in Lincoln County

Libby, Golf Club at Odds Over Development Loan

By Web Master, 11-30-11



	Caption: Looking back over the 18th hole at Cabinet View Golf Club. - Photo courtesy of Ruth Senn, Cabinet View Golf Club

Mayor Doug Roll won’t call it a conflict, more of a “misunderstanding,” but issues have arisen between the city of Libby and the Cabinet View Golf Club in regard to a $1.5 million loan and sewer system built to connect a new housing development.

In November 2004, the Cabinet View Golf Club, then known as the Cabinet View Country Club, applied for and received a $1.5 million loan from a federal economic development grant fund managed by the city of Libby. The loan was meant to extend the golf course by nine holes and develop housing around that expansion. The loan, signed Nov. 18, 2004, was to be repaid with proceeds from the sales of each subdivision lot. Payments, according to the loan agreement, were to commence no later than Jan. 1, 2010 or due no later than the closing of a sale on any lot in the development.

Now, the city says it is time to pay back the no-interest loan, along with $581,085 to cover a city sewer extension to the Cabinet View development. But Dann Rohrer, chairman of the board of directors for the golf club, said that loan payments aren’t due until lots have been sold and that there was never a deal covering the sewer extension.

“Needless to say if I expected $700,000 from someone, I’d get it in writing,” Rohrer said, adding that up until this year the club didn’t know it was expected to foot the bill for the sewer extension. “We never heard of that, because it never happened.”

Roll said paying for the sewer extension was a condition of the subdivision plat added later by the city council and the golf club should have been informed, but the county planner’s office “dropped the ball” in getting that information out. Regardless, Roll said the city expects to be compensated for part of the cost.

“We don’t want to saddle the taxpayer with paying for that extension,” Roll said.

In the original loan agreement, supplied to the Beacon by Rohrer, the golf club acknowledged that “it will be responsible for the cost of connecting to the sewer trunk line and for the cost of connecting each home in the subdivision to the sewer line.” According to Rohrer, that only means the golf club or subdivision developer is responsible for connecting the sewer system within the development, not bringing it to the development.

Roll said the decision to have the golf club or the developer pay for the sewer extension was made in 2007, and a letter was sent to the Lincoln County Planning Department requesting it be added to the subdivision terms. Roll referenced city council minutes from Sept. 10, 2007, that noted a discussion about the developer paying a minimum of $500,000 and a maximum of $750,000 for the sewer.

Kristin Smith, planning director for Lincoln County, said Libby often works with the county when it comes to development and, in this case, the county reviewed the subdivision and the planning staff recommended it for approval. Smith, who wasn’t with the county at the time, said that the city did contact the planning department in 2007 about the cost of the sewer being part of the deal, but “there was some lapse in documentation” about the plan.

“There are folks who recollect one thing and others who remember it differently,” Smith said.

Smith added that it is common for a developer to be asked to help pay for extensions to sewer, water and roads.

Rohrer said his board first found out about having to pay for the sewer costs earlier this year when it was applying for an extension of the subdivision plat. According to a Nov. 3 memo from the planning department to the Libby City Council, “a verbal agreement or understanding” was made between the city and “then-representatives of the club.” Rohrer said his board has no recollection of this and there are no documents confirming this.

“We never agreed to that and we can’t afford that,” Rohrer said. “We don’t have $600,000 to pay.”

Rohrer said his board does understand that it still must pay the original loan back, but cites the wording of the 2004 agreement, which he said states the golf club does not have to begin payments until a lot has been sold. He also said the loan agreement does not include a payment schedule. Rohrer said a check for $100 was sent to the city in December 2010 to comply with the part of the agreement that said payments had to begin no later than Jan. 1, 2010. Rohrer said that check was returned.

Roll said the city still expects the loan to be paid back in full, along with the money for the sewer system. He added that if the golf club was not notified that it “wasn’t the fault of the city.” He also said he was concerned that the golf course doesn’t believe it has to start payments until after a lot has been sold. Because of a delay in the subdivision extension plat, Rohrer said lots cannot be developed or sold at this time.

Both the city and the golf club said legal action was a possibility, but they hoped to avoid it.

“We’re looking at what direction we can go and how to do it,” Roll said, adding that he was talking with the city attorney. “(Legal action) is a last resort. It’s something we’d rather not do. We’d rather sit down like gentlemen and figure this out.”

Rohrer said if legal action is taken, the golf club has enough evidence to make its case.

“We can’t make decisions for them,” he said. “We just hope they look at the documents and realize that there was no agreement for this.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/libby_golf_club_at_odds_over_development_loan/25569/

Local inventor finding creative solutions for everyday needs

Bringing Ideas to Life

By Dillon Tabish, 11-29-11



	Caption: The Big Bobber Floating Cooler, a series of Cool Stands used to prop up laptop computers at Creative Sales Company near Columbia Falls. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

COLUMBIA FALLS — Gary Byers became an inventor for a rather old-fashioned reason: he would see a need and come up with a simple solution. Small trees or plants slumping over? He created a brace. Laptop computers overheating and uncomfortable to type on? He developed a stand. Knives, scissors or pruners becoming dull? He invented an all-in-one sharpener.

In Byers’ mind, where there’s a need, there’s an inventive solution.

These ideas come to fruition at Creative Sales Company. With a staff of 20 working inside an expansive 25,000-square-foot building on U.S. Highway 2 near Columbia Falls, Byers’ business is an all-in-one inventor’s workshop.

Byers works with his staff to come up with and create retail products that are built locally and sold globally.

The process starts, as Byers says, with necessity.

“You have to have a need,” he said.

From there, an idea is put on paper. Then, using three giant plastic molding machines, a prototype is created and assembled by staff. Before the product is finalized and marketed, everything is inspected and simplified according to the Byers’ brand.

“People know it’s a quality made product, made in Montana and in the U.S.A,” he said. “They’re just real simple and unique products. That’s on all our products. A lot of people send us letters that say the reason we bought it was because you said this really works and it really does. That’s been our slogan since we started.”

Not everything to come out of Creative Sales Company is a brainchild of Byers. The company’s most prominent product is the Big Bobber Floating Cooler, an insulated, lightweight, red and white cooler shaped like a fishing bobber. A small group of Whitefish residents wanted a better, more fun way to carry refreshments on the river and came up with the idea. With no way to actually make the product, the group approached Byers about five years ago and the Big Bobber was created and put on the market.

Today, Byers has a hard time estimating exactly how many floating coolers have been shipped, but it’s a lot. They are sold in Bass Pro Shops and Bed, Bath & Beyond across the country and can be found locally at Western Building Center and Army-Navy Surplus.

“Everybody that sees it gets a grin on their face,” Byers said of the Big Bobber.

That appears to be another part of the Byers’ brand: having fun through the act of invention.

“They’re all fun products,” said Tracy Pagel, who has been with the company for about 10 years and works in sales and graphics.

“You show people something like the cooler and they smile thinking back to the time they were a kid fishing with their dad or grandpa.”

Creative Sales began in 1980 as a small family business in a shop in Whitefish. The first real invention was a knife sharpener, and the sharpeners have been the foundation and top-selling products at the company ever since. A new custom all-in-one sharpener was recently developed that can work with a variety of tools.

The difficulty of inventing is not just coming up with the idea, Byers says. It’s the burdensome marketing and selling of products that tires out the local inventor. Year round he travels to trade shows from coast to coast showcasing his products and company.

In many ways, Byers is fighting against current trends. He has a strong conviction when it comes to keeping jobs and business local, even though more is built in and bought from China.

“A lot of companies are doing their stuff in China,” he said. “We want to get them brought over here again. We like to keep everything in Montana. That’s what puts more people to work.”

With that mindset, Byers has been able to grow and continue to bring ideas to life.

“It’s exciting to see it growing,” he said. “When you’re trying to compete with overseas, it’s tough. Everybody wants to go over there but a lot of people are coming back to manufacturing here in the U.S.”

The company’s latest product — the Cool Stand — was a collaborative effort between Byers and Kalispell resident Gary Jenks. The two worked together to create a small stand that sits underneath a laptop and props it up, improving the computer’s air circulation while positioning the keyboard for comfortable typing.

It’s a simple idea, and a simple solution. That’s exactly how Byers would have it. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/bringing_ideas_to_life/25563/

Forty-four bears captured in Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem

FWP Announces Record Year for Grizzly Relocations

By Dillon Tabish, 11-28-11



	Caption: This 18-year-old female grizzly bear was captured near Elk Park Road and euthanized after repeated conflicts. The photo was taken during a previous capture several years ago. - Courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced Monday it has captured a record 44 grizzly bears this year in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) section of Region 1. Since 1993, FWP has averaged roughly 17 grizzly captures annually in the same area.

The 44 captures involved 28 individual grizzly bears, some of which were caught on multiple occasions, FWP said. Six grizzlies were euthanized after being deemed unsafe to relocate. A subadult male was transported to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center near Yellowstone, and FWP is trying to place four cubs in zoos. FWP is monitoring the remaining relocated grizzlies by radio collars.

“We are entering a new era in grizzly bear management,” Region 1 Wildlife Program Manager Jim Williams said in a press release. “With a functionally recovered population of grizzly bears, we will continue to experience increased conflicts between bears and humans. As the NCDE grizzly bear population continues to grow, FWP can be more aggressive with removing those females and males that continue to conflict with humans.”

In the last 10 days, six grizzlies were captured and removed in Northwest Montana in two separate incidents.

Two adult females and four cubs were captured after repeated conflicts and in the interest of human safety, according to FWP Grizzly Bear Management Specialist Tim Manley.

The two adult females were euthanized and managers are trying to locate a zoo that will take the four cubs.

Managers said they regret the necessity of removing the grizzlies, but note the recent management actions were required as a way to address increasing bear and human conflicts.

According to FWP’s Grizzly Bear Researcher, Rick Mace, who leads part of grizzly bear trend monitoring program, there are approximately 1,000 grizzly bears in the NCDE as of 2011, and the population continues to grow by roughly 2-3 percent per year.

“Although the recent removals of adult females with cubs are regrettable,” Mace said, “these mortalities are well within sustainable mortality limits.”

During 2011, almost a third of the 44 grizzly bear management captures involved bears killing chickens. Additional captures involved bears getting into livestock feed, pet food, bird seed, fruit trees, killing livestock, incidental captures, and for breaking into structures including barns, chicken coops, sheds, and garages.

A majority of the grizzly bear conflicts occurred on the east side of the Flathead Valley along the Swan Mountain front. Additional conflicts occurred around Coram, Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Blankenship, Essex, Swan Lake, Yellow Bay, Star Meadows, Trego, and Eureka. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/fwp_record_year_for_grizzly_relocations/25560/

Police chief says department stepping up efforts to catch vandals

Graffiti on the Rise in Kalispell

By Molly Priddy, 11-27-11



	Caption: Grafitti around Kalispell. - Photos courtesy of Vaughn Penrod

Officials are taking note of an uptick in graffiti on property in Flathead County. Symbols are appearing on public buildings and spaces, as well as on private businesses and in residential areas. The same is true in tunnels along bike trails and pedestrian paths.

Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset said the vandals are getting more brazen in their tagging efforts lately, marking the fronts of buildings instead of keeping to the back or sides.

Since it takes little time to create graffiti, Nasset said it is hard to catch the perpetrators in the act. It’s also hard to find the vandals because there seems to be little-to-no motive behind their actions.

“It’s just really a senseless act of criminal mischief,” Nasset said. “It happens so quickly and it happens during the dark hours.”

Some areas in downtown Kalispell are tagged with the same word or message, but police are unsure what they mean. Nasset said the similar graffiti likely comes from the same group of people, but he does not classify it as gang-related.

“Do I think it is criminal gang affiliation? No, I don’t. Do I think that they are tagging their territory? I don’t think so,” Nasset said. “I think it’s more like a moniker.”

The Kalispell City Council heard from business owners about the graffiti at a Nov. 21 hearing, during which councilors saw photos of graffiti and listened to Nasset’s concerns.

The council is trying to get a handle on how much graffiti is out there, Nasset said, and police are talking with private business owners about partnering up to stop the vandals. Anyone found committing the crime will be dealt with “to the full extent of the law,” he said.

Shareen Springer, director of the Center for Restorative Youth Justice, has a good idea where the vandalism hot spots are. CRYJ works with local youth to clean up graffiti in the area, and she believes this summer presented more defacement than any in the past few years.

“There’s definitely been more graffiti downtown,” Springer said last week.

Tunnels also collect graffiti, she said, including the new pedestrian path near Flathead Valley Community College and the Kidsports Complex.

For August and September, Springer estimates that CRYJ teams spent 20 hours removing graffiti and could not get to all of it. It takes serious effort to remove the vandals’ paint, she said, but the center’s removal supplies don’t work in weather colder than 50 degrees.

And, since CRYJ is donation-based and nonprofit, it’s a challenge to keep its resources stocked.

“We do the best we can do but we’re pretty limited,” Springer said.

Nasset asked anyone who witnesses vandalism in progress or knows who is behind the graffiti to report it. Reports can be made anonymously via Crime Stoppers and a reward is possible, he said. The police chief also noted that the graffiti symbols are likely emblazoned on the perpetrators’ personal items.

Community members of all ages should be interested in keeping buildings and other structures free of graffiti, Nasset said, because it maintains a level of local pride and aesthetic. Everyone should have a role in keeping it presentable, he added.

“This is everybody’s community, not just the adults and not just the people who get in trouble,” Nasset said. “It’s everybody’s community.”

To contact Crime Stoppers, call 406-752-8477 (TIPS). For non-emergencies, the Kalispell Police Department can be reached at 406-758-7780. The Center for Restorative Youth Justice can be contacted at 406-257-7400. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/graffiti_on_the_rise_in_kalispell_county_property/25525/

Organization provides readjustment counseling for combat veterans

Kalispell Vet Center to Hold Holiday Open House

By Kellyn Brown, 11-26-11



	Caption: Dr. Jeffrey Heider, from right, shows Robin Korogi, director of the VA Montana Health Care System, and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester around the Kalispell Vet Center after the formal dedication ceremony earlier this year. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Last November, the Kalispell Vet Center opened on North Meridian Road as a place where combat veterans could seek therapy, fellowship and a warm cup of coffee.

A year later, Dr. Jeff Heider says the coffee is always on, and the doors to therapy and healing are always open. And, in this therapeutic environment where veterans converge daily, fellowship is never a problem either.

On Dec. 9 from 1 to 4 p.m., the Kalispell Vet Center is holding a holiday open house in which Heider and other staff members hope to reach out to veterans who may not be familiar with their services. There will be cookies and refreshments.

“It’s an opportunity for combat veterans and their families to join us for fellowship and good cheer,” said Heider. “They can learn that this is a safe place for veterans to share things that might still represent dark places for them.”

The Kalispell Vet Center provides readjustment counseling services to combat veterans. After returning from war, veterans often must cope with any number of psychological and emotional issues, including anger, nightmares, post-traumatic stress disorder, hyper vigilance, depression and more.

Counseling, both individual and group, is free of charge and confidential. In addition to counseling, outreach and referrals to other veteran services are emphasized. Though the center is under the umbrella of the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Heider said veterans do not need to be registered in VA health care to receive counseling.

U.S. Congress established the Vet Center Program in 1979 and today there are 299 nationwide, Heider said, including three others in Montana: Billings, Missoula and Great Falls. In the past couple of years, Heider said about 80 new vet centers have been established across the country to accommodate veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Heider said his center would like to welcome any veterans who return to Northwest Montana after the Iraq troop removal and are seeking services.

“We’re ready if they’re ready,” he said. “That’s the key – to get them to come.”

Heider has nearly three decades of experience working with veterans. Also on staff are Paul Hanna, a marriage and family therapist, and Fredrick Brown, a licensed clinical social worker. Brown started in August, which Heider said has helped greatly with the caseload. Ronda Kirby, the office manager, rounds out the staff.

The center also welcomes volunteers, Heider said. Volunteers assist with answering phones, clerical work and whatever else needs to be done around the office.

“We could use a few more volunteers,” he said.

The Kalispell Vet Center has seen 179 unique clients since opening on Nov. 8, 2010, and has provided 2,150 counseling sessions, Heider said. Hanna travels to Eureka twice a month and Brown holds counseling sessions in Libby weekly as well. Heider said about two-thirds of the clients are Vietnam vets, “but that balance is starting to shift.”

“Our goal is to meet the needs of anyone who walks through the door,” Heider said. “Our motto is ‘keeping the promise.’ You served us, now we’re here to serve you.”

The Kalispell Vet Center is located at 690 North Meridian Rd., Suite 101. It can be reached at (406) 257-7308. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/kalispell_vet_center_to_hold_holiday_open_house/25524/

Classic flower shop reopens with new look

Whitefish’s Family Florist

By Dillon Tabish, 11-25-11



	Caption: Cara Finch talks about the renovation and relocation of Mum’s Flowers while standing behind the counter in her business in downtown Whitefish. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

WHITEFISH – In the same way flowers are a constant presence at almost every celebratory occasion, from weddings to birthdays, Mum’s Flowers has been a part of Whitefish for almost 50 years.

That tradition is intact and has been relocated and revitalized by an unlikely florist, 24-year-old Cara Finch.

Finch, a Whitefish native who took over a year ago without any experience in running a flower shop, has reopened the classic business in a remodeled space downtown on East Second Street.

Brightly lit and filled with the aroma of fresh flora, the new Mum’s is a colorful arrangement with an old-fashioned design. Last week’s grand reopening showcased the new look that has taken Finch a year to complete.

“It’s cool to be part of a business that’s been with the community for so long and serving the community for such a long time,” she said.

“It was a gamble when I bought it. I thought ‘Oh hopefully this works out’ and it has. I love it more than I thought I would.”

Finch returned to her hometown after graduating with a business degree from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, Calif., but found herself struggling to find a job in a valley hit hard by recession. She worked as a secretary before the opportunity at Mum’s came about and she took it.

Mum’s has been passed around different owners several times and moved from downtown near the Buffalo Café to Spokane Avenue and now back to the heart of town. Finch’s parents bought the business and the old Chamber of Commerce building last year and now rent it to their entrepreneurial daughter.

Cara Finch processes a fresh order of lilies at Mum's Flowers in Whitefish. Finch said with a standing order of multi bloom lilies, there should always be some of the flower fresh and available.

Finch didn’t have a day of experience inside a flower shop. What she does have is an artistic trait passed down from her father and grandmother; a love for festive decorating; and a business-minded education. That’s all it’s taken, really. That and a whole lot of work.

“It was a leap of faith,” she said. “It’s been a lot of work. But I love it. It’s all been worth it. I feel like it makes me grow up fast.”

Finch had to learn on the fly, spending hours watching others create decorations and arrangements. She took classes, asked for advice and created a simple business model. She learned pretty fast that something as seemingly simple as flowers is more complex than people might realize.

“There’s so many facets to the business. It’s not just a retail business,” she said. “It’s a full service business. People call and an hour later we have flowers delivered to someone’s door.”

The hardest part deals with the flowers themselves. Perishable like food, flowers are ordered on a need-to-have basis by florists. But how do you know what you need to have? Some days require two deliveries, some days require 20, Finch said.

Summer time is the most consistently busy, with weddings bringing in the most business.

Last year, Mum’s provided arrangements for 56 events. The business broke even last year, one of Finch’s goals when she took over. The next goal was moving downtown, where Mum’s could return to being a part of the community’s core. With that accomplished, the next goal is growing the business, Finch said.

But although a lot has changed at Mum’s these days, Finch doesn’t want to change everything. When she took over, she said people were asking her if she would change the name and make it her own unique place.

“I thought about it a lot and I decided no,” she said. “I think it has a really strong presence here and I don’t want to take away from that. It needed a little facelift but I didn’t want to take away from it being this town’s staple.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/whitefishs_family_florist/25504/

Your Weekend Guide

On Tap: Pray for Snow and Nutcracker Ballet

By Molly Priddy, 11-25-11

Live Music:
Friday: Miles Fortenberry at the Cottage Inn; Tom Catmull at Symes Hot Springs Hotel; Classique Cats at Rainbow Bar and Casino; Be a Star Karaoke at Southfork Saloon; Smart Alex at Great Northern Bar

Saturday: Live Classic Country at Eagles Lodge; Can't Hardly Playboys at Paddy's Touchdown Lounge; David Boone at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake; Amy Holtz at the Cottage Inn; Kathawren at Symes Hot Springs Hotel; Karaoke with Holly at Stonefly Lounge; Be a Star Karaoke at Rocky Mountain Roadhouse; Smart Alex at Great Northern Bar; Heck Yeah at Craggy Range Bar and Grill

Sports:

Saturday Swan Ranger hikes at Echo Lake Cafe

Arts and Events:
Friday: Thanksgiving Community Open House at Hockaday Museum of Art; The Nutcracker Ballet at Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts; Christmas at the Fairgrounds at Flathead County Fairgrounds; ACF Holiday Art and Craft Show at the Fairgrounds at Flathead County Fairgrounds

Saturday: Pray for Snow Party at the Bierstube at Whitefish Mountain Resort; The Nutcracker Ballet at Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts; Christmas Tours at the Mansion at Conrad Mansion Museum

For a full listing of times and other events, go to www.flatheadevents.net. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/on_tap_pray_for_snow_and_nutcracker_ballet/25521/

Former Glacier High standout helps Griz win Big Sky title

Frey Helping Revive Montana’s Soccer Program

By Dillon Tabish, 11-25-11



	Caption: Maddey Frey during a University of Montana soccer game. - Photo courtesy Bruce Costa

Last week the University of Montana women’s soccer team finished an unexpected turnaround season that included its first Big Sky Conference title in 11 years and a hard-fought NCAA tournament match against the best team in the country.

Flathead Valley soccer fans should not be surprised by one of the core players leading the program’s turnaround.

Kalispell native Maddey Frey, a 2010 Glacier High School graduate who was one of the state’s best prep players, is now a sophomore at Montana and one of head coach Mark Plakorus’ leaders on the field.

Voted the team’s Newcomer of the Year last season, Maddey was one of five players who started all 22 matches this season. She played the second most minutes on the team, which finished the season 6-12-4. That record may seem unremarkable, but compared to recent history this season can certainly be deemed a successful step forward.

Montana had only won a total of 16 matches the last four seasons. Last year’s team was shut out 11 times and scored only eight goals. Entering this fall, the Grizzlies were picked sixth in the preseason coaches’ poll under first-year head coach Plakorus. The program was far removed from 10 years ago, when Montana was the pride of the Big Sky and had won three conference titles (’97, ’99, ’00) in four seasons and won 117 games between 1994-2004.

Plakorus began trying to rebuild that successful tradition this season, and Maddey played an important role in that.

“I can’t say enough about what she does for our team,” Plakorus said. “She is a fantastic player and a fantastic teammate. She’s definitely one of the hardest-working players on the team and very well respected by her teammates.”

The Grizzlies quietly entered the Big Sky Conference tournament ranked fourth. Then they stunned top-ranked host Northern Colorado University in a shootout and advanced to the title match for the first time since 2004. Against third-ranked Weber State University, which beat Montana earlier in the season, the Grizzlies won in exciting fashion once again, winning the Big Sky title in another shootout, only the second time in history that has happened. The win clinched a seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2000.

The Grizzlies’ first round opponent on Nov. 11 was daunting: Stanford (19-0-1). The Cardinal became just the second school in history to finish unbeaten for three straight regular seasons and had not lost at home in 46 matches. This year’s senior class has a total regular season record of 75-1-1.

“They are quite possibly the best college team ever put together,” Plakorus said.

Which is why Montana’s performance stands out as memorable.

Maddey and the Grizzlies’ defense held the Cardinal scoreless for 39 minutes. As Stanford Sports Information described in a game story released from the school: “Stanford may not have expected a challenge on Friday night, but got one anyway.”

Frey chases down a ball during a game.

The unbeaten Cardinal eventually broke open the game with a goal and went on to win 3-0. The team is still playing in the tournament.

That game certainly won’t be forgotten by Montana players, and, in fact, could end up being a big part of Montana’s rebuilding process, Plakorus said.

“Being able to compete like that against (Stanford) is something the team will always remember,” Plakorus said. “You always want to measure yourself and what better way than doing it against the best team in the country. I was very proud of the team and how they represented themselves, the university and the state of Montana.”

Maddey definitely knew what her team was facing when it took the field in California. She takes pride in the fact that the Grizzlies made the best team in the country sweat.

“We played them really well I thought,” she said. “They actually had to work hard to get those goals.”

Maddey’s stat line would be perplexing for fans who were used to seeing the former Wolfpack forward scorch defenses as one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the state. Maddey graduated as the two-time Western AA player of the year and was also a state champion sprinter in track. But once at college, she was given the difficult task of moving to the other end of the pitch as a defensive player, a position she had never really played.

“It’s a completely different mentality on defense,” she said. “On offense if I missed a chance at scoring a goal, there’s always another opportunity to try again. But on defense if I mess up it could be a goal and that could be the difference in the game. You definitely need a lot more focus on defense.”

Maddey quickly adapted to her new position, defensive outside back, and has not given up the starting spot since earning it during her freshman year.

“She’s a very driven person,” her coach said. “She’s very smart and picks up on things quickly and adjusts to things well.”

Plakorus knew when he took over as head coach at Montana that he could count on Maddey. He remembered seeing her play when she was growing up in Kalispell and Plakorus was involved in the annual summer Flathead Soccer Camp. She stood out then as someone with a bright future, and that future is now coming to fruition.

“It’s great to have a Montana kid being so instrumental in what we’re doing,” he said.

The challenges of transitioning from offense to defense have been among the many changes for Maddey since graduating from high school. The college game is much faster than her prep days, even for a former state champion sprinter. And life off the field as a student-athlete involves dedication and organization that isn’t common for most young college students. She still has managed to earn Academic All Big Sky Conference.

Having a few familiar faces in a foreign place always helps, such as her close friend Shay Smithwick-Hann, a fellow Glacier High graduate and a quarterback on the Montana football team.

“It’s been a lot easier for me to adapt to everything because I already have some friends here,” she said.

And her parents, Roland and Tracy, are still cheering from the stands at every home game like they did at Glacier High.

All of that combined with a newfound taste of winning is keeping Maddey motivated. A few days after the loss to Stanford, she said she is already counting the days until soccer season returns.

“This has been a great opportunity to be able to continue playing and getting an education,” she said. “Of course we don’t experience the college life like other students do, but that’s the sacrifice I’m willing to make to win championships.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/frey_helping_revive_montanas_soccer_program/25510/

Northwest Ballet Company readies for annual Nutcracker performance

Holiday Tradition Takes Stage In Bigfork

By Web Master, 11-24-11



	Caption: Riley Freeman rehearses her part as the Snow Queen at the Dance Arts Center in Kalispell. The Northwest Ballet Company will be performing the Nutcracker on Thanksgiving weekend at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

As a winter wind whipped outside, Marisa Roth and Mackenzie Heaton stood alone in the Northwest Ballet School dance studio in Kalispell. For the most part, other than when the Nutcracker soundtrack vibrated the room or Roth yelled encouragement over the music, things were calm.

Nothing compared to what the backstage of the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts will look like this weekend when the Northwest Ballet Company presents its 18th annual showing of the Nutcracker.

Backstage is always different, Morgan Sego, 17, of Kalispell, said. Up front, under the lights and on stage, everything is picture perfect, or so they hope. But backstage chaos reigns. People are running around, props are being set up and performers are dressing and undressing, hastily readying for their next call to the stage.

“It’s just always been a part of me,” Sego said about ballet. “I don’t like to say that’s who I am, because it’s not all I am, but I can’t see myself without it.”

As a child Sego had boundless energy and dance became an outlet for that. She has, however, been partial to ballet since she first saw a performance by the Northwest Ballet Company.

Since joining the ballet company, Sego has performed in a variety of recitals and shows, but none as meaningful as the Nutcracker. This marks the fifth year that Sego has been in the Nutcracker and every time has been special.

“It’s magical,” she said. “It has that joyful spirit to it.”

Roth, director and owner of the ballet school, said even though the story and songs remain the same each year, there are ways to make each performance unique and much of that has to do with how the performers embrace their character.

“I like that it can be different every year,” Roth said. “Even if the story and song are the same I like to set it to my cast.”

Roth said finding that balance between the traditional and new is what brings the audience back every year. It is also what has brought Mackenzie Heaton, 17, back for a fifth and final year performing in the Nutcracker. This year, she also has the special honor of performing as the Sugar Plum Ferry, one of the most important roles in the ballet.

Like Sego, dance has always been a part of Heaton’s life, as was going to the ballet company’s annual show in Bigfork, back when her older sister was on stage.

“Nutcracker was my favorite night of the year because I got to dress up,” Heaton said. “It was second only to Christmas.”

Now, after being involved with the performance for five years, Heaton said Nutcracker weekend outranks Christmas. She said the show was “classic” and “legendary,” but she knows that this performance will be different from the last. Before she leaves the ballet company following her graduation from Flathead High School next year, Heaton said she can’t wait to emerge from backstage, leaving the hidden chaos behind the curtain for the final time.

“The fact that I only get to do this one more time means I have to give it my all,” she said.

But one thing that won’t change is what she will do before the curtain is swept away. Standing in the darkness, waiting for the hot lights to bear down one final time, she said, “I’ll say a little prayer and hope everything goes OK.”

The Northwest Ballet Company’s performance of the Nutcracker will take place this weekend at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts. Shows go on at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. both Friday and Saturday and at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available at The Bookshelf in Kalispell and cost $20 for adults, $17 for seniors, $15 for kids. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/holiday_tradition_takes_stage_in_bigfork/25505/

One of the busiest years for relocating bears

Relocated Grizzlies Raise Concerns for Residents

By Dillon Tabish, 11-24-11



	Caption: J.C. Coulter inspects a shed that was torn apart by a grizzly bear at Star Meadows near Elk Mountain recently. - Photo courtesy of Jeannette Aquino.

A rash of grizzly bear incidents in Northwest Montana has led to one of the busiest years ever involving captures and relocations, according to Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

FWP has made 43 grizzly bear captures in Region 1 because of problem incidents this year, one of the highest numbers ever, according to FWP.

“This valley is a real grizzly hot spot,” FWP spokesperson John Fraley said.

Six grizzlies have had to be euthanized in recent months and one has been transferred to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone following problems, Fraley said.

Fraley attributes the increase in numbers to the fact that the grizzly population has recovered in the Northern Rockies in recent years, with an estimated 1,000 bears living in the region.

Because of that, FWP has seen an increase in incidents this fall, even through November when bears are most often in dens for the winter. In the valley, grizzlies have been relocated after killing chickens, sheep, getting into pig feed and feeding on fruit. All of the bears were relocated to sites like Frozen Lake, Spotted Bear, and the Sullivan Creek drainage, FWP said. The adult or solitary bears were fitted with radio collars for tracking purposes.

Tena Coulter has lived on Star Meadows Road near Elk Mountain for 20 years and has never had any problems with bears. Until recently.

A few weeks ago a 400-pound grizzly visited the Coulter’s property four nights in a row and tore up their shed and knocked over bird feeders and garbage cans. Coulter’s neighbor, Jeannette Aquino, said she had a similar first-time experience earlier this year and had five goats and two llamas killed at her property by a relocated grizzly bear.

Elk Mountain is a designated drop site for grizzlies that are relocated by Fish, Wildlife and Parks. This fall has been a busy one for FWP regarding grizzly relocations. In a two-week span in October, FWP relocated nine grizzlies from around the Flathead Valley.

Aquino is worried that bears are being relocated too close to people, and that incidents like the ones taking place at Star Meadows could become more common across the valley.

“I’m concerned about them relocating these bears,” she said. “There’s a lot of people living up here at the top (of Star Meadows). Elk Mountain is not exactly a remote area. It’s not like they’re putting (bears) in the middle of the Bob Marshall.”

Coulter said she understands the risk of living outside of town in a more remote area, and plans to take extra precautions in the future as far as keeping feed and other possible attractants tightly contained.

“We feel we chose to live here and that’s kind of the way it is,” she said. “I don’t feel it’s a problem but there is getting to be more grizzly bears up here.”

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee works with the FWP to determine relocation sites. If possible, bears are kept close to their home range but still far enough away from people to prevent another problem, Fraley said.

That can be difficult though, he added.

“There is really nowhere to put a bear anymore where it’s in the middle of nowhere,” Fraley said. “There are bears everywhere and there are people everywhere.”

“We don’t release bears where we feel they’re going to be a safety threat or where they’ll encounter humans,” he added.

Even wilderness areas like the Bob Marshall are populated enough that relocating the bears there would not be a better solution, Fraley said.

Not all moves are successful and a “fair amount of time the bear will return or cause problems somewhere else,” he said.

FWP does not move bears that its biologists believe are dangers to human safety. A bear can be deemed a danger either through sex, age or the type of action that caused it to be relocated in the first place. Typically bears that are conditioned to eating food near people are considered the most dangerous and are often put down.

Fraley said FWP is doubling its efforts to spread education about limiting bear attractants as a way to mitigate future run-ins. But the possibility of completely preventing incidents is unlikely.

“When you have 1,000 bears and you figure all the people that are spread around the landscape, (the number of run-ins is) just going to get bigger,” he said. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/relocated_grizzlies_raise_concerns_for_residents/25498/

New NASA program helps MSU, Kalispell native launch satellite to study space weather

Satellite from the Big Sky

By Web Master, 11-23-11



	Caption: A Taurus type rocket lifts off from Vandenburg Air Force Base in California, carrying a satellite built by Montana State University students, including Kalispell native Adam Gunderson. - Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA

A few times a week, Adam Gunderson walks into a room in Cobleigh Hall at Montana State University and waits. Sometimes he waits while other students rush to and from class. Other times he waits when most of them have already gone to bed. But he’s always waiting.

Waiting for a sound to come back, one that would remind most people of an old dial-up tone – static, two beeps, more static. To most it’s meaningless. To Gunderson, a Kalispell native and Flathead High School graduate, and his classmates in the Space Science and Engineering Lab, it means the world.

The sound is a radio signal emanating from a small cube satellite that was built by students in Bozeman and launched on a NASA rocket late last month. On average, the satellite passes over near Bozeman six times a day, during its 14 orbits of the earth every 24 hours. The 3.9-inch-by-3.9-inch box was launched as part of NASA’s ELaNa project, which provides space to university research satellites on rockets.

“To be able to hear something that you made in space is pretty awesome,” Gunderson said. “It’s indescribable. I mean my name is on it!”

But the road to being part of a team that built this was, at times, a bumpy one, Gunderson’s mom Candi Naylor said. Gunderson often spent his childhood playing video games and ignoring schoolwork: “He really didn’t apply himself,” she said. “He wasn’t a model student.”

Naylor said she even worried whether her son would graduate from high school. She did know that her son was interested in computers and spent most of his formative years tinkering with electronics.

“We’d always take it away from him – television, computers, video games – we had to budget his time. I mean if we didn’t he would spend 24 hours a day on them,” Naylor said.

When Gunderson graduated from high school he surprised his parents by telling them he was going to enlist in the Navy. His mother said it turned out to be the best thing for him and he was able to focus on his interest in electronics, specializing in communication. Naylor said they always knew he had the “smarts.”

After six years in the Navy, Gunderson enrolled at MSU and will graduate with a degree in electrical engineering in May 2012. While there, Gunderson has interned for aerospace companies, including the company that built the Mars Rover. Yet the work he’s most proud of is what he has done in the laboratory in Bozeman.

Gunderson has been part of a team working with other universities, including Cal Poly, on creating the small cube satellite that was sent into space in late October. The mission of the small research vehicle is to gather data about space weather, which could then be used to better predict storms that can hamper communication and electrical grids here on earth.

Of course, MSU doesn’t have a rocket of its own to propel the satellite into space. That’s where NASA stepped in. Dr. David Klumpar, a research professor at MSU, said universities have been working with the space agency to allow academic groups to put their research satellites on NASA rockets for the last decade. When a rocket is launched, there is usually some extra space for smaller satellites to be released after the main cargo has been deployed. Finally, in 2011, NASA allowed three satellites from MSU and other schools after a vigorous selection process. The satellites were selected and loaded into a pea pod device, designed by scientists at Cal Poly.

“It’s a complicated process and each year, starting about three years ago, there’s been a call for proposals and we’ve been successful every time. I think that’s a sign of how good our students are,” Klumpar said. “That’s something Montana can be really proud of.”

Another primary goal for the MSU students is to prove that space research can be achieved economically. It was a goal that came in handy after a failed attempt to launch the satellite in March.

Just before the rocket was to be released from the earth’s gravitational pull, a cone is supposed to separate from the vehicle. But soon after the March launch, the first one to carry the university satellites, the cone did not separate and the rocket was too heavy to break away from the earth. The rocket, and MSU’s satellite, slowly fell into the ocean.

Watching on a television in Bozeman, Gunderson and the rest of the team knew something had gone wrong when they heard the words “contingency” at Mission Control.

“That hit us pretty hard. When they call it a contingency, it’s pretty bad,” Gunderson said. “We pretty much knew we were done.”

Six months later things were much different at Vandenburg Air Force Base on the California coast. Gunderson was selected to represent MSU at the launch on Oct. 27., and as the rocket lifted off, he ran outside and watched it coast through the night sky. It was the culmination of all the lonely work in the laboratory in Bozeman.

“It’s a pretty long time to wait, but it was worth it,” he said.

Three weeks later the satellite is still circling the earth and was quickly approaching 10 million miles traveled. The satellite will keep racking up the miles until it burns up some time in 2014. Gunderson said the satellite is currently too close to the other ones launched so he and his team are unable to control it just yet. But soon they will be able to gather data from it and better understand space weather. A handful of times each day it flies close enough to where Gunderson and the students at MSU can hear its signature squawk, letting them know that everything is working.

To most people, it’s just a series of beeps and static, but to the students in Bozeman it represents all of their hard work. And all the work that is yet to be done.

That is why they wait. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/satellite_from_the_big_sky/25495/

Lake County Investigations

‘Misguided Brotherhood’

By Myers Reece, 11-23-11



	Caption: Photo illustration by Steve Larson/Flathead Beacon

According to a lengthy multi-agency investigation into allegedly pervasive illegal and unethical activities by Lake County law enforcement officers, the sheriff’s office is accused of fostering a “culture of corruption” that encourages the motto: “You can’t break the law, if you are the law.”

State investigation documents obtained by the Beacon detail an array of allegations against the Lake County Sheriff’s Office spanning over a decade. Dozens of interviews, including sworn statements by current and former officers, describe an atmosphere of “misguided brotherhood” at the sheriff’s office in which deputies have allegedly engaged in poaching, assault on fellow officers, falsification of one deputy’s military history and a “cover-up” pertaining to a 2004 boating death on Flathead Lake, among other allegations.

The reports also describe the allegedly illegal hunting activities of a Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Law and Order officer, who is accused of using hunting privileges granted to him as a tribal member to help perpetuate the poaching activities of sheriff’s deputies, as well as his own, over the course of more than a decade in addition to hunting violations in Oregon.

Multiple investigations into Lake County law enforcement officers have sprouted up since last spring, including two open investigations by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training Council, as well as an investigation that was passed on from the state Department of Justice to the Lake County attorney’s office earlier this year.

•••••

In March of 2010, FWP first began investigating possible illegal hunting activities involving Jesse Jacobs, a reserve deputy with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at the time, stemming from a 2005 moose shooting. Jacobs, who is no longer with the department, was charged with two felony counts of unlawful possession of a game animal. The case was later dismissed.

But, as the investigation unfolded, “credible allegations” about other officers within the sheriff’s department surfaced, according to a Sept. 20, 2010 letter from FWP Game Warden Frank Bowen to John Strandell, chief of the state Department of Justice’s criminal investigation division.

The letter indicated information had turned up implicating law officers in “other serious offenses that are outside the jurisdiction of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks,” warranting, FWP game wardens believed, consideration from the Department of Justice. The warden wrote that he intended to ask the state Attorney General’s Office to “bring various charges against several Lake County area Law Enforcement Officers.”

The letter also noted that the Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) had passed on information acquired from its own investigation into alleged ethics violations by Deputy Sheriff Dan Duryee.

In POST’s investigation report dated June 8, 2010, a compliance officer wrote that the sheriff’s department had determined Duryee, despite claims for more than a decade to the contrary, never engaged in military combat operations and in fact never served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

“After his military service was disproven, Duryee continued to make false claims to members of the public,” the compliance officer wrote.

The report says Duryee’s military claims had earned him respect within the department and possibly led to unwarranted positions and promotions.

“It is evident that Duryee was allowed to be a member of the Special Response Team and a sniper without attending any formal training based on his false claims of military service and combat experience,” the POST officer wrote, adding that Duryee was also given command of the Special Response Team.

During an April 2008 standoff, according to an article in the Missoulian, Polson police “handed off command of the incident to Sgt. Dan Duryee of the sheriff’s office because of Duryee’s expertise and training for such situations.”

In a sworn statement to POST, one deputy said he began doubting Duryee’s military experience after being ordered into an unsafe position during an armed standoff. After he discovered Duryee had no military record, he told the investigator that he approached Duryee and was threatened. The deputy said he was disciplined for using a department computer to gather the information about Duryee’s military history.

Lake County Sheriff Jay Doyle said last week Duryee is no longer on the Special Response Team but that the decision was made before he became sheriff after winning last fall’s election. It appears all of the allegations made in the POST and FWP documents are from before Doyle took office. The last two sheriffs were Lucky Larson and Bill Barron, currently a Lake County commissioner.

“The reason that (Duryee) was either asked to step down or removed, I couldn’t comment on that,” Doyle said. “That was under a former administrator’s regime.”

Other findings in the POST report include a sworn statement by a former deputy that Duryee “tried to get him to poach a deer as an initiation into the ‘club’” and assaulted him in an argument over a Taser, an allegation supported by another officer’s testimony. The deputy left the force, according to an FWP report, because of “the corrupt nature of several of the Offices, and the unwillingness of the local leadership to deal with the issue.”

Also, according to the list of findings, a sergeant in the sheriff’s department gave a sworn statement that he witnessed Duryee bag up skull fragments from a suicide victim who had died from a gunshot to the head. The sergeant said Duryee was collecting the pieces of skull for a female deputy, who wanted them to train her cadaver dog for search and rescue. At the time of the investigation, Duryee and the female deputy were dating, the report stated.

The POST officer recommended revoking Duryee’s law enforcement certification, or a secondary recommendation of suspension with psychological evaluation requirements before reinstatement. Duryee was placed on administrative leave in August of last year and then reinstated a couple of weeks later, according to a news report from the Lake County Leader.

At the time, POST Executive Director Wayne Ternes was quoted in the Leader as saying the sheriff’s department had fulfilled its obligations for the deputy’s reinstatement. But last week, Ternes told the Beacon that his office, noting its responsibility is “policing the police,” has since fielded more complaints about Duryee and opened another investigation, which is ongoing.

“It’s still open, so I can’t go into any detail,” Ternes said.

Doyle said he was not aware of a renewed POST investigation or any other ongoing investigation.

“I have not been advised of any new information at all,” Doyle said. “Myself and several others traveled to Helena quite some time ago and attempted to speak with POST and they would not discuss the issue with us.”

Doyle said “many of these things have been addressed with past administrators,” though he said he had “no personal knowledge” of the skull fragment-collecting accusation. A message left for Duryee last week was not returned.

•••••

In a Sept. 29, 2010 summary of FWP’s investigation, the warden wrote that through his numerous interviews “one of the issues that continually came up, and seemed to concern all involved, was the alleged cover-up in the boating accident death of Laura Todd” in 2004 on Flathead Lake. A 2004 article from the Missoulian describes the boat operator as an unnamed “off-duty Lake County deputy.”

The FWP investigator provided a list of reasons “that make me believe this case is worth looking into again,” noting that the “investigation that was conducted appeared to be incomplete.”

According to the FWP summary, an on-duty Lake County officer “visited the party where Laura Todd was killed, not long before the accident.” The officer reported the boat’s operator was intoxicated, but the reporting officer was never interviewed. An officer from FWP also visited the party and reported the operator was intoxicated, but the FWP officer was never interviewed either, the report states.

After the accident, the report says that a Lake County law officer “was responding to the accident, and would have been there in a timely manner,” but “was called off by Sheriff Bill Barron.” By the time the officer did arrive to take statements, the report states that the boat operator and other witnesses were already gone.

A message left at Barron’s office was not returned.

The summary says the Flathead County investigator who was called in never took a blood-alcohol content reading from the boat operator and instead the test was taken by his “friends from Lake County SO” – presumably “Sheriff’s Office” – two-and-a-half hours after the accident. His BAC was reportedly .055, under the legal limit of .08.

“The Flathead County Investigator concluded that (the operator) was probably legally intoxicated at the time of the accident,” the report summary asserts. “(The operator) was not interviewed by the Flathead County Investigator until five hours after the accident.”

•••••

In another letter sent on Sept. 20, 2010, FWP’s Bowen wrote to Ternes, the POST executive director, notifying him that only 19 of the 23 sworn officers “employed by Lake County have voluntarily come forward to make sworn statements in an effort to assist us in our investigation, which unfortunately implicates some of their co-workers.”

One of the four officers who refused to give a statement was an officer who is described at length in investigation records for his alleged involvement in numerous illegal hunting activities. Two of the four non-complying officers, the letter says, requested lawyers but “still refused to make statements in the presence of their lawyers.”

Bowen asked Ternes to do “whatever is within your power” to compel the officers to comply, while saying his agency would try to get subpoenas from the state Attorney General’s Office.

Then in an undated letter that appears to be from earlier this year, FWP Region 1 Warden Captain Lee Anderson updated Flathead Tribal Police Chief Craige Couture on the status of his agency’s investigation, including details of alleged wrongdoings involving tribal officer Jason Nash.

“Investigating a fellow law enforcement officer is difficult and something none of us enjoy,” Anderson wrote. “In the course of our investigation we met with varying degrees of resistance making our job even harder. In spite of this, it is critical that we move forward.

“As Peace Officers we take an oath to do what is right and if we are to earn the respect of the citizens for which we work, we must be above reproach.”

Anderson’s letter said the investigation focused on alleged violations committed by officers in the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Polson Police Department and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Law and Order. More than 50 interviews were conducted with officers, local residents and people from out of state and Canada, Anderson wrote.

Last week, Anderson confirmed an FWP poaching investigation but said his agency could not comment because the investigation is ongoing.

“It’s still an open case,” he said. “Sometimes our cases take a couple years to wrap up.”

•••••

In an FWP report summary, Nash of the tribal police and a sheriff’s department officer are described as friends who frequently hunt together. Piecing together excerpts from more than 20 interviews, including conversations with game wardens and people who at various times had close relationships with the accused, the summary of FWP’s findings outlines 15 years of questionable hunting activities by the two men. One interviewee said “she feared many of the local law enforcement Officers” and “had been warned by Officers not to provide information in this case.”

The report also states, based on information received from law enforcement in Oregon, that Nash was convicted of misdemeanor hunting violations in Oregon in 1997, cited for another violation in 2004, failed to pay his fines and was then arrested on two charges of fraud in August of 2005. Nash had moved to Montana from Oregon in 1995.

In an interview with an Oregon police officer, the FWP report says Nash “admitted knowingly violating Oregon law.”

“Those violations are part of Nash’s permanent criminal record.”

As a tribal member, Nash isn’t required to purchase hunting tags, the report points out, but questions are raised about the involvement of non-tribal members, including Lake County sheriff’s officers, as well as the sheer number of trophy animals harvested and the manner in which they were harvested, including allegations of spotlighting and silencers.

One former Lake County sheriff’s deputy told FWP investigators that he was treated belligerently by fellow officers and assaulted by one officer after refusing to shoot an animal from his patrol car. He also said, since animals taken to a taxidermy and meat cutter required identification, “officers would enter their illegal animals into the shop under the name of Jason Nash.”

“Everyone believed that because Nash was (a) Tribal Member, and a Tribal Police Officer, no one could, or would do anything about it,” the report says.

Investigation findings allege Nash “often traded or sold the animals he shot,” while in some incidences he and the officer from the Lake County sheriff’s department allegedly removed the heads of animals and left the bodies to rot, the report states. One taxidermist told investigators that Nash “brought in 10 or 12 animals in a single year.”

“Jason Nash brought in so much game that he had the combination for the building so that he could drop things off after hours,” the summary states.

“From 1996 to 1998,” it continues, based off another interview with a taxidermist, “Nash and (the Lake County officer) brought into (redacted) taxidermy shop a total of 16 Trophy deer, 2 Trophy Elk, and 2 bears.”

A tribal game warden told investigators he told Nash to stop his behavior, while a retired FWP warden said he started an investigation “but immediately drew heat” and was ordered to drop it, though he said he informed then Sheriff Barron and then Flathead Tribal Police Chief Ron McCrae, according to investigative documents.

When Nash was interviewed by investigators, he reportedly changed his story and allegedly tampered with evidence.

“During his interview, Nash made statements which we believe to be untruthful,” the investigators concluded.

Couture, the current tribal police chief, said both the managing tribal attorney and Lake County attorney have ruled there is insufficient evidence to charge Nash with a crime. Unless more evidence comes forward, the chief considers the case closed.

“The county attorney said there are a lot of allegations, but no facts,” Couture said, adding that he would treat any crime committed by Nash seriously. “You have to remember that typically a person is considered innocent until proven guilty.”

Laurence Ginnings, managing attorney of the prosecutor’s office for the Confederated and Salish Kootenai Tribes, said that by the time he received information regarding the investigation, Nash’s alleged violations were “way, way beyond the statute of limitations” and therefore not subject to prosecution.

“In some ways, that ends the inquiry,” Ginnings said in an interview last week.

When informed that FWP has documented allegations as recently as fall of 2010, Ginnings indicated he may have to revisit the investigative information. The 2010 allegations, some of which are accompanied by eyewitness testimony, include three incidents of criminal mischief, two incidents of hunting on private property, shooting from a county road and taking wildlife with the aid of artificial light.

“Because the documentation I’ve reviewed is fairly extensive in scope, I don’t want to say, ‘Oh gosh, there’s definitely nothing within the statue of limitations,’” Ginnings said. “But to the best of my recollection, from when I looked at this some months ago, I don’t recall anything remotely within that time frame.”

“Would it interest me?” he added. “Absolutely. We take the matter of public trust seriously. If you have officers not obeying the law, that’s a problem, and we would certainly want to deal with that.”

But Ginnings wanted to make clear he is not “in any way investigating Nash.” Nor does he believe the Lake County attorney’s office intends to file charges.

“I have been told that (the county attorney) has been supplied with the same reports as I was supplied with,” Ginnings said.

•••••

Judy Beck, communications officer for the state Department of Justice, said her agency’s division of criminal investigation conducted an inquiry into the Lake County Sheriff’s Office but couldn’t go into details.

“We did investigate some allegations and referred the results of that investigation to the Lake County attorney three or four months ago,” Beck said, adding that it’s “up to the county attorney to bring charges forth, and we would help with that decision.”

Lake County Attorney Mitch Young, reached by phone on Nov. 18, did not acknowledge an investigation.

“Everyone keeps talking about an investigation going on – what does that mean?” Young said. “What does that mean? An investigation into what?”

When asked about the two ongoing investigations by FWP and POST, Young said allegations about wrongdoings by Lake County law enforcement are “a bunch of crap and rumors.”

“The Department of Justice has been called in on several different matters and they have concluded none of them have been valid,” he said. “What’s happening is a group of malcontents is trying to stir up trouble and bring up these issues. Frankly, I’m tired of talking about it.”

In referencing the “group of malcontents,” Young said he is talking about a number of local residents including former sheriff’s deputy Terry Leonard, who made headlines during the 2010 sheriff’s election when he raised some of the same allegations put forth in the state investigation documents. Leonard, who had been fired as deputy earlier in the year, actively campaigned against Doyle, then the undersheriff.

On Sept. 30, 2010, the Lake County’s Sheriff’s Office conducted a search and seizure on Leonard’s home through a warrant obtained by Young through District Judge C.B. McNeil, according to news reports. The Lake County Leader reported that computers, electronic storage devices and printed emails were confiscated.

When the property was returned to Leonard in February, Young told the Leader that the raid was part of an ongoing investigation for “violations against the election campaign laws” and added that “there are no charges at this point.” At the time, Leonard was the subject of an inquiry by the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices, but an investigator with the commissioner’s office told the Leader that “we had nothing to do with the search and seizure.”

On Nov. 10 of this year, the state commissioner of political practices dismissed the complaint against Leonard, which had been filed by the secretary-treasurer of Doyle’s election, Lanny Van Meter. David Gallik, the state commissioner of political practices, ruled “there is insufficient evidence to find Leonard violated Montana’s statute prohibiting anonymous election material based on his First Amendment right to anonymous political speech.”

Young said allegations made by Leonard and others have been “baseless” and “unsubstantiated other than (Deputy) Duryee making claims to be a military officer and that was dealt with.” Young said he hasn’t seen anything incriminating in FWP’s investigation either.

“I’ve asked Fish and Game to send me any documents,” he said. “They’ve sent me nothing that would constitute probable cause to file charges against anybody.”

Doyle said his policy “is that if I believe there’s criminal activity by one of my employees, I’m going to have an outside agency investigate.” Doyle said he has “never heard anybody” use the phrase alleged in investigative documents: “You can’t break the law, if you are the law.”

“If there were criminal activities going on, I would believe that the statute of limitations is up,” Doyle said. “And as far as it being an accepted practice to violate the law, I would absolutely disagree with that.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/misguided_brotherhood/25494/

British Columbia enacts law to protect North Fork of the Flathead River

Canada Vows Protection of Glacier Headwaters

By Dillon Tabish, 11-22-11



	Caption: A vehicle travels south on North Fork Road past the flowing water of the North Fork of the Flathead River along the border of Glacier National Park. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Almost 30 years ago a Canadian company wanted to build a coal mine six miles north of Glacier National Park, near the North Fork of the Flathead River. The result was a contentious battle spanning three decades and reaching the highest levels of government in both Canada and the United States.

Last week the issue came to a resolution in Canada as the British Columbia Parliament passed legislation prohibiting mining and energy extraction activities on almost 400,000 acres of land within the river basin.

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark legislated the new law, which was originally agreed upon between former Premier Gordon Campbell and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer in 2010.

As part of the 10-million-acre Crown of the Continent, the Flathead River system feeds into Flathead Lake and forms the western boundary of Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park. The area has been named a Wild and Scenic River and World Heritage Site, and is home to bull trout, elk, wolverine and Canada lynx and has the highest density of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states.

The manager of the National Parks Conservation Association’s Crown of the Continent Program, one of the organizations that has pushed for protection of the North Fork for years, commended the efforts of Schweitzer, Clark, Campbell and Montana Sen. Max Baucus, but would like to see the next step taken with United States following Canada’s lead and completing similar legislation on the Montana side of the border.

“We have an international obligation to provide reciprocity in terms of protecting the Montana side of the Flathead just as the Canadians have on their side,” said Michael Jamison of NPCA, an independent organization that works to protect national parks in the U.S.

“We need to finish our end of the bargain,” he said.

Jamison said Baucus’ bill, SB 233 or the North Fork Watershed Protection Act, would ensure protection of another 400,000 acres on the United States’ side of the border. Currently about 80 percent of the oil and gas leases within the river basin have been retired. Baucus’ bill would withdraw the land base from any future leases in the area.

Protecting the headwaters of Glacier Park came to the forefront after several companies tried developing mountaintop removal mining and gas drilling operations throughout the years.

Several organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy, began campaigning for protection of the river basin, and the effort has received the attention of the United Nations and the U.S. State Department.

“A healthy and free-flowing Flathead River is good for people and wildlife on both sides of the border. This bi-national effort gives hope to communities whose economies rely on the river and to iconic wildlife that represent the spirit of the West,” Dr. Richard Jeo, a biologist and director for The Nature Conservancy’s Canada Program, said in a press release.

The director of The Nature Conservancy in Montana said the new protection effort is a visionary one that will provide future opportunities in one of the country’s precious areas.

“This reaches beyond borders and even beyond the people and wildlife that depend on the river today,” Kat Imhoff said in a press release. “We’re making sure that our grandchildren and their children won’t just have a place to fish or float, but that they’ll still have a world with wild places for grizzlies to roam and the water remains pure.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/canada_vows_protection_of_glacier_headwaters/25497/

Moving Day

Renovated Courthouse Ready for Employees

By Molly Priddy, 11-22-11

Click the image or use the arrows to see more photos from the Flathead County Courthouse renovation.

It’s moving month for county employees whose offices are in the renovated historic courthouse, where boxes of files line bare walls and oversized, red, leather-bound books occupy the floor of the commissioners’ chamber.

The books, which contain minutes from past commissioners’ meetings, will fill in the base layer of shelves that make up the back of the chamber, atop of which museum pieces will be housed in glass cases.

It’s a look that will capture the idea of the building’s restoration: mixing history with modern characteristics.

County administrator Mike Pence expounded on the idea while looking at the refurbished grand staircase. The solid oak structure contains both original and new pieces, though it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between them, and windows provide an unparalleled view of downtown Kalispell.

“It’s simple but amazing, the openness, the light,” Pence said.

Renovations on the courthouse – costing over $2 million – began last February and are almost complete. Small strips of blue tape point out imperfections that the contractor will fix, Pence noted, but most of the major projects are finished.

Some of the most unique features in the building are the safes on every floor, which have been converted to storage and break rooms. The heavy doors are from the original safes, and have been refinished to highlight the logo and original designs from the Victor Safe and Lock Company in Cincinnati.

Moving began with the third floor, which houses the commissioners’ chambers and offices and is underway for the human resources, finance and GIS departments on the second floor. The first floor offices, including the election and records departments, will begin moving in during the first week of December, Pence said.

The second floor of the building, built in 1903, has one of the largest public spaces, complete with a meeting table, chairs and display cases for museum pieces. On the first floor, original ironwork was painted a copper color to match nearby radiators, some of which work and others that are merely aesthetic.

The county was unsuccessful at auctioning off the annex buildings on either side of the courthouse, Pence said, and the structures will likely be demolished within two weeks if a buyer does not come forward.

On Jan. 12, the public will be invited to the building’s official open house, Pence said, which will include tours of the “spiffed up” interior throughout the afternoon. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/renovated_courthouse_ready_for_employees/25496/

District would be subject to public hearing in about five weeks

County to Pursue Interim Zoning for Doughnut

By Molly Priddy, 11-21-11



	Caption: The Flathead County Commission listens to a presentation from County Planning Director BJ Grieve, right, on Nov. 21 in the Commissioners Chambers in Kalispell. - Molly Priddy/Flathead Beaco

The Flathead County Commission intends to pursue an interim zoning district for the so-called doughnut planning area outside Whitefish.

During a Nov. 21 hearing, the commissioners said the recent vote in Whitefish to repeal the 2010 interlocal planning agreement between the city and the county has caused a dilemma for the county.

In Whitefish’s interpretation, repealing the 2010 version of the interlocal agreement means going back to the 2005 agreement. The commissioners, however, do not believe the 2005 agreement exists anymore.

“That obviously creates issues with the county,” Commissioner Jim Dupont said.

Dupont said one of the problems with the Whitefish vote was that Whitefish residents cast the ballots, but people living in the doughnut could not, which brings the situation back to the issue of “no representation.”

“That’s the whole ball game for me,” Dupont said.

The county also sent out a survey to doughnut area landowners, asking who they would prefer to have planning control. The results came back 1,234 in support of the county and 471 for the city.

The commission now has to figure out what to do, Dupont said. He recommended not reverting back to the 2005 agreement and supported the idea of the county taking back jurisdiction of the doughnut.

Commissioners Dale Lauman and Pam Holmquist agreed with Dupont. Lauman said the issue of doughnut jurisdiction control has caused “confusion and animosity” and he would like to see a smooth transition for doughnut residents.

Lauman said he thought the 2010 agreement was “workable,” and that the county went “as far as we could go with negotiations.”

Holmquist said it is important to give doughnut residents some direction moving forward and that the county should take jurisdiction over planning.

Flathead County Planning Director BJ Grieve presented the commission with several options for the doughnut, including implementing an interim zoning district based on the 1996 Whitefish City-County Master Plan recognized in the Flathead County Growth Policy.

The plan already includes zoning areas outside of the city limits but within the doughnut, Grieve said, and it could be updated while the interim district is in place. The interim district would exist for one year with the possibility of a one-year extension, he said.

If the commissioners decided to update the 1996 master plan, Grieve said the county would work with an ad hoc committee of doughnut residents in the process. And if the updated plan is adopted, a permanent zoning district could be put in place, he said.

In the event that the county decides to adopt an interim zoning district, Grieve said the areas within the doughnut that are already zoned by the city would be rezoned with the “closest equivalent” county zone that also conforms to the 1996 master plan.

The planning department would have to “hustle” to get all of this done in two years, Grieve said, but the commission could schedule a public hearing for the interim zoning decision in about five weeks.

Dupont said he thought interim zoning is “the way to go,” and he liked the idea of the ad hoc committee consisting of doughnut residents. Lauman said he thought interim zoning could help ease the transition from city to county control.

The commissioners will vote on a resolution of intent to adopt an interim zoning district on Nov. 28. This does not create the district, but instead puts the county’s intent in writing, the commissioners said.

In an interview last week, Dupont said he hoped that the county could put a plan together that would be acceptable to the city and the county, and therefore divert litigation over the doughnut. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/county_to_pursue_interim_zoning_for_doughnut/25489/

Annual village holiday decorating

Slide Show: Elves Decorate Downtown Bigfork

By Lido Vizzutti, 11-21-11

Braving the freezing temperatures, elves descend on Electric Avenue to decorate downtown Bigfork for the holidays. Every year on the weekend before Thanksgiving, the volunteers, known as the Bigfork elves, spend the morning hanging garland, strands of bulbs and placing bows to prepare for the evening art walk and lighting of the Christmas tree.

Click the image or use the arrows to see more photographs from decorating downtown Bigfork. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/slide_show_elves_decorate_downtown_bigfork/25482/

Emphasizing state sovereignty, candidates hope to capitalize on crowded Republican field

Fanning and Baldwin: ‘In This To Win’

By Myers Reece, 11-21-11



	Caption: Chuck Baldwin, left, and gubernatorial candidate Bob Fanning listen to questions from the audience at the Red Lion Hotel in Kalispell. Fanning announced Baldwin as his running mate in the 2012 election. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

On Nov. 16 at the Red Lion Hotel in Kalispell, Republican governor candidate Bob Fanning told a camouflage-speckled audience, “I’m blessed, completely blessed, to have Chuck Baldwin as my lieutenant governor.”

Baldwin, a pastor who ran for president as a Constitution Party candidate in 2008 and moved from Florida to the Flathead Valley last year, took the stage and returned the respect.

“Bob is the one candidate in the race I can fully and whole-heartedly embrace,” Baldwin said, adding: “I look forward to accompanying Bob to the governor’s mansion after next year’s election, because we are in this to win.”

Fanning and Baldwin held the Nov. 16 gathering to formally announce they are running together in the 2012 Montana governor’s race to replace term-limited Democrat Brian Schweitzer. There are eight other Republicans seeking the party’s nomination, while there are two only two Democrats, Attorney General Steve Bullock and state Sen. Larry Jent.

New to politics, Fanning is a retired businessman who said he spent so many years shouting on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade that he had to get polyps removed from his vocal cords. Today he owns a ranch in Paradise Valley south of Livingston and has become known for his opposition to reintroduced wolves, arguing that the predators have decimated elk populations.

“I’m not a career politician,” he said. “I’m an executive.”

Fanning and Baldwin introduced a steadfast if not diverse plan to strengthen Montana’s state sovereignty and push back against intrusive federal regulations, a plan that ranges from fighting for medical marijuana patients’ rights to opposing federal management of wolves to creating a state bank funded by natural resource development.

Baldwin drew an enthusiastic response from the crowd when he declared: “We will preserve, defend and protect the Constitution.”

“Montana is at literally the cutting edge of a rebirth of freedom in this country,” he said.

In explaining his stance on medical marijuana, Baldwin said “the federal government has no right to come into the state of Montana and overturn a law the people of Montana passed for themselves.”

“If this team of men was in the governor’s mansion,” he added, “those raids would have never taken place in the state of Montana.”

Baldwin outlined his and Fanning’s strong pro-life stance as well as their intent to make property rights a high priority. Other priorities, according to their website, include establishing a flat-tax system and staunchly protecting gun rights.

According to a column posted on his website, Baldwin sees a “very special opportunity” for the Fanning-Baldwin ticket in the crowded Republican field. With nine candidates, he wrote “the pie is going to be sliced mighty thin” and it is “very conceivable” that the winner will receive “far less” than 30 percent of the votes.

"Don’t you see the opportunity Bob and I have in this election?” he wrote.

When Fanning and Baldwin were taking questions at the Red Lion, one man, expressing his displeasure with Washington D.C., asked, “Why aren’t we suing the federal government?”

Fanning grabbed the microphone and said, “I am.” As part of his ongoing efforts against wolves, Fanning said he has filed a petition and indicated he is willing to stand up against the federal government.

In protecting the rights of Montanans and fighting what he views as over-burdensome regulations, Fanning said he is upholding the “sanctity of the individual.”

“We will draw a line in the sand,” Fanning said. “The federal encroachment into our daily lives is over.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/fanning_and_baldwin_in_this_to_win/25481/

City to appoint selection committee, interview interim candidates

Search Begins for Next Kalispell City Manager

By Dillon Tabish, 11-20-11



	Caption: Kalispell City Manager Jane Howington, center, talks with representatives from the Kalispell firefighters union during a meeting in the City Council chambers earlier this year. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

The search is underway for the next city manager in Kalispell, starting with the appointment of a selection committee and interviews with interim candidates.

Current City Manager Jane Howington recently announced she is resigning at the end of December after two years to take the same position in Newport, R.I.

Mayor Tammi Fisher anticipates the search and hiring process for Howington’s successor will take six months or longer. An official job posting was first advertised on Nov. 21.

“We hope to have a new city manager on board by the beginning of May,” she said in a press release, “but we are determined to take as much time as necessary to find the right person for the position.”

Fisher will appoint a six-person committee this week for the initial review of applications. Committee members have not been identified at this time.

Fisher said interviews with interim candidates began Nov. 21 and the city hopes to select someone within the next two weeks to take over temporarily after Howington leaves next month.

Kalispell voters first decided in the fall of 1989 to appoint a city manager to act as the city's chief administrative officer. Since then five people have filled the position — Bruce Williams (Oct. 1990-March 1996), Clarence Krepps (Aug. 1996-May 1998), Chris Kukulski (May 1999-Aug. 2004), Jim Patrick (Nov. 2004-Oct. 2008) and Howington (Aug. 2009-Dec. 2011).

Before a city manager was in place, Kalispell had a strong mayor form of government. The mayor was still a part-time position but had more day-to-day duties than he or she does currently. The change came about when, as longtime city councilor Duane Larson remembers it, “the people felt that changing would provide a professional to head the city,” and created the position through a vote.

Most larger cities across the state, like Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls and Helena, have a similarly run municipal government, with an elected mayor involved with a city council in decision-making and an appointed city manager the person who carries out those decisions. Both Whitefish and Columbia Falls have city managers. Missoula has a strong mayor form of government, but still has a “chief administrative officer” who works with the mayor and helps direct department operations.

The city manager is typically one of the highest paid city employees. That’s the case in Kalispell where Howington is making $112,500 a year, more than any other public employee in the city. The Newport City Council will vote on Howington’s new contract on Dec. 14. She was offered a three-year deal worth $135,000 a year.

The length of the position’s contract was a deal breaker in the last search. Matt McKillip, a former mayor of Kokomo, Ind., was the city’s top choice in 2009 after Patrick was fired, but he turned down the job after the city declined to give him a five-year contract. Howington, the city’s second choice, signed a rolling contract, meaning it didn’t have a set end date and rolled from year to year.

Howington’s successor could come from inside the state, something Fisher and others would like to see. But history has shown that the search tends to end up drawing from a national pool.

Larson, who has been involved with the hiring of all five city managers, said in the past the city has received over 100 applications every time the position becomes vacant. A local applicant, as far as he knows, has never been a finalist for the position because of a lack of previous experience as a manager or the lack of a required educational background, two of the city’s priorities in previous searches.

Howington was the best person for the job in the position’s 21-year history, Larson said.

“She was the best one we had. She’s done an excellent job,” he said. “She’s been really responsive to the council’s needs and the community’s needs. She was truly a manager in the strictest sense of the word.”

City councilor Bob Hafferman complimented Howington in her management of the city during her tenure, saying she was an improvement over her predecessor. But he emphasized that future city managers should not get ahead of the city council and its electorate when making changes.

“Quite frankly I’m dissatisfied that we’re not giving the manager better direction. We’re asking the city manager to lead the way,” he said. “Well for goodness sakes what (is the city council) here for then?”

Hafferman understands that Howington’s replacement might not be found in Montana, but he hopes whoever becomes the next manager is familiar with the unique “workings of Montana government.”

“We ought to look for people who understand and have had experience in either Montana or states that are similar to Montana,” he said. “You have to have a feeling of what you’re representing.”
[End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/search_begins_for_next_kalispell_city_manager/25467/

USPS studies closing Kalispell sorting center, meeting set for Dec. 1

Local Mail Affected if Sorting Facilities Close

By Web Master, 11-20-11



	Caption: The Post Office on Meridian Road. Justin Franz/Flathead Beacon

It could take a little longer for a piece of mail to travel across the Flathead Valley if the U.S. Postal Service moves forward with plans to close the Kalispell mail processing center on Meridian Road.

The closure of the mail-sorting center is part of an initiative by the USPS to reduce spending across the board. The plans to close sorting facilities and retail offices across the country has gained even more urgency as the USPS announced last week that it ended the 2011 fiscal year with a net loss of $5.1 billion. Before any decision is made, the USPS is holding a public meeting on Dec. 1 to see how it may affect the public.

“It's all part of the process,” said Pete Nowacki, spokesperson for USPS. “It's one of several factors we look at, how it'll impact service, and we need to listen to people. I can't stress enough how important it is for people to write to us and let us know how it'll impact them.”

Earlier this fall, the USPS studied the financial benefits of closing the Kalispell processing center. A summary of that study was released on Nov. 15 and concluded that shutting down the Kalispell branch and combining it with the one in Spokane would save approximately $575,412 annually. Broken down, the postal service would save $707,865 annually on processing, $76,626 on management and $413,815 on maintenance. One area where it would cost more is transportation, where the postal service would have to spend $622,894 annually to move mail from the Flathead Valley to Spokane where it would be sorted. Mail from Kalispell would be joined by mail from Missoula as well if that processing center is closed, which is also under consideration.

If the Kalispell processing center closes, 12 jobs would be eliminated, yet Nowacki said that didn't necessarily mean those people would be laid off. Nowacki said the postal service has a no-layoff clause with some long-serving employees and it would work to reassign all Kalispell employees.

Although there would still be mail service in Kalispell, and the retail store on Meridian Road would remain open, it would take longer for mail to arrive in the area. Currently, there is overnight delivery on pieces of mail originating and destined for Kalispell. If the processing center were to close, that mail would first have to travel to Spokane.

Nowacki said cuts must be made for the postal service to survive. According to the USPS, mail volume has decreased by 20 percent since 2007. And in 2010, USPS saved $99 million by consolidating 35 mail processing centers. By closing or consolidating processing centers, the postal service could save $3 billion annually.

Even after the meeting, it would take a few weeks for the USPS to make a final decision on whether the Kalispell sorting center would be eliminated. USPS announced earlier this month that no closure would occur before Jan. 2, as to not disrupt mail service during the busy holiday season.

Other postal service property is also being considered for closure in Northwest Montana. Small retail outposts in Dixon, Elmo, Olney and Stryker are all on the chopping block and the period for public comment about those closures was to end in the coming days. Once the final comments were received, the USPS would review the response and make a final determination on whether to close facilities for good.

The public meeting about the Kalispell processing center will be held on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/local_mail_affected_if_sorting_facilities_close/25469/

Whitefish

PLACES: Beaver Lakes Section of the Whitefish Trails

By Lido Vizzutti, 11-20-11



	Caption: Autumn colors speckle the landscape in this view from the Beaver Lakes Trail west of Whitefish. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Taking advantage of sporadic sunshine, there is no better place to be than hiking the Beaver Lakes section of the Whitefish Trail west of Whitefish.

The trail heads out from the Beaver Lakes Trailhead with a short half-mile ascent. At the intersection, choose your own adventure as the trail splits to the north and south. The 2.8-mile loop is a beautiful, easy to moderate hike through Montana’s outdoors. Snow-capped Big Mountain emerges through the trees with brief views of the surrounding lakes and vistas. Looking to the west, the valley unfolds with autumn colors still speckling the landscape.

The trail includes all kinds of terrain. It sometimes borders ledges over shallow valleys, straightens out through thicker forest and winds across open areas.

From the split, you can also travel north on a longer hike – around 4.1 miles – to the North Beaver Connection. Or head south to Skyles and Lion Mountain trails.

Be aware of the weather as it can change rapidly this time of year and snow is accumulating on portions of the trail making it slippery. Signs that suggest hikers keep dogs under control, hike in groups and carry bear spray as, “Lions, bears, and wolves live here, too.”

How to get there: From downtown Whitefish, continue north on U.S. Highway 93. After about seven miles, turn right on Beaver Lake Road. There is a sign directing to Beaver Lake. Travel about 1.5 miles on Beaver Lake Road and the trailhead is very visible on the right side of the road. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/places_beaver_lakes_section_of_the_whitefish_trails/25428/

Several free Thanksgiving meals available throughout the valley

Food and Fellowship for the Holiday

By Molly Priddy, 11-19-11



	Caption: Thinkstock photo

Thanksgiving is on Nov. 24, and there are multiple opportunities throughout the Flathead and Mission valleys for residents to gather for a free meal and fellowship as the holiday season gets under way.

Sykes in Kalispell will host its annual Thanksgiving meal, which has served thousands of meals to local people. The event begins on Thanksgiving Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is open to anyone.

The meal will include all the holiday favorites: turkey, sliced ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, rolls and butter, cranberry sauce, pie, coffee and juice.

Sykes asks people to call by Tuesday, Nov. 22 to arrange home delivery. Diners can opt to pick up their meal as well.

Volunteers and donations are always welcome. For more information, call 406-257-4306. Sykes is located at 202 Second Ave. W. in Kalispell.

The Pocketstone Café in Bigfork is ready for its second annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner, with three servings taking place at the café on Nov. 24 at 11 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Reservations are strongly recommended since seating is limited, and can be made by calling 406-837-7223. If there is space and enough food, walk-ins will be accommodated between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

The meal promises a “sumptuous menu and a cordial atmosphere” for those who prefer not to spend the holiday alone. Fixings will include soup, turkey, dressing, potatoes, yams, green beans and dessert.

There will be no charge for the experience, though there will be a donation jar for those who would like to give. All contributions will go to the Bigfork Food Pantry to help with its Christmas season efforts.

The Pocketstone Café is located at 444 Electric Avenue in Bigfork.

Deb and Charlie Simons are cooking a sit-down Thanksgiving meal at the Whitefish Foursquare Church, which will begin at 3 p.m. Those who wish to attend are invited to bring a side dish if they are able. The holiday meal is an extension of the church’s weekly community dinners, which take place on Wednesday.

The Thanksgiving dinner will not be a buffet; instead, attendees will sit at a table and enjoy the meal together. Space and food will likely be limited, and donations are very welcome.

Anyone wishing to help out with the meal can leave a message for Deb or Charlie at the church, available at 406-862-1653. The Whitefish Foursquare Church is located at 233 Kalispell Ave. in Whitefish.

In Ronan, those looking for a place to settle for the holiday can head to the Ronan Community Center for the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner. The meal runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free to anyone wishing to attend.

Financial donations are welcome and appreciated. Anyone willing to provide turkeys, pies or rolls or would like to help with cooking, serving, busing or entertainment is asked to contact Dana Grant at 406-240-0640.

The Ronan Community Center is located at 300 Third Ave. NW in Ronan.

The Polson Senior Center and Polson Ministerial Association will host Thanksgiving dinner at the senior center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 24. The meal will be a traditional Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings.

While there is no charge for the meal, donations are appreciated. For questions, contact Tracy Plaise at 406-883-0642. The Polson Senior Center is located at 504 Third Ave. East in Polson.

If you are hosting a free Thanksgiving dinner and want the community to know about it, be sure to visit www.flatheadevents.net to post your event for free. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/food_and_fellowship_for_the_holiday/25468/

Whitefish resident keeps skiing streak alive year-round

Ultimate Ski Bum

By Dillon Tabish, 11-18-11



	Caption: Greg Fortin pauses for a moment near a melt pond below the Sperry Glacier in Glacier National Park while him and Moore did the Floral Park Traverse. - Contributed photo by Craig Moore/GlacierWorld.com

By all known criteria, Craig Moore is an ultimate ski bum.

The 32-year-old Whitefish resident has skied at least once a month for the last four years; he averages about 70 days a season on Big Mountain and another 80 in the surrounding backcountry. When he’s not taking turns with his wife Amy and documenting it for own his enjoyment or as part of his career as a professional photographer, he’s partnering with fellow members of the Flathead Nordic Backcountry Ski Patrol. When his friends are enjoying the lake in the summer, Craig is usually out exploring the mountains for a hidden treasure trove of remaining snow.

He has an outdoor mentality and adventurousness that often embodies the town he lives in, a place that recognizes six new inches of snow overnight as a valid reason to be late for work and is filled with like-minded winter sports fiends.

And yet Craig, sitting inside the Great Northern Brewing Company on a recent day, sporting long curly hair and a beard and rattling off about a lifetime on skis, has a hard time explaining why.

Why does he ski so much? Why risk life and limb for a sport even he simplifies as “sliding down a mountain?” Why does he love being out there?

With that sense of humor his friends often cite and a knack for photographic description, Craig eventually arrives at these answers in a roundabout way.

The day after graduating from high school in North Carolina, Craig was sleeping inside the post office in Bozeman.

The 18-year-old left home with only a backpack filled with the basics and ventured out West. He knew only one person in Bozeman, a student who had given him a tour of the Montana State University campus months earlier. He spent his first days walking around town alone, cash strapped and wide-eyed. As he remembers it, the doors of the post office were open, so he found a table in the back corner and slept underneath those first two nights.

He chose Montana, it would seem, because he was recruited to play football. Bigger, more prestigious colleges closer to home had recruited him too, but Montana naturally “just fit.”

“After visiting and seeing those two ski resorts, I thought, ‘Man, this is sweet,’” he said. “Montana just had this majestic thing to me.”

Craig had skied before arriving in Bozeman. When he was 16, his parents were going through a divorce and the mountains were an escape and provided solace.

Pretty soon he was getting done with football games on Friday nights and driving to the local ski area. He said he would sleep in his Jetta so he could hit it hard early the next morning.

That same mentality followed him to Montana. As a yearly season-pass holder at Bridger he was skiing more than 60 days a winter. By his sophomore year, he had called it quits with football and was fully embedded in the lifestyle of a budding ski bum.

Along with his love of being outdoors, Craig loves taking pictures. After college he worked for several newspapers, including contributing to the Beacon. By 2007 he had established himself in the Flathead Valley and had found a way to successfully blend a freelance career and a love of being outside.

That’s when the streak began.

In November 2007, Craig wanted to see how many months in a row he could ski at least once every 30 days within roughly 100 miles of Whitefish.

Craig Moore, left, and Dan Koestler, center, gear up to ski Bird Woman Basin during a summer ski outing in Glacier National Park. - Contributed photo by Amy Moore/GlacierWorld.com

“I was just curious, ‘Is this something I could do?’” he said. “I figured it would be a good personal project.”

With camera in hand, along with the proper avalanche safety gear, Craig began his quest.

This month marks 48 in a row. In that time, Craig has skied throughout Glacier National Park, down the Swan range and in the Whitefish range. The winter months have been easy, obviously, with days at Whitefish Mountain Resort, and vast acres of wilderness covered in backcountry powder. But when winter tails off and spring and summer arrive, the search becomes harder.

Even today he still picks the brains of friends and local outdoor enthusiasts who can lend a tip here or there. That’s how he met Dan’l Moore, a Kila resident who himself continues to ride an amazing stretch of skiing.

Fifty-four-year-old Dan’l, no relation to Craig, said he has skied at least once a month for 14 straight years. Dan’l has traveled around the country and even down to Australia and New Zealand to ski.

“I just like being out in the mountains and it’s a good excuse to go,” Dan’l, who moved to Montana in 1985, said.

Both Dan’l and Craig are members of the Flathead Nordic Backcountry Ski Patrol. They both promote avalanche awareness and are involved in search and rescue efforts along with avalanche incidents throughout the year.

“Avalanches are definitely a reality,” Craig said. “You’re never bigger than the mountain.”

Craig said he has been partially buried in an avalanche before and several times has “definitely had things go bad real fast.” He has lost friends in avalanches. Just talking about some of the possibilities that can arise on the mountain, Craig said he gets goosebumps.

But still, he can’t stay away.

Recently a friend of Craig’s recommended he enter an international contest aimed at crowning “the ultimate ski bum.” The contest, being held by The Powder Highway based in British Columbia, offers a grand prize ski package valued at $30,000. Voting ended last weekend and now the judging begins. If Craig makes the final cut this week, he will have to send a short video explaining why he is the ultimate ski bum.

But how would he really answer that in a short amount of time? He could point to the streak, which he plans to keep alive for as long as he can. He could tell about all those nights sleeping in his Jetta as a 16-year-old, or the decision to move to the mountains of Montana, a place he had never been before but could not shake from his mind. He could tell them what he feels when he’s outdoors — “I feel more alive in the mountains. Nothing is hidden. You’re just able to be in the moment, I guess is the best way of saying it.”

There’s a whole lifelong story that Craig could tell, and it would prove, through and through, he’s ultimately a ski bum. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/ultimate_ski_bum/25430/

Cat Griz

Cats, Griz Take Winning Streaks Into Rivalry Game

By AP News, 11-18-11

BOZEMAN – The Montana and Montana State football teams take winning streaks and Top 10 rankings into the rivalry game that will decide the Big Sky Conference championship.

Montana State (9-1, 7-0 Big Sky) is ranked first in the Football Championship Subdivision polls and has won nine straight games, while No. 7 Montana (8-2, 6-1) has a six-game winning streak going into the 111th meeting between the two teams.

The "Brawl of the Wild" kicks off at noon Saturday in MSU's remodeled Bobcat Stadium before an anticipated crowd of up to 19,000.

"It's tremendously exciting in this first year in the new stadium with the new capacity that we get to play a Cat-Griz game with this magnitude," MSU coach Rob Ash said.

"I think it will be a lot like Washington-Grizzly except with the colors changed from theirs to ours. I hope it is. They have a great venue over there. They've had a great home-field advantage because of that venue. We want ours to be like that," Ash said.

Last year, Montana State won 21-16 on a bitterly cold day at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, ending the Grizzlies' streak of 17 consecutive playoff appearances.

Both teams are hoping for a spot in the FCS playoffs and a win by the Bobcats could give them home field advantage as long as they keep winning.

The Bobcats are led by quarterback DeNarius McGhee, who has passed for 2,189 yards and 21 touchdowns against 10 interceptions this season, plus three more scores on the ground.

Elvis Akpla averages 83 yards receiving and has 10 touchdowns while Cody Kirk rushes for 119 yards a game and has 14 scores. MSU's defense is led by Jody Owens with 74 total tackles and five sacks while Brad Daly has 10 sacks.

Montana quarterback Jordan Johnson has passed for 1,628 yards and 13 touchdowns against six interceptions this season. He has run for two more scores. Six of those passing touchdowns came in UM's 45-10 win over Weber State three weeks ago.

"I think we have progressed through baby steps every Saturday," said Montana coach Robin Pflugrad. "We're not near where we need to be in my opinion because it is a unique offense, although it seems like everyone in the country has elements of it."

Jabin Sambrano leads Montana with 40 yards per game receiving and six touchdowns. Dan Moore has six rushing touchdowns and Jordan Canada has 5 for the Griz.

Caleb McSurdy leads Montana's defense with 106 tackles while Bryan Waldhauser has five sacks.

Even without the rankings and playoff implications, the Cat-Griz game is huge.

"We can't really think about (the ranking) because this is the only game we have, the only 2011 Cat-Griz game, so we have to focus on that, not the playoffs not the next game," McGhee said. "We are focused on this game and this game only."

Montana defensive end Ryan Featherston is ready for his final Cat-Griz game.

"I know they are No. 1, but we're No. 7 and that's pretty good," he said. "When it comes down to it you're playing for a championship. Ultimately, we want a national championship but beating the Cats and winning the Big Sky is one of our goals, and has been since Day One." [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/cats_griz_take_winning_streaks_into_rivalry_game/25465/

Your Weekend Guide

On Tap: Roller Derby and Decorate Bigfork

By Molly Priddy, 11-18-11

Live Music:
Friday: Miles Fortenberry at the Cottage Inn; Student Showcase at Craggy Range Bar and Grill; Guy Davis at O'Shaughnessy Center; Laddy Ray Melvin at Symes Hot Springs Hotel; Classique Cats at Rainbow Bar and Casino; Be a Star Karaoke at Southfork Saloon; Russ Nasset and the Revelators at Great Northern Bar

Saturday: Karaoke at Marion Grille; Live Classic Country at Eagles Lodge; Can't Hardly Playboys at Paddy's Touchdown Lounge; Christian Johnson Project featuring Terrance McClelland at Craggy Range Bar and Grill; John Dunnigan at Grouse Mountain Lodge; Kate McLaughlin at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake; Amy Holtz at the Cottage Inn; Masterworks II: Russian Mythic at Flathead High School Performance Hall; Lee Zimmerman at Symes Hot Springs Hotel; Be a Star Karaoke at the Rocky Mountain Roadhouse; Karaoke with Jody at Rainbow Bar and Grill; Russ Nasset and the Revelators at Great Northern Bar; Mars Retrieval Unit at Craggy Range Bar and Grill

Sports:

SaturdayFlathead Valley Roller Derby at Flathead County Fairgrounds trade center;

Arts and Events:
Friday: Swing Dance! at Senior Center; Salsa & Latin Dance Night at Kalispell Eagles Club

Saturday: Holiday Art Walk at Downtown Bigfork; Spencer Comedy Hypnosis Show at Kalispell Elks Lodge; Decorate Bigfork for the Holidays & Tree Lighting Ceremony in Bigfork; Our Redeemer Lutheran Church Fall Bazaar at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church; Holiday Bazaar at KwaTuqNuk; Cowboy Christmas Barn Sale & Benefit at Sherman Road Ranch; Glacier Woodturners Association at Hanson Trucking; The Snow Ball & Vintage Christmas Market at Flathead County Fairgrounds; Health & Wellness Assessment at Wellness Resource Center; "Neighbors Helping Neighbors" Benefit Concert at Libby Memorial Events Center

For a full listing of times and other events, go to www.flatheadevents.net. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/on_tap_roller_derby_and_decorate_bigfork/25464/

Kalispell coffeehouse becomes a hotspot for Southern, Appalachian music

Bluegrass in the Boiler Room

By Web Master, 11-18-11



	Caption: Tina Bertram, Steve Stafford, Alex Hogle, Jason Revis and Erich Jonas rock the jam session at The Boiler Room. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Shortly before 7 p.m. on a Thursday night, The Boiler Room in Kalispell is nearly empty. A few people mull around, ordering coffee, but for the most part no one notices the five people moving chairs and tuning banjos, guitars and mandolins.

But when they finish their final tweaks and sit down to play, people begin to take up seats and more wander in as songs of long forgotten battles and overlooked outcasts waft out the door. Together they’re forming a community and that is just what Alex Hogle hoped for when he helped organize a twice-monthly bluegrass session at The Boiler Room, every other Thursday night throughout the winter.

The jam sessions began two years ago at Colter Coffee, Hogle said, but they moved so the informal event could grow. The sessions are usually played by four or five bluegrass musicians and about a dozen players rotate in and out. At the center of the informal group will usually be Hogle.

Hogle said he has had an appreciation for music all his life and started “picking” when he was a teenager. Although he works as a county planner by day, Hogle plays in two bands during his free time, Spring Wagon Stringband and BirdHop!

“We all need to create outlets in our life to keep the days feeling right,” he said.

While Hogle and the other musicians called it a “bluegrass” jam, he said the type of songs they play can’t just be categorized in one genre. Many of the songs have Southern or Appalachian roots. Others have those same roots, with a Rocky Mountain twist: “We all don’t live in the Shenandoah Mountains, so lets sing about the Rocky Mountains,” Hogle said.

Why they play is even more complex.

Hogle said it is possible to trace the country’s history through song and in that history community is a constant. It’s one of the primary reasons Tina Bertram has made the drive down from Fortine to play for the last two years.

“It’s just great; the roots of the music is playing in a community setting and it’s great to continue that,” said Bertram, who teaches at North Valley Music School in Whitefish.

The fingers of Steve Stafford, left, and Alex Hogle fly across the fiddle and mandolin.

And the community of people playing bluegrass music is only growing, Hogle said, with a handful of bands throughout Northwest Montana.

Hogle, who was born and raised in Northern Utah, said the bluegrass scene is just as strong down there and he thinks it is because the West shares the same frontier spirit as the region in which the music originated.

“It doesn’t matter where you go, you can find people to pick with,” he said.

And at least for the next few months, that means playing at The Boiler Room on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street in Kalispell. Hogle said they plan on playing the second and fourth Thursday of every month, except on holidays, throughout the winter. Admission is free. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/bluegrass_in_the_boiler_room/25425/

Local data information company marks its 20th anniversary

Information For Sale

By Web Master, 11-17-11



	Caption: Todd Twete, vice president of sales and marketing, explains Merlin Information Services’ role in collecting and providing information at the business’ office in Kalispell. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Most people wouldn’t think twice about a two-tone gray office building south of Kalispell, but walk through two sets of locked, double doors and find your way into the server room and you’ll know something is up. Inside the temperature-controlled space stands two rows of computer servers holding millions of records, names, numbers and addresses.

This is the heart and soul of Merlin Information Services, a company that gathers and sells data and information about people and businesses, which it has been doing for 20 years.

Todd Twete, vice president of sales and marketing for Merlin, said it’s often easier to describe the company’s customers, which includes law enforcement, private investigators and websites where people can buy background checks, than the company itself. Merlin obtains the personal information from other companies or public record. Once the company gathers and catalogs the data, it is available to Merlin’s customers and subscribers. Although the data collection is at times hard to describe, it keeps growing and Twete said Merlin strives to find a competitive edge.

“Data is becoming a commodity and I’m going to have to find something unique about my service (to stay competitive),” Twete said.

Merlin Information Services was started in 1991 by Mike Dores. At the time Dores was simply compiling and selling CD-ROMs of information gathered from the state of California, where the company was founded. As the company grew, Dores made a risky move to Montana. While much of the data industry is centered in places like California, Florida or Washington, Montana is far off the beaten path.

Todd Twete, vice president of sales and marketing, stands between the two long rows of servers containing terabytes of information at Merlin Information Services in Kalispell.

“That was a gutsy move because the Internet wasn’t as big and he would’ve probably been better off in California than in Montana,” Twete said.

But the move paid off in the long run and Twete said the company hasn’t had any trouble finding what he called the “right recipe,” especially when it comes to employees, including Kurtis Oliverson.

Oliverson has been with the company for more than a decade as a network programmer and spends his time creating software that makes the information Merlin gathers and stores on dozens of servers available to the more than 4,000 customers that use the service. Twete said creating the software is a complex job and takes months to develop. Oliverson said part of the process is good communication, especially when creating complex computer programs.

“We all have to make sure we’re on the same page, at the same time,” Oliverson said.

Oliverson has been working on new software Twete hopes will help the company expand next year. Currently, two new programs are being developed aimed at private investigators and debt collectors. Both programs will be “specific to their needs and workflow.”

With new products on the horizon, Twete said Merlin is looking to expand in the years to come and there are no plans to leave Montana.

“We’ve got plenty of space to put more people and hopefully that will happen,” Twete said. “We have growth plans. We’d love to see the size of the company double.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/information_for_sale/25424/

Whitefish Mountain Resort set to open Dec. 3

Ski Areas Ready for Another La Niña

By Dillon Tabish, 11-17-11



	Caption: A group of skiers ascend Big Mountain at Whitefish Mountain Resort on Chair 2 above Hellroaring Saloon and Eatery. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Just over two weeks before opening day, snow continues to cover Whitefish Mountain Resort and employees are preparing for what looks like another good upcoming winter.

With a La Niña winter being forecast for the second year in a row, the 2011-2012 season is scheduled to start on Big Mountain on Dec. 3. La Niña, a cold, wet winter storm system, delivered near-record snowfall on the mountain last winter, with about 34 feet, or 400 inches, of total snowfall. That translated to the most visitors ever.

“We’re excited that it’s another La Niña,” Whitefish Mountain Resort spokesperson Riley Polumbus said. “I think we have another good year ahead of us.”

Blacktail Mountain in Lakeside also enjoyed a busy winter last year, with a roughly 20 percent increase in visits and “powder days pretty much every day.”

“Snow brings the people,” Blacktail general manager Steve Spencer said. “We’re gearing up for this season and hopefully it will be another good one.”

Blacktail, entering its 14th year, does not have a set opening day, but usually opens the first or second week of December, Spencer said.

The main chairlift at Whitefish Mountain Resort, the Big Mountain Express, or Chair 1, is back up and running after being closed all summer because of construction work. A new concrete foundation was poured at tower six this fall after employees found the tower had shifted out of place in June.

The most noticeable change this season, besides season pass holders finding their ages listed on their passes, is the addition of the Bad Rock chairlift. The three-seat chairlift is 1,627 feet long and will run daily from the base lodge to above Russell’s Street.

The mountain’s team of groomers also has a new machine to work with this year. A seventh grooming machine was purchased as a backup from Deer Valley outside Salt Lake City, Utah. In the annual “Top 10” issue of SKI Magazine, the Big Mountain groomers were named the 10th best by readers. The magazine also highlighted the mountain’s scenery as one of the best in the nation.

During the peak winter season, almost 500 people are employed at Whitefish Mountain Resort, according to Polumbus. Blacktail Mountain employs about 100 people, Spencer said.

In spite of Chair 1 being closed on Big Mountain, it was still one of the busiest summers on record, Polumbus said.

The zip lines, which opened in 2009, had the most use ever this summer. The resort plans to continue expanding with another line next year. The resort is also planning to expand mountain biking trails.

Whitefish Mountain Resort has been ahead of the curve when it comes to summer recreation on a public land ski mountain. The resort, which is two-thirds U.S. Forest Service land, has already received permission for summer activities, like mountain biking, and combines that with the use of private land for activities like zip lining.

A new law, the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2011, was signed on Nov. 7 and will allow ski areas on Forest Service land to do the same and add year-around activities as a way to boost revenue. Previously the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 only allowed Nordic or alpine skiing on Forest Service land, unless the ski area underwent a stringent permitting process. The new law allows for other snow sports to be permitted along with summer activities like zip lines, mountain bike terrain parks and trails, Frisbee golf courses and rope courses. Ski areas will still need to have activities approved before a permit is issued.

“Down the line it could help us with future expansion, especially with mountain biking,” Polumbus said.

“It behooves us to create a really cool atmosphere at the ski area to attract more people to spend more time up here.”

Blacktail Mountain has already been permitted to include summer recreating, but Spencer said there are no plans as of yet.

“We need to figure out what it would be to make it profitable,” he said.

As far as expanding winter operations, Big Mountain could see more changes in chairlifts in the coming years. The resort has also been approved by the Forest Service to move two chairs around in the future, Polumbus said. There is a plan to move Chair 5 to the East Rim and extend Chair 4 up to Inspiration. The resort has not set a date for these changes, Polumbus said.

“Moving a chair out to a more remote area, it’s a tricky thing to do,” she said. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/ski_areas_ready_for_another_la_nina/25416/

Kalispell city manager to take job in Rhode Island

Howington Resigns After ‘Remarkable Turnaround’

By Dillon Tabish, 11-16-11



	Caption: Kalispell City Manager Jane Howington addresses the media during a press conference at City Hall. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Jane Howington has had to make several tough decisions since taking over as Kalispell’s city manager in 2009. She made another one last week and it appears to be her last in Kalispell.

Howington announced she was resigning after two years to take the city manager position in Newport, R.I. Howington, who is currently on a rolling contract that extends from year to year, will remain in Kalispell through December before starting the Rhode Island job in January.

Mayor Tammi Fisher said the city would begin searching for an interim manager to fill the position during the search for Howington’s successor. Fisher would like to start by exploring locally and statewide for a replacement, but the search could expand nationwide if it comes to that.

“For me it will take as long as it takes,” Fisher said of the hiring process. “I don’t want to rush to judgment and fill her shoes with a warm body rather than finding somebody with the right amount of talent to run the city of Kalispell.”

Howington, who was hired in August 2009 after a nationwide search, first told city staff through an email on Nov. 10 she had accepted the Rhode Island position. The city officially announced the decision the next day.

“It was a difficult decision to make. When we moved out here we pretty much assumed this would be our home and we would be here for a long time,” she said. “Things happen. Plans change. My family felt we had a need to relocate. It’s a personal decision that required this.”

The Newport City Council offered Howington the position on Oct. 30 and will vote on her contract Dec. 14. Howington was offered a three-year contract paying $135,000 a year. As Kalispell’s highest paid city employee, she makes $112,500 a year here.

Newport Mayor Stephen C. Waluk said Howington was chosen from a field of 119 applicants because of her “experience and expertise in developing an efficient local government.”

“I’ve been on city council for 10 years and this is the third city manager selection process we’ve had. Through those three processes, she is the strongest candidate I’ve come across,” Waluk said. “I’m really excited and I know the rest of the city council is excited as well.”

Kalispell city officials appear less enthusiastic about Howington’s departure.

“From a personal perspective and from the mayor’s perspective, I hate to see her go,” Fisher said. “But I’m glad she was able to bring her talents to Kalispell for whatever amount of time.”

Fisher said she’s not completely surprised to see Howington leave, attributing that to the short tenure of most city managers across the state and country. Howington brought staff together, made tough decisions in a hard economy and as a result she can certainly leave town “very proud of her accomplishments,” Fisher said.

“It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Kalispell and most of that is attributable to Jane Howington,” Fisher said.

Although her time in Kalispell was brief, Howington tackled a number of difficult tasks, chiefly the city’s dire budget outlook. Under Howington, the city boosted its diminished cash reserve from $244,122 in 2009 to roughly $1 million in 2011. She also led a restructuring of city staff and consolidation of departments that was not always popular but “needed to be done,” she said. She was involved in reaching a contentious collective bargaining agreement that kept seven city firefighters from being laid off. A long-term rate program was implemented for the city’s utilities as a way to balance current and future costs.

Reflecting on her time in Kalispell, Howington describes her role as a “change agent.”

“Sometimes the city manager comes into a city and has to play the role of change agent, where you have to make a lot of changes fairly quickly and that does tend to reduce your ability for a long tenure in that environment,” she said.

“There are people that are still recovering from all the difficult decisions we’ve had to make,” she added. “It’s really set the building blocks in place for the city to be able to financially manage their staffing and their employees within the constraints of the taxes that we have coming in as revenue.”

City Councilor Kari Gabriel said Howington has raised the bar for future city managers in Kalispell, and leaves with an impressive legacy intact.

“The city can be very proud of all the work that has been accomplished since she’s been here. It has been no small task,” Gabriel said.

“I would have liked to see what else we could have worked to change. I think we could have accomplished a lot more.”

Howington, a native of Madison, Wis., was assistant city manager of operations for Dayton, Ohio for two years. She served as city manager in Oxford, Ohio from 2000-2007. Before that she lived in Massachusetts working in a variety of city planning positions.

“The last couple days were certainly difficult emotionally,” she said. “I’ve met so many people that have been so supportive and helped me be successful and helped the city be successful. But, it’s not me that’s done this. It’s the city and its citizens who have worked hard for the city. They just need to keep it up.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/howington_resigns_after_remarkable_turnaround/25414/

House Fire

Family Escapes House Fire Near Columbia Falls

By Dillon Tabish, 11-16-11



	Caption: Local firefighters help put out a house fire on Middle Road near Columbia Falls early Wednesday morning. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. - Photo courtesy of Jake Zakavec.

A mother and her two children narrowly escaped a fire that burned down their house near Columbia Falls on the early morning of Nov. 16.

The fire leveled the four-bedroom home on 1530 Middle Road at around 6 a.m. and left Hayley Matthews and her 12-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son with only the clothes on their backs.

“It’s in cinders. There’s only one wall left. The whole inside of the house is gutted,” she said while waiting at the local Red Cross for toothbrushes, soap and other necessities for her and her family. “It’s all gone.”

Matthews said she was told an electrical malfunction might have caused the fire, but fire officials are still investigating.

Bad Rock Rural Volunteer Fire Department, whose district the fire was in, responded to the incident along with the Columbia Falls and Creston departments. Bad Rock Fire Chief Kirk Katzenmeyer said the cause of the fire remains inconclusive, but he does believe it started outside.

“I don’t think we’re going to determine cause. We only write what we know as fact and I don’t want to speculate on anything,” he said.

Matthews said she woke up to a loud crackling sound just before 6 a.m. and stepped into the hallway to find flames climbing up the walls. Matthews quickly corralled her son and daughter, along with a new litter of puppies that had recently been born, and rushed outside. Matthews realized she had left the car keys in the house and ran back in to retrieve them. As she was exiting the windows exploded and the building became fully engulfed with flames, she said.

Matthews hurried next door to a neighbor’s house and alerted them to call authorities after numerous failed attempts at reaching 911 because of connection issues, she said.

Matthews, who owns Home Town Movies & More on U.S. Highway 93 South in Kalispell, said she and her family plan to stay with a relative who lives in the valley. Friends and customers from the movie store who know Matthews have already started donating clothing, money and overall support, she said. The family lost everything in the fire, including presents for Matthews’ daughter, whose birthday is Nov. 21, and school records that Matthews had organized as she prepared to go to college.

The family is accepting donations at Home Town Movies & More and at Eagle Satellite & Cellular One at 1645 U.S. Highway 93 South in Kalispell.
[End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/family_escapes_house_fire_near_columbia_falls/25442/

Kalispell landmark gets major renovation under new management

Sykes Reopens Historic Market

By Web Master, 11-16-11



	Caption: Corner Store: Shiloh Ramsay works at the checkout counter of the renovated Sykes Grocery and Market’s grocery area in Kalispell. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

There are regulars and then there’s Ray McMillan.

On a gray Thursday morning, McMillan, 90, sat at a small table at Sykes Grocery and Market and waited for a friend. Unlike most people who swing by the local landmark to pick up a few groceries or grab a bite to eat, McMillan remembers when penny candy was still just that, a penny. He remembers because he has been coming to the century-old establishment, which recently reopened its deli and grocery store, since 1936.

“I’ve been coming here for so long that it’s a second home,” McMillan said with a youthful chuckle.

In that time McMillan has seen a lot of change, but none quite as drastic as since Ray Thompson purchased the local landmark, located on the corner of Second Avenue and Second Street in downtown Kalispell, last summer. And even if McMillan said the improvements have been “uptown stuff,” they haven’t changed the character of the establishment.

Keeping the character of Sykes was critical to Mike Thompson, who co-owns and helps manage the store with his brother and father. In the summer of 2010, the Thompsons purchased the store and restaurant and quickly began some much-needed renovations. Sykes was owned and operated by Doug and Judy Wise beginning in 1945, but as the Wises got older the demands became too much and they sold the establishment – which also houses a pharmacy – in 2008 to a Realtor. Hit with the economic downturn, the store limped along and by 2009 it looked as if Sykes could close its doors for good.

For a few weeks after Ray Thompson purchased Sykes in 2010, the restaurant closed, but was reopened by October of that year. The grocery store then underwent an extensive restoration and reopened earlier this month. Mike said they now have the finances to give the store the future it deserves.

“Doug ran it like a nonprofit,” Mike said. “But we’re trying to keep the doors open and make a profit.”

Part of the future includes the addition of apartments above the store and restaurant that are scheduled to open sometime next year. Below the grocery store, a large conference room is under construction and will be rented out in the future. But even with the additions and renovations, what hasn’t changed is the people.

Folks like Gerry Banzet, Gary VanFrachen and David Ricket, who can often be found around a long table across from the bar in the restaurant. Every weekday, and sometimes on Saturday and Sunday, the three guys join a group of almost a dozen people who get together to talk, drink coffee and perhaps grab a bite. Banzet said the friendly atmosphere always attracts a “mishmash of people.”

Diners enjoy lunch in the renovated restaurant area of Sykes Market and Grocery in Kalispell.

“We need someone to pick on, so we pick on each other,” Ricket joked. “Everyone’s welcome.”

Jayson Peters, who manages the grocery store and restaurant, said it’s the environment that has made Sykes the local landmark it is. Peters said even if the building is changing, it will always remain the same place he remembered as a kid.

“Sykes is about the people who come here,” Peters said. “During this transition I’ve asked a lot of locals about why they come back ... and the biggest thing that makes Sykes is the people.”

Both Peters and Thompson said the improvements made now will keep the grocery store and restaurant open for years to come, something the regulars – most of whom are on a first-name basis with employees – look forward to.

McMillan said he celebrated his 90th birthday at the restaurant and, if everything goes according to plan, he will celebrate his 100th there, too; at a place marked with a sign that reads “nobody goes home a stranger.”

“That’s the type of character that has always been here,” Mike said. “Always friendly and welcoming.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/sykes_reopens_historic_market/25415/

Elections even out city council’s balance of liberal and conservative

Whitefish Veers Left

By Myers Reece, 11-15-11



	Caption: Big Win: John Muhlfeld, right, is congratulated by his brothers Clint Muhlfeld, center, and Jim Muhlfeld as their father, John Muhlfeld, left, looks on after the announcement of his Whitefish mayoral election victory at the Great Northern Bar and Grill. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

In politics, one often hears of a pendulum, which swings left and right but in theory is best for the greatest number of voters when it approaches the center.

Last week, Whitefish’s city council and mayor elections produced a decisive swing to the left, and one of the winning candidates, John Anderson, says the pendulum is now comfortably resting near the middle, where it should be.

“I don’t think the pendulum has swung too far to one side and, frankly, I think it’s been re-centered,” Anderson said. “And I think that’s the direction people want to go.”

Even Phil Mitchell, an outspoken fiscal conservative who currently sits on the council, said the new council strikes a fair balance between liberal and conservative, which means a diverse cross-section of residents will be represented.

“It will be a kind of even council,” Mitchell said. “It’s going to really force us to work together. It could be a challenge.”

Mitchell, who supported the losing candidates, distributed mailers in the run-up to the election campaigning against three of the candidates who ended up winning. He doesn’t anticipate any tension now that they will all sit on the council together.

“It will be give and take,” he said. “We all have to give a little and we all have to take a little to get some solutions. To be honest, if it’s going to be left and right, it’s going to be a long two years.”

Anderson and Richard Hilder were the top vote getters in the Nov. 8 Whitefish City Council elections with 1,316 votes apiece, according to unofficial Flathead County Election Department figures. Frank Sweeney snagged the third open seat on the six-member council with 1,263 votes.

John Muhlfeld handily beat Turner Askew 1,481 to 682 in the mayor’s race. Both Muhlfeld and Askew are current councilors.

“To say I was disappointed would be an understatement, but the voters have spoken and so be it,” Askew said. “I wish John Muhlfeld all the success in the world.”

Vail and Wise garnered 1,057 and 1,014 votes, respectively, while Life Noell finished with 503 to round out the council field. Whitefish, once again using a mail-in ballot system, had a 53 percent voter turnout, by far the best of the three Flathead County cities that held elections.

“Obviously I was disappointed,” Wise said. “But I was excited about the big voter turnout. People in Whitefish need to pat themselves on the back for that.”

The election was a reversal of sorts from the 2009 election, when Mitchell, Bill Kahle and Chris Hyatt were swept into office with right-leaning support. The candidate who received the fewest votes that year and failed to grab one of the three open seats was Sweeney.

Sweeney said “it made all the difference in the world” to have Muhlfeld, Anderson and Hildner on the ballot this time around. Also, Sweeney believes voters were turned off by some of the controversial outside campaigning, which included mailers directed at him.

“A lot of the negative stuff that was out there wasn’t for anybody; it was just against me or Richard and Muhlfeld,” Sweeney said. “I think Whitefish isn’t that way and I think people didn’t appreciate that and they reacted to it.”

During the 2009 election, Sweeney was often the sole subject of political literature distributed by Rick Blake, a wealthy philanthropist who has been active in city politics in recent years. This year, Blake again zeroed in on Sweeney, along with Muhlfeld and Hildner, though Sweeney thought the tone of the mailers was different.

“It was not nearly as personally destructive as we’ve seen in the past couple elections,” Sweeney said.

John Muhlfeld, front, thanks supporters after his Whitefish mayoral election victory announcement at the Great Northern Bar and Grill in Whitefish.

Blake told the Beacon last week he spent $22,786 on this year’s elections, up from $13,266 in 2009. He expressed disappointment in the election results and restated his belief that the winning candidates will spend too much money and get the city involved in lawsuits.

“This group will reverse the progress made on controlling city spending,” Blake said. “They are not taxpayer-friendly. They like to litigate, regulate and spend our money.”

“Having said that,” he added, “I wish each of them the best in their upcoming service to our city and our taxpayers.”

Anderson said the “tax-and-spend label is pure politics.” Pointing to the election results as evidence, he said “voters saw through that.”

“I believe that was political banter,” Anderson said. “That’s all I think it was.”

Of all the candidates, Anderson seemed to be the least pigeonholed by third-party categorizations. Public sentiment, however, generally grouped him with Muhlfeld, Hildner and Sweeney, though he didn’t appear on the mailers alongside those candidates. Anderson said it’s typical in nonpartisan elections for people to try to lump candidates together.

“Frankly, I find myself pretty centered in how I see the world,” he said.

Askew said the doughnut referendum helped the winning candidates by serving as a “rallying cry” for their voting base. The referendum easily passed 1,444 to 738. He said he, Wise and Vail should have done a better job at addressing the referendum by more clearly articulating what he believes are its flaws.

“That was our mistake,” Askew said. “If you look at the numbers for the referendum, the numbers were the same for the candidates who won.”

Wise theorized that the liberal base was better prepared overall for this election than 2009, in terms of “their total approach to the campaign, their get-out-to-vote campaign, mailers and working together as a team.”

“Let’s face it, it’s either Democrats or Republicans, liberals or conservatives,” he said. “Two years ago, the liberals were caught off guard. This time, they were more prepared.”

The new councilors and Muhlfeld will officially take office in January. Given the makeup of the council, Muhlfeld anticipates a number of 3-3 votes, deadlocks that hand him the tiebreaking vote. He points out that the sitting mayor, Mike Jenson, has had quite a few “very important tiebreaking votes,” which is a testament to the current council’s relative balance.

“I’ll be pushing very hard to keep things centered,” Muhlfeld said.

Both Muhlfeld and Anderson stressed the importance of continued interaction with those residents whose candidates lost, which is a road that goes both ways. The elected officials must be attentive to those residents’ concerns, while the residents must do their part by remaining active.

“The folks whose causes or candidates didn’t get elected,” Anderson said, “need to keep speaking up and making sure your voices are heard.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/whitefish_veers_left/25413/

interlocal agreement

Legal Interpretations Vary Widely Over Future of Planning Doughnut

By Myers Reece, 11-15-11



	Caption: Whitefish. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

After Whitefish voters overwhelmingly repealed a 2010 interlocal agreement with Flathead County last week, the question of what comes next is generating vastly different answers with potential legal implications.

Whitefish City Attorney Mary VanBuskirk says the two sides now revert back to their 2005 interlocal agreement, which gave Whitefish land-use authority over the roughly two-mile planning doughnut surrounding city limits, including Whitefish Lake.

But Flathead County Commissioner Jim Dupont says the 2005 agreement no longer exists because the 2010 agreement superseded it. VanBuskirk counters that the 2010 accord was only an amendment to the 2005 agreement, which she believes has once again become the working document.

“That’s a legal opinion that we’re going to argue over,” Dupont said.

Dupont plans to make a recommendation for the county’s next move after examining the results of a survey sent out to doughnut property owners in which they were asked whether they prefer Whitefish or the county to govern them. Also, the county is still waiting for the city to respond to its decision back in June to terminate the interlocal agreement, though that may be a moot point now.

In Dupont’s estimation, with the 2010 agreement repealed, the county can choose to assume control of the doughnut.

“We think that the ’05 agreement is dead and buried,” Dupont said. “That’s going to be the county’s stance. Where we go from there, I don’t know. We’re either going to take over jurisdiction or work something out.”

Quietly resting on the edges of these conversations is the ever-present prospect of more litigation. In an October letter to the editor, Bill Kahle, a Whitefish councilor who represents the city on the committee that drafted the 2010 agreement, predicted lawsuits if the referendum passed. He pleaded for voters to deny the ballot measure.

“If the referendum passes,” Kahle warned in the letter, “uncertainty, chaos, and lawsuits will ensue.”

In an interview last week, Kahle stood by his assertions, though he added that he agrees with VanBuskirk’s interpretation of the city and county now reverting back to the 2005 agreement.

“I don’t think (litigation) is a possibility; I think it’s an inevitability,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any way a lawsuit won’t happen.”

With that said, Kahle is holding out hope for constructive conversation outside of the courtroom. The ad-hoc doughnut committee, even with the referendum passing, plans to meet again to discuss what options the city and county have from here, though Kahle said as of last week no date had been set.

Kahle said he hopes Frank Sweeney and Richard Hildner, who played key roles in organizing the referendum and were elected to the council in last week’s election, have a plan now that their measure has passed.

“Those two guys are very smart and I trust they have a plan moving forward,” Kahle said. “I just don’t know what it is yet.”

The plan, Sweeney said last week, is to start a serious discussion about creating a community council consisting of elected doughnut representatives. Sweeney and other council supporters believe this is the only way to achieve true representation for doughnut residents.

“The grand plan relates to bringing the county back to the table,” Sweeney said, “to draft what amounts to, in my view, a more reasonable and appropriate agreement establishing a community-level council that would be a voice for the actual residents of the doughnut as opposed to purely the property owners. I think that’s ultimately the goal.”

RELATED: County Responds to Planning Criticism [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/legal_interpretations_vary_widely_over_future_of_planning_doughnut/25418/

Two families move in to Columbia Falls development

Habitat For Humanity Development Becomes Reality

By Web Master, 11-15-11



	Caption: Chris Hyatt, left, and Kevin Ries speak during a home dedication at Mitchell Way in Columbia Falls. - Justin Franz/Flathead Beacon

COLUMBIA FALLS – It didn’t take long for Katie Miller’s kids to run up the stairs and pick out their rooms. Or what color to paint them. And last Friday the kids were running around the newly built townhouse on Mitchell Way.

Miller and her two young children were one of two families about to move into a townhouse, the first of a 16-home development being built by Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley in Columbia Falls. And even if there was still some sawdust in the corners, it already felt familiar.

“It’s getting there,” Miller said. “Once we started putting color into it, it started to feel like home.”

The townhouse, containing two homes, represented the 34th and 35th homes built by the local Habitat for Humanity group since 1989, according to director Chris Hyatt. The compact piece of land in Columbia Falls is the first development to be built by the local chapter, after primarily focusing on single-family homes for the last two decades. Hyatt said developments are the group’s long-term goal.

“They talk about going from a home builder to a community developer,” Hyatt said.

Hyatt said the land for the development was acquired in the spring and the townhouse, as with every Habitat for Humanity project, was built entirely by volunteers, including hours put in by the families about to move in. When they do move in, they pay a $500-a-month, 30-year mortgage with zero percent interest.

Each family moving into the new townhouse had to meet four requirements, including a willingness to partner with the group, the ability to pay and residency in the area for a year. Their current housing also had to be unsafe or unsuitable or its costs exceeded 40 percent of the family’s annual income.

Miller, who moved to the Flathead Valley from California in 2009, has lived in four apartments and with various relatives. Miller applied for housing with the local chapter earlier this year.

“It’s very exciting,” she said. “This whole process has been awesome and the volunteers have blown me away.”

One of the primary partners in building the townhouse was Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Daren Skonord, a financial representative for the nonprofit group, said the Thrivent donated funds and local Lutheran churches donated many of the 7,000 man-hours needed to build the townhouse. Skonord said it’s a chance to give back to the community.

“Being a nonprofit means we don’t have to pay taxes and that means those dollars go back to the community,” he said.

Hyatt said Habitat for Humanity hopes to have four more townhouses completed at the development by the end of next year and 16 homes done by December 2015. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/habitat_for_humanity_development_becomes_reality/25417/

Kalispell City Council accepts $97,000 grant to fund program

DUI Court Sees No Recidivism in Graduates

By Molly Priddy, 11-14-11



	Caption: Judge Heidi Ulbricht presides over Kalispell Municipal Court in downtown Kalispell. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Since its inception in 2009, Kalispell’s DUI court has graduated 20 of its 39 participants, and six are still working toward finishing the program. While those stats are important to founder and municipal court Judge Heidi Ulbricht, there is one number that stands out above the rest: zero.

“Of the 20 that have graduated, none have been rearrested for a driving-under-the-influence violation,” Ulbricht said in an interview last week.

Ulbricht presented these figures to the Kalispell City Council during a DUI court update on Nov. 7. At the same meeting, the council unanimously approved accepting a $97,000 grant from the state Department of Transportation to pay for the program.

DUI court operates under the Kalispell Municipal Court and is a long-term commitment consisting of weekly court appearances, probation officer home checks, weekly visitation with probation officers and random drug tests. The program lasts about 14 months.

Participating in the program is voluntary, Ulbricht said, and 13 participants have withdrawn since 2009. But those who choose to pursue this post-sentencing track are subject to more intensive treatment, the judge said, which includes a chemical dependency evaluation and a program specially tailored to their diagnosis.

“The participants are ready and willing to stop using drugs and alcohol and achieve sobriety,” Ulbricht said. “The intervening factor is the arrest.”

Participation isn’t free; there is a $500 program fee, which must be paid along with any court fines and restitution resulting from DUI sentencing, Ulbricht said.

The DUI court operates along with a drug court, Ulbricht said, both of which run under the umbrella of the city’s treatment court. Drug court is paid for by a three-year, $350,000 grant, she said, and the city of Kalispell has allotted $11,500 for both.

In the DUI court program, participants work with a team of law enforcement, legal and counseling personnel, including a judge, a prosecutor, a public defender, a probation officer, a Kalispell Police Department officer, a treatment provider, and a drug court coordinator.

This system allows team members to contact one another outside of a court setting, Ulbricht said, unlike in the traditional system when these individual discussions could only take place in court. Since they are operating within a team, it is not considered ex parte communication, Ulbricht said.

The team uses web-based case management software, so everyone is aware if a situation arises, she said.

January will mark the beginning of the fourth year for Kalispell’s DUI court. Now in her 18th year as a judge, Ulbricht said she started the program in 2009 because she had seen traditional methods of handling DUI offenders fail time and again.

“After 14 years of being a judge, you knew putting someone in jail with a chemical dependency issue wasn’t going to be a deterrent,” she said.

The judge pursued grant funding from MDT, which has paid for the program since it began. Kalispell’s DUI court was one of the first implemented in the state, along with a program in Billings. There are now five DUI courts in Montana, Ulbricht said. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/dui_court_sees_no_recidivism_in_graduates/25407/

Using $491,000 Rehberg appropriation, FEC will start Dec. 12 near Hot Springs

Flathead Electric Cooperative to Begin Exploratory Geothermal Drilling

By Myers Reece, 11-14-11



	Caption: Flathead Electric Cooperative. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

After a long delay, Flathead Electric Cooperative is preparing to begin drilling in the Hot Springs area to explore the possibilities of geothermal energy.

In 2009, Rep. Denny Rehberg secured $491,000 for Flathead Electric Cooperative to use in pursuing geothermal exploration. At the time, the cooperative hoped to start drilling on a piece of land near Hot Springs by the following year, but the project was put on hold after the landowner died.

Lengthy negotiations with the landowner’s estate ensued, culminating with an agreement last month. Cheryl Talley, the cooperative’s director of energy, said site preparation is now underway. The well will be drilled at the site of an existing well, which was completed in 1982 to provide energy for an ethanol plant that was never built.

“We’ve got all our ducks in a row and drilling is scheduled for Dec. 12,” Talley said.

Flathead Electric Cooperative has been increasingly exploring renewable energy options since learning that Bonneville Power Administration is capping the amount of power it sells at lower wholesale prices. Future load growth will force the cooperative to purchase additional electricity at the higher rates, providing incentive to find cost-effective alternative energy sources.

The cooperative has proven open-minded in its pursuit of different energy sources. In June of 2009, FEC began operating a power plant at the Flathead County landfill that converts methane emanating from trash into usable energy. This summer, the plant’s production level was increased.

Also over the summer, the cooperative entered into a power-purchase agreement with the city of Whitefish to operate a long-abandoned hydroelectric plant, expected to be refurbished and running by next year. The cooperative agreed to advance $400,000 for energy delivered to the power grid over an eight-year period. Other terms of the agreement are triggered after eight years.

The cooperative is also looking into a biomass project at Stoltze Land and Lumber Company.

“It takes time to get these things rolling and we want them in place by the time we need the power,” Talley said.

And now, with the Rehberg funding still available, Flathead Electric is turning its attention to the geothermal project. Rehberg told the Beacon last week he supports the idea of exploring Montana’s many different energy possibilities.

“Energy production means jobs in Montana,” the congressman said. “Our state is literally a warehouse of energy and I’m going to continue working to create more made-in-Montana energy solutions.”

The area surrounding the northwestern Montana town of Hot Springs on the Flathead Indian Reservation is bubbling with mineral hot springs. There are a number of facilities that have diverted warm water near the surface into pools for recreational soaking and swimming. But it’s the hotter water found deeper down that appeals to Flathead Electric officials.

When Kalispell’s Jackola Engineering and Architecture led efforts to drill the original well in 1982 at the site of Wild Horse Hot Springs, engineers tapped into waters around 135 degrees at a depth of 257 feet. But it is believed that at least 165 degrees is necessary for power production, which requires drilling deeper.

Talley said FEC hopes to get down to 500 feet and maybe deeper. The depth may ultimately be determined by funds. And in an interesting twist, Talley said the same engineer and hydrologist from the 1982 project are working on the new drilling effort.

The exploratory drilling will help determine whether geothermal energy is in fact viable for electricity production. Talley said there is a small plant in Alaska that uses geothermal energy to produce municipal electricity.

“First we have to figure out if we have a resource,” Talley said. “If there’s a resource, that opens up a whole range of options. It’s all speculative unless we have a resource.”

Flathead Electric Cooperative has already discovered the merits of geothermal energy. The cooperative’s Kalispell office building and warehouse have a “closed-loop geothermal heating system” that draws water from the aquifer below, uses it for heating and then re-injects it back into the aquifer.

“It’s pretty fascinating,” Talley said.

Constructing a geothermal electricity generation plant is a bold new step and Talley figures, if completed, it will be unique to the state.

“As far as I know, directly using geothermal for power production – I don’t know of any other in Montana,” Talley said. “I don’t believe there are any.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/flathead_electric_cooperative_to_begin_exploratory_geothermal_drilling/25399/

Saverud, Kenyon, Gabriel retain seats

Guiffrida Wins Open Kalispell City Council Seat

By Dillon Tabish, 11-13-11



	Caption: Phil Guiffrida III, right, speaks during a city council forum last month in Kalispell. Guiffrida was elected to Kalispell's City Council, representing Ward 4. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

A few years ago, Phil Guiffrida III worked for a technology company that wanted to transfer him out of Kalispell. As a way to stay in his hometown, he quit the job.

“I love this place that much,” he said.

The 1997 Flathead High School graduate has kept his roots intact and hopes to help other residents do the same as the new city councilor for Ward 4.

Guiffrida won with 531 votes (66 percent) in the municipal election on Nov. 8. His challenger, Cecilia Lee, received 270 votes (34 percent).

Ward 2 incumbent Wayne Saverud held onto his seat for a second straight term after earning 671 votes (53 percent). Challenger Chad Graham received 562 votes (44 percent) and Erik Jerde had 34 votes (3 percent). Both Ward 3 incumbent Randy Kenyon and Ward 1 incumbent Kari Gabriel regained their seats in uncontested races.

This year’s election was the first time votes were taken by mail-in ballots only. The voter turnout for the city was 28 percent, a 3 percent decline from the 2009 election.

As the newest face on the council, Guiffrida will replace retiring councilor Duane Larson. Larson, who worked in the city fire department for years before joining the council in 1990, recently received a lifetime achievement award for his public service.

“Duane Larson was a great councilman,” Guiffrida said. “He left some really big shoes to fill, but I’m going to do my best.”

Surrounded by friends and family, Guiffrida celebrated the victory at Scotty’s Bar on election night. He said he plans to take a business-minded approach to his new role as councilor and will try to spur job growth and positive development with a “pay-as-you-go government.”

“I want to make sure we’re not creating debt for my children,” he said. “I want to make this a good place for my children to grow up.”

Guiffrida has been a member of the city’s planning board for a year and said he will step down once he takes over as councilor in January.

Saverud, who spent election night in the comfort of his home, said he is excited to still be involved with shaping the city’s future.

“I’m very pleased that the residents of Ward 2 decided to let me try to do some more good for them,” he said.

“Things are going well right now.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/guiffrida_wins_open_kalispell_city_council_seat/25389/

Comment period for U.S. Forest Service permit renewal ends Dec. 8

Rehberg Rallies Support for Big Mountain Jesus

By Molly Priddy, 11-13-11



	Caption: Congressman Denny Rehberg makes his way to the front of a packed room at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 276 in Whitefish. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

WHITEFISH – Standing in solidarity with the Jesus statue on Big Mountain, a capacity crowd filled the Whitefish VFW hall last week as Montana lawmakers rallied around the memorial.

The statue, situated on a 25-by-25-foot patch of leased Flathead National Forest land, was issued a U.S. Forest Service permit in 1953 and built by the Knights of Columbus No. 1328 as a memorial for World War II veterans. It is located near the top of Chair 2 at Whitefish Mountain Resort.

In August, the Forest Service denied the statue’s 10-year lease renewal, calling it an inappropriate use of public land and possibly in violation of the Establishment Clause in the U.S. Constitution.

A Wisconsin-based group Freedom From Religion Foundation took credit for the decision.

The Forest Service rescinded its decision, however, after public outcry. Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg, a Republican running for U.S. Senate in 2012 against incumbent Sen. Jon Tester, has become an outspoken advocate for the statue, and spoke at the Nov. 10 rally.

Rehberg said the statue should not be a political issue, but rather an opportunity for Montanans to come together. He also asserted that the Big Mountain Jesus is an important community memorial.

“(The statue) is not religious, it’s talking about welcoming back soldiers of World War II of all faiths,” Rehberg said.

On Nov. 7, Rehberg proposed a land swap for the statue’s piece of federal land. At the Whitefish rally, he told the crowd that land swap legislation would be a last resort for keeping the statue where it has been located for nearly 60 years.

Rehberg praised veterans for their service and thanked the Knights of Columbus for maintaining the statue. He told the enthusiastic crowd that the more written support there is for the statue during the Forest Service’s comment period, the better. The comment period ends on Dec. 8.

“We’re going to do everything we possibly can,” Rehberg said, adding a new motto for the group’s efforts: “Hey, hey, let him stay.”

State Sen. Ryan Zinke, R-Whitefish, who is running for lieutenant governor, told the hall that the Jesus fixture transcends religion. It represents freedom of expression, he said.

“It’s more than a symbol of Jesus,” Zinke said. “It represents our will as a people in the valley.”

Zinke said the government is overstepping its bounds on this issue, and criticized “bureaucrats” for enforcing rules as if they were laws. He told the crowd he is confident that they will succeed in saving Big Mountain Jesus.

“Let me tell you, from this (Navy) SEAL who was a commander of SEAL Team 6, it’s not going anywhere,” Zinke said, adding later: “At times you have to stand up and you have to push back.”

State Rep. Bill Beck, R-Whitefish, said he has been in discussion with the Forest Service, and the lease renewal looks favorable. However, Beck also told the crowd that litigation might be in store if the permit is renewed.

During the question and answer portion of the rally, crowd members asked statue supporters to remain vigilant against potential vandalism.

Public comment on the Jesus statue can be written and sent to the Forest Service via email, mail or fax. Emails can be sent to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), with “Knights of Columbus Special Use Permit Reauthorization Project” in the subject line.

Mailed and faxed comments should be addressed to Project Leader Derek Milner, Tally Lake Ranger District, 650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, MT 59901. The fax number is (406) 758-5367.

Hand-delivered comments should be submitted between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, holidays excluded. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/rehberg_rallies_support_for_big_mountain_jesus/25388/

Kalispell

PLACES: Great Northern Historical Trail

By Web Master, 11-13-11



	Caption: The Great Northern Historical Trail runs along U.S. Highway 2 west of Kalispell, where there are multiple access points. - Justin Franz/Flathead Beacon

It has been many years since trains have made the trip to Somers or Kila, but people can follow that path now thanks to the Great Northern Historical Trail. The effort to turn the old railroad right-of-way into a pedestrian trail has been in the works for more than two decades and in the last few years Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana finally achieved their goal of connecting Somers and Kila, by way of Kalispell.

Currently, the paved trail stretches from Somers Road in Somers, along U.S. Highway 93 to Kalispell. In Kalispell it swings west, near the Highway 93 bypass and follows U.S. Highway 2 west to Kila. There are various points of entry along the trail in Somers, Kalispell and Kila, as well as in between.

The trail goes through some scenic areas of the valley and includes views of bogs, swamps and distant mountains. Due to its proximity to Kalispell and other population centers, it provides the perfect quick getaway.

For more information visit www.railstotrailsofnwmt.com.

How to get there: Access the trail off the intersection of Appleway Drive and Meridian Road. From Kila, access the trail at Kila Road and U.S. Highway 2, near the Cottage Inn. In Somers, access to the trail is along Somers Road, across the street from Del’s Bar. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/places_great_northern_historical_trail/25342/

Fisher, Karper and Plevel top vote getters in closely contested race

Two Incumbents, One Newcomer Win Columbia Falls Council Election

By Myers Reece, 11-12-11



	Caption: Columbia Falls resident Caroline Lawhead casts her vote in the Columbia Falls City Council election at City Hall. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Following a tight election that saw a fairly even dispersal of votes between five candidates, the Columbia Falls City Council is welcoming two incumbents back while also greeting a fresh face.

Incumbents Don Karper, 59, and Julie Plevel, 57, garnered the most votes in the Nov. 8 city council election with 270 and 250, respectively, according to unofficial results from the Flathead County Election Department.

Darin Fisher, 34, secured the third and final open seat on the six-member council with 248 votes. The youngest candidate in the race, 29-year-old Samantha Johnson, received 225 votes and incumbent Harvey Reikofski Jr., 61, received 194 votes.

“I’m excited and I have a lot to learn,” Fisher said last week. “It’s going to be a process and I’m happy to learn.”

While Columbia Falls’ 16 percent voter turnout was miniscule compared to neighboring Whitefish’s 53 percent turnout, it was actually the most voters the city has seen in at least two council election cycles. Kalispell, using a mail-in ballot system for the first time, had a 28 percent voter turnout this year. Whitefish also uses mail-in ballots, while Columbia Falls conducts voting at traditional polling places.

According to the Flathead County Election Department, voter turnout in the 2009 Columbia Falls City Council election was 13.9 percent. In 2007, only 154 ballots were counted, putting voter turnout at 6 percent. Both elections had four candidates on the ballot, but were considered uncontested after a candidate dropped out.

Plevel, who has been on the council since 2005, said she doesn’t recall previous councils considering switching to a mail-in ballot system but thinks it would be a worthwhile conversation.

“We might want to have that discussion prior to the next election to try to get a better turnout,” Plevel said.

Given the quiet nature of Columbia Falls city politics, this year’s crowded candidate field appeared to signify a rise in interest for the council race, particularly among younger residents.

Initially, Shane Hutcheson declared his candidacy, giving the race three candidates under 40 years old. But upon discovering he lived outside of city limits, Hutcheson had to withdraw from the race, leaving the field with five candidates.

Karper, who works in maintenance for School District 6, has lived in the Flathead Valley for 26 years and has spent more than 12 years altogether on the council. Plevel, a real estate broker with Re/Max Mountain View, has been in the valley for 19 years.

“I’m very pleased to be reelected, and humbled,” Plevel said, adding that she looks forward to working with Fisher.

Fisher, a trails technician for the U.S. Forest Service, moved to the area three years ago. As a newcomer to the council, he said he doesn’t have an agenda beyond helping out his community.

“Right now it’s about getting my feet wet and getting involved,” he said. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/two_incumbents_one_newcomer_win_columbia_falls_council_election/25387/

City council also moves forward with urban renewal plan

Lifesaving Police Officers, Firefighters Awarded

By Dillon Tabish, 11-12-11



	Caption: Twelve-year-old Beau Bronson. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Local police and fire department officials recognized the public safety officers responsible for helping save a young boy’s life in Columbia Falls recently.

At a Kalispell City Council meeting on Nov. 7, Police Chief Roger Nasset and Interim Fire Chief Dave Dedman gave public service awards to the 10 police officers and firefighters who had a hand in saving the life of 12-year-old Beau Bronson. Bronson collapsed after riding his bike on Oct. 8 because of a rare heart disorder but was kept alive by CPR by neighbor Kyle Lockwood and responding safety officers.

Bronson had no pulse and was clinically deceased when officers and fire fighters arrived, Dedman said. But because Lockwood, a U.S. Army veteran, and others gave immediate aid, the young boy was revived and stabilized in the emergency room.

“This is the miracle, Beau Bronson,” Jerry Nix said at the Nov. 7 meeting, pointing to the young boy sitting in the front row with his arm in a sling.

Dedman presented six firefighters with rare Life Saving Awards: Trent Cook, Mike Chappuis, Ben Graham, Soren Koetter, Doug Schwartz and F. Ray Ruffatto. Captain Kirk Pederson was also recognized for arriving on scene and helping despite being off duty at the time.

Nasset awarded the Making a Difference Awards to four police officers: Sergeant Tony McDonnell, Steve Hoover, Cory Clarke and Chad Fetveit.

Lockwood and his wife Victoria were also recognized for their life-saving efforts.

“We can’t say enough how much we appreciate what you all did,” Mayor Tammi Fisher said. “You all worked together in raising the character of this community.”

In an emotional climax to the short ceremony, officers wheeled in Bronson’s bike and returned it to him.

Later in the evening, the city council continued efforts to shape a vision for the West Side Urban Renewal District.

After a lengthy discussion that included a proposal to remove the county fairgrounds from the district’s potential boundaries, the council voted to move forward with the planning department’s recommended expansion and pass the ordinance.

The planning staff will now study the newly amended area and present their findings to the council for approval. If a planning direction is approved, potential projects and financing mechanisms can be developed. Councilors and city officials emphasized that one of those financial mechanisms, the West Side Tax Increment Finance District, is a separate discussion that will be made down the road once projects have surfaced.

Before the ordinance passed, Councilor Tim Kluesner asked for an amendment that would remove the Flathead County Fairgrounds from the boundary because “there’s a cost, but there’s no benefit.”

Kluesner said the lack of a sales or resort tax limits the city’s benefits when it comes to the fairgrounds, and therefore city money should not fund upgrades at the county facilities.

Currently the West Side Urban Renewal Plan has a stated goal that includes upgrades at the fairgrounds.

Councilor Bob Hafferman spoke up in support of Kluesner’s amendment.

“I think it’s a piece of county property that we let the county determine their own destiny,” he said. “They’ve had to do that before and I see no particular reason why we should sit here and plan for the county.”

Councilor Wayne Saverud argued that all residents, city or county, are still members of the same community, and picking sides should be avoided.

“It’s not an ‘us or a them (issue),’” Saverud said.

“It would seem to me we have 30 to 40 acres sitting smack dab in the middle of an area that is without question a great example of blight,” he added.

Kluesner’s amendment failed after it was determined an amendment could be made in the future that would change the goals of the district. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/lifesaving_police_officers_firefighters_awarded/25386/

Four Polson High School graduates form Off In The Woods

Coming Home to ‘Montana Soul’

By Web Master, 11-11-11



	Caption: Off in the Woods - Painting by Luke Smith

Even if the stage was familiar, something felt very different when Off In The Woods entered the Polson High School auditorium a few weeks back, bass player Sean Burress said. A lot has happened since they last played on the old wood stage.

In the three or four years since Burress, Jon Schumaker, Layne McKay and Nathan Nobel graduated from Polson, their high school band has played numerous shows and festivals around western Montana and the Northwest, recorded in Seattle and released an album this fall, “Smoke Signals,” which is now available online. Their success is impressive when you consider they’ve barely practiced together in recent years, with members of the band strewn about from Kalispell to Missoula. Burress said it’s just the chemistry they still have.

“The comment we get a lot is how tight we are. We can almost read each other’s minds,” Burress said. “We all play (separately) and do our own thing, so when we do play together we all impress each other.”

Off In The Woods first formed in the summer of 2010, but its roots go back farther. In high school the four musicians played in the school band and would perform in talent shows. It was during that time they developed a unique sound and style, Schumaker said.

“We’ve all kind of come to the conclusion that it’s Montana soul, because there are so many styles presented: old rock, reggae and even some Indian influences,” he said.

After high school, the four friends went their own ways – some went off to college, some stayed closer to home – but surprisingly the band never faltered and in the time since has only grown stronger. Slowly, the four members are making their way home and Schumaker said their new album reflects that pilgrimage back.

Off In The Woods band members Nathan Noble, Jon Schumaker, Sean Burress and Layne McKay, left to right.- Courtesy photo

The band’s nine-track album was recorded in Seattle and released this fall. It is true to their style, mixes various types of music and even features instrumental tracks, and tells the story of how each member left and then returned to where they are from. So far it has been well received, especially back home in Polson, where about 100 friends, family and locals filled the school auditorium. Both Schumaker and Burress said it was great to play for a crowd that wasn’t focused on their drinks, a problem with playing in bars. It also gave them hope that maybe, just maybe, their band could see wider success in the future: “It’s definitely something that could take off,” Schumaker said.

“None of us are opposed to paying the bills with music,” Burress said.

For now though, Burress’ bills are being paid by his job as a baker. Schumaker was taking time off from his regular job last week to fly to Los Angeles to attend an online music conference and brought with him a stack of CDs. He hoped to get his band’s music out to a larger audience and make some connections. Schumaker will be back this week though when Off In The Woods plays the Boiler Room on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.

For more information about the band and to hear some of their music visit www.facebook.com/offinthewoods. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/coming_home_to_montana_soul/25339/

Your Weekend Guide

On Tap: Disability Fair and Ice Hockey

By Molly Priddy, 11-11-11

Live Music:
Friday: Barton & Brick at Blondie's; Miles Fortenberry at Cottage Inn; United We Sing at Glacier High School Auditorium; Carla Green at Symes Hot Springs Hotel; Marshall Catch at Elks Lodge; Christian Johnson & Loose Caboose at Eagles Club; Be a Star Karaoke at South Fork Saloon; Scott Fisher and 1 A.M. Approach at Great Northern Bar; The Eleven Party: A Beatcode Download at Crush Wine Bar

Saturday: Live Classic Country at Eagles Lodge; Can't Hardly Playboys at Paddy's Touchdown Lounge; Amy Holtz at the Cottage Inn; Mom Prom at Crush Wine Bar; Be a Star Karaoke at Rocky Mountain Roadhouse; Swift Kick at Swanee's Bar and Grill; Christian Johnson & Loose Caboose at Eagles Club; Gary Egg Gray Ant at Craggy Range Bar and Grill; Scott Fisher and 1 A.M. Approach at Great Northern Bar; Mudslide Charley at Stonefly Lounge

Sports:
Friday Glacier Nationals vs Seattle Totems at Stumptown Ice Den at 7 p.m.

SaturdayBigfork Community Nordic Center Annual Trail Clearing Day at Bigfork Nordic Community Center; Glacier Nationals vs Seattle Totems at Stumptown Ice Den;

Arts and Events:
Friday: Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon at Whitefish Performing Arts Center; 10th Annual Glacier Classic Arts & Crafts Fair at Majestic Valley Arena; Christmas at Stillwater at Stillwater Grange; Beer School at Great Northern Brewery at Black Star Draught House

Saturday: Flathead Disability Health and Wellness Fair at The Wave in Whitefish; Homework! Art and Craft Sale at Museum at Central School; Artists in the Garden at Hilton Garden Inn; MSP: "Attack of La Nina" movie premier at the Stube; Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon at Whitefish Performing Arts Center; Indoor Rummage Sale at Kalispell Moose Lodge; Tree Gathering and Bulb Twisting at Flathead Lake Lodge; AARP Driver Safety Program at Snappy Sport Senter; Fall Bazaar at Eldsvold Lutheran Church; Church Bazaar at St. Richard's Catholic Church; 10th Annual Glacier Classic Arts & Crafts Fair at Majestic Valley Arena; Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser at Kalispell Senior Citizens Center; Bowl for Kids' Sake at Glacier Lanes; Society Wine and Cheese Silent Art Auction at Symes Hot Springs Hotel; Harvest Dance and Pie Auction at Smith Valley Grange Hall

For a full listing of times and other events, go to www.flatheadevents.net. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/on_tap_disability_fair_and_ice_hockey/25382/

Memorial in Missoula erected for soldiers

Remembering Montana’s Fallen Heroes

By Dillon Tabish, 11-11-11



	Caption: The Fallen Soldier Memorial at the University of Montana in Missoula - Photo courtesy of Josh Lane

Ashley Johnston can still hear her older brother’s voice.

Johnston has a burned CD with two voicemails from Kane Funke, her only sibling who missed graduating from Flathead High School because he left early to enlist in a delayed-entry military program in Washington. Lance Cpl. Funke was killed while serving in Iraq in 2004. He was 20 years old.

One of the final phone calls he made home came only weeks before he was scheduled to return to Montana. He told his family how excited he was to see them. But an explosion in the Anbar province cut his life short.

Johnston, 23, recently finished four years of service in the Air Force and is now a student at the University of Montana in Missoula.

She treasures those remaining voicemails, and now has something else to remember her brother by.

A week before Veterans Day, on Nov. 4, Johnston and hundreds of other family members of fallen soldiers gathered at the Missoula campus for the unveiling of the Fallen Soldier Memorial, a series of life-sized bronze statues honoring the Montana soldiers who have given their lives for their country in Iraq and Afghanistan. Artist Rick Rowley created the statues. The event was organized by Grateful Nation Montana, a group based in Conrad that raises money for school for the children of fallen veterans.

“I think a lot of people need a reminder of that kind of sacrifice,” Johnston said. “It will be good for something like that (memorial) to be on the campus, too. I’ll be able to see it every time I go to classes.”

Funke is one of four soldiers from the Flathead Valley who have given their life while serving in recent years.

Nicholas Scott Cook, Pvt. First Class from Hungry Horse, was killed in Afghanistan in 2010 at age 19.

Matthew Saltz, First Lt. from Bigfork, was killed in Iraq in 2003 at age 27.

Stewart Trejo, Cpl. from Whitefish, was killed in Iraq in 2008 at age 26.

Almost 1,000 people gathered to pay tribute at the campus. David Bell, one of the co-founders of Grateful Nation Montana, said the event was a mix of sadness, accomplishment and unity between veterans and the community.

“This will be a day that will be remembered as one of the most special I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “The beauty is now that memorial is there for everyone to see every day.”

For more information about Grateful Nation Montana, which sponsors a 5K race on the Fourth of July in Bigfork, visit www.gratefulnationmontana.com or visit its Facebook page. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/remembering_montanas_fallen_heroes/25332/

Howington to leave Kalispell at the end of the year

Kalispell City Manager Takes Job In Rhode Island

By Dillon Tabish, 11-10-11



	Caption: Kalispell City Manager Jane Howington - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Kalispell City Manager Jane Howington told her staff on Thursday that she would be leaving at the end of December, a city official confirmed.

Howington, who was hired in 2009 and guided a turnaround in the city’s budget, will take over as the city manager in Newport, Rhode Island, according to the Newport Patch.

Howington could not be reached for comment.

The Newport City Council announced on Wednesday that Howington had been offered the position on Oct. 30. Her hiring will be effective Jan. 9, 2012, and Howington would become the city’s first female city manager, according to the story. She was one of six candidates out of 199 applicants to be interviewed, the story said.

Kalispell City Attorney Charles Harball confirmed that Howington sent staff an email Thursday saying she would be taking the Rhode Island position.

Howington will leave having boosted the city’s diminished cash reserve from $244,122 in 2009 to roughly $1 million in 2011, an achievement originally planned to take five years. At a city council meeting on Aug. 18, Howington touted the efforts of her staff and other city employees who helped turn around a dire fiscal situation during hard economic times.

“We’re at a million dollars in our reserve fund. Did you ever think that we would be able to do that?” Howington said. “I’m sorry I’m emotional but that’s a very, very hard thing to do.”

Before taking the Kalispell position in August 2009, Howington was assistant city manager of operations for Dayton, Ohio for two years. She served as city manager in Oxford, Ohio from 2000 to 2007. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/kalispell_city_manager_takes_job_in_rhode_island/25373/

Under new director, Kalispell schools food service becoming healthier, more locally focused

The Largest Restaurant in Town

By Dillon Tabish, 11-10-11



	Caption: Pam Bauer serves students their lunch at Edgerton Elementary School in Kalispell. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Five days a week throughout the school year, the Kalispell Public Schools Food Service dishes out almost 4,500 meals to students in 11 schools, making it the largest restaurant in town. This year the program is trying to improve those students’ diets one meal at a time.

Under new director Jenny Montague, the Food Service is being revamped with a healthier, homemade mindset. Gone are the frequent days of nacho cheese, Pop-Tarts and corn dogs. Goodbye trans fatty acids, highly processed foods and sources of high sodium, sugar and fructose corn syrup. Welcome fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and regional meats, an unlimited salad bar, real juice and smoothies, and yogurt parfaits for breakfast.

Sitting at a long lunchroom table at Edgerton Elementary School, Jenny Montague describes some of the steps she is taking to provide students healthy and vitamin-rich food options as Kalispell Public Schools’ new food service director.

“Serving unhealthy food is not what this country needs,” Montague said. “Initially the school lunch program was started because kids were starving during the Depression. At this point, they’re starving for nutrients, but not more calories.”

Montague, 30, believes cafeterias are an important setting for students just like classrooms. She approaches her food program the same way a teacher does a class, working with the staff of 45 food servers to educate students about what they’re eating and emphasizing the importance of a healthy diet.

The Food Service program serves all elementary, middle and high schools in the Kalispell district, plus Olney-Bissell and Trinity Lutheran.

“I think there’s such an opportunity in the schools,” she said. “We’re teaching other things – we should also be teaching healthy eating.”

With a graduate degree in nutritional and sustainable food systems, Montague is hoping to cook more meals from scratch and with local products. In a presentation she gave to the school board recently, Montague outlined these goals in detail and sought to dispel a few myths about changing the system, namely that buying local and cooking from scratch is more expensive.

“Food costs can come down with more home cooking,” she told school board members. “If you do it correctly your costs can be equal or lower.”

Montague says the option to buy local or regional food is becoming more economical as high gas prices are raising the cost of transporting food. Last year, the cost of bringing in out-of-state food rose 18 percent, she said. And as the local food movement grows, there’s more quantity, which Montague hopes will lower prices.

There are healthier, more local items on Montague’s mind that are currently expensive, like beef, making it harder to source. One of Montague’s “major goals” is getting rid of stockyard beef all together and using Montana beef, but “it’s really quite a ways down the line because it’s expensive right now.”

So far this year Montague and her staff have overhauled the district-wide menu with new recipes, like ham or turkey wraps, hummus with pita bread, and tacos made with protein-rich beans. Montague hopes by next year to have 30 percent of the food served in schools cooked from scratch and to be 15 percent Montana products. Within three years, she hopes that half the food is cooked from scratch and 30 percent comes from in-state.

“I think that’s something we’ve needed to do for a long time,” Pam Bauer, a longtime server at Edgerton Elementary School, said. “It’s just better for everybody and it keeps our money local.”

Bauer is one of 45 servers in the district, and a vital piece to the program’s success, Montague said.

“Everyone who works for the food service program is doing the job because they want to help feed kids,” she said. “They give 110 percent to keep that vision going.”

One such person is Terry Caudill, a longtime staple in the program and at Kalispell Middle School. Caudill retired from the Food Service at the end of October after 19 years. Caudill has battled lupus, which recently came out of remission, and her doctor recommended she stop working. A large gathering was held at KMS to celebrate and honor her for the passion she has brought to serving meals to kids for almost 20 years.

“It’s hard to say goodbye,” Caudill said. “It’s been an awesome experience. The kids are the main thing for me. It’s fun to go out and the kids say, ‘lunch lady!’”

Caudill said she was motivated all those years to get up early in the morning and start prepping meals for one simple reason.

“Sometimes that’s their best meal they will get all day,” she said.

Edgerton Elementary School students choose from three vegetables as side items for their school lunch in Kalispell.

There was a 7 percent increase in meals served in August and September compared to 2010, which could be attributed to either students’ favorable opinions of the meals or the high number of enrollments across the city’s elementary schools, or a combination of both.

The Food Service is funded solely by federal money and the amount is based on the number of meals served. Annually the program receives roughly $100,000 worth of food.

Because of the tight budget, Montague knows change will be hard to come by, which is why she and two students in the Farm to School program at Flathead Valley Community College are filling out as many national grants as they can.

“It is really hard to get the quality you want out of the budget we have,” Montague says.

Another challenge is the central kitchen and its outdated equipment, a concern Montague has discussed with the school board. The main entrees served at schools are made in the basement of Flathead High School, where the central kitchen is located.

Montague said several sections of the kitchen have been shut down and condemned because of asbestos and because plumbing has collapsed. Most of the cooking equipment is out of date and unable to be used to cook from scratch. And once food is made, there is no ramp for trucks to pull up to, so pallets are loaded and sent up ramps in an untimely fashion.

Instead of letting those challenges deter her, Montague is finding a way to work around them while hoping a new kitchen arrives in the near future.

Her motivation is simple. Montague is a Kalispell native and has a young daughter of her own. In other words, she cares about her daughter’s health and the health of her hometown.

“I definitely am invested because it is my home; it definitely plays a role in my emotional investment,” she said. “This is an area that I think is ripe for change. A lot of these changes are easy to make and totally sensible.”

As a way to gather input and helpful ideas for the program, Montague is planning a community meeting in January for those interested in healthy foods in schools. For more information, contact her at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/the_largest_restaurant_in_town/25333/

Whitefish business sees digital blueprints as future of home building

Digital by Design

By Web Master, 11-10-11



	Caption: Chuck Gailey, with OTB Designworks, removes one of the first jack rafters from a timber frame home fabricated on Webster Lane near Whitefish. The home was disassembled and prepared for shipment to New York. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

WHITEFISH – In Chuck Gailey’s basement office, what he believes is the future of home design and building sits on a computer screen. Various windows are open on the screen, all displaying the complex workings of a timber frame home that is being constructed a few miles away along KM Ranch Road, just west of Whitefish. But the frame won’t be staying there long.

This week, the frame, roof structure and other parts will be loaded into three semi-trucks and transported more than 2,000 miles to New York where the final product will be assembled with the help of home builders and designers. That is what makes Gailey’s company, OTB Designworks, unique.

Using computer technology, Gailey can take architectural plans and create a virtual design environment, giving the client and builders a clear look at the architect’s vision by, essentially, creating a three-dimensional digital version of the structure. The digital blueprints can even be turned into a video tour of a home that hasn’t been built yet. The timber frame home being moved to New York is one of the company’s most complex projects to date.

Over the last two years, Gailey has utilized his wide-ranging background to help get his design company off the ground, a background that includes a degree in art history, more than a decade as a builder and general contractor in Colorado and years as a computer guru. Gailey, who teaches digital design courses at Flathead Valley Community College, hopes he can find a niche in being the middle man for architects and builders and he said the computer technology allows for that. It also can resolve building and design problems before any nail or hammer has been lifted, saving time, money and stress.

“By the time you’re on site, you’ve already built it once (on the computer),” Gailey said.

Virtual design environments have been used for years in creating digital recreations of buildings and landscapes, but Gailey hopes to lead the way in bringing the technology to home design. With this technology, builders, architects and designers from anywhere in the world can collaborate on a project – building specific pieces and parts wherever they are – and when the structure is finally constructed everything will fall into place. Which is what Gailey has been doing for the last few years while designing and building the timber frame home for a couple in New York. Another benefit to the “virtual blueprints” is they can convey more information than traditional plans.

The OTB Designworks crew begins disassembly of a timber frame home near Whitefish. The home was pieced together before being disassembled for shipment to New York.

“You’ll never get all the information you have on a 3D model into 2D blueprints,” Gailey said. “You can have thousands of pages but it lacks something in that transfer.”

Greg Hasenour of Hasenour Woodwork Inc. and Brad Yeager of Whitefish Wood Rights partnered with Gailey to build the timber frame and they both said the 3D blueprints have made construction and dealing with clients easier. Unlike piles of blueprints, which some people don’t understand, Hasenour said showing a video of a computer-animated version of a client’s house is “as easy as watching TV.” The technology is so advanced people can see what views they would get from certain windows and the computer simulation can project when the sun would hit certain areas inside the home. Gailey said one of the requirements for the current timber frame home was that the sun never hit the wife’s bedroom pillow.

Yeager said the technology opens up new possibilities in design and building and could lead to more “one-of-a-kind” structures in the future. That excites Gailey.

“To me, I envision a house as a sculpture you live in,” he said.

Last year, OTB Designworks did 25 different projects, not all of them involving home design, and currently Gailey has almost a dozen projects he is working on. Gailey’s company is versatile, using the virtual reality technology to create small fixtures that can be produced with a 3D printer or virtual landscapes for urban planning or educational purposes.

Gailey believes the digital blueprints should become standard with all buildings because they resolve old problems and creates new possibilities, as well as lessen the stress on clients, architects and builders. He said this most recent project is proving all of that.

“The client has made decisions with confidence because they already made those decisions in the digital environment,” Gailey said. “The end product is ridiculously right – it’s spot on everywhere.”

For more information, visit www.otbdesignworks.com. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/digital_by_design/25338/

Lady Pirates return to volleyball state tournament chasing first championship

Polson’s Pursuit of Greatness

By Dillon Tabish, 11-09-11



	Caption: Polson’s Heidi Rausch, right, jumps to spike the ball as Columbia Falls’ Jessie Gist extends her arms to defend during the Lady Pirates’ win over the Wildkats to advance in the Northwest A divisional volleyball tournament in Whitefish. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

After watching all but one of her granddaughter’s volleyball games this season, Carolyn Hagadorn felt confident enough to make a reservation at a Bozeman hotel almost two weeks before the state tournament.

The Polson girls made sure Hagadorn won’t need to cancel it.

For the fourth year in a row, the Polson Lady Pirates are playing at the Class A state tournament. The well-rounded squad capped another impressive regular season with a victory over Whitefish for the second straight year in the Northwestern A divisional championship on Nov. 5. Both teams advance to Bozeman for the eight-team state tournament, which begins on Nov. 10.

After coming home empty handed the last three years, the Pirates are still pursuing their first state title in school history. They open up tourney action against Belgrade at 10 a.m. Whitefish takes on defending state champ Fergus (Lewistown) at 4 p.m.

The divisional title was another achievement for a Polson program that has built a winning tradition from the ground up over the last four years.

When head coach Jan Toth took over in 2007 after successful stints in Cut Bank and Livingston, the Lady Pirates were mired in a string of losing seasons that dated back to the 1990s. The team finished 1-17 in 2007, and Toth made a hopeful vow to the low-spirited girls.

“I just promised them that they would be winners if they stayed with me,” Toth said. “I walked in and had high expectations. I said it’s going to be a tough go because I know what it takes to build a program. But I said if you stay with me we will be there.”

The next season the girls went 12-6 and made it to the state tournament for the first time since 1994. Since then, the Lady Pirates have gone 45-5 in the regular season.

“They know my style of volleyball. I demand a lot out of them and they have absorbed that and they want more and more, too,” Toth said.

Despite having a newfound winning tradition in place, this year’s success was anything but guaranteed. Two veteran all-state players graduated last year; size was not exactly a strength; and on paper there was not a big hitter to rely on.

“Nobody had a lot of expectations for this team,” Toth said.

An injury in the summer even seemed to foreshadow a stormy season ahead. Senior starter Riley Kenney blew out her shoulder playing softball and was scheduled to spend eight months recovering after surgery.

How bad does this Polson team want to win? Just ask Kenney. She worked hard recovering and by the time volleyball practices had started, she was at the gym.

“I asked her, ‘Are you going to be my manager?’” Toth said. “She looked at me and said, ‘No, I’m playing.’”

Kenney and the Lady Pirates powered through the regular season and finished 14-2 overall, 9-1 in conference, and hoisted only the second divisional title in school history.

Polson's Riely Kenney, right, and Heidi Rausch get their hands up to defend a ball spiked by Columbia Falls during the Lady Pirates' win to advance in the divisional tournament.

“It’s amazing to be here,” Kenney said after the championship game. “It was a lot of hard work but it was worth every minute of it.”

The secret to their success could be seen in that title game.

While most teams constantly try to feed the ball to a standout hitter on the outside or around the net, Polson patiently finds whoever wants it. It makes it hard to defend when you don’t know where it’s coming from. That was apparent in Whitefish as Polson picked apart the Lady Bulldogs, winning 3-1.

“We don’t have one certain player who has to get the ball,” Kenney said. “All the girls on the court are great. We’re all leaders.”

It helps, too, that most of these girls are used to competing alongside one another throughout the school year. Several players, like Kenney, were members on last year’s state champion softball team or the state champion track team the year before.

But the volleyball state title has been elusive. The Lady Pirates have not finished better than fourth over the last few years.

Toth is confident that will change this time around. After losing her voice during the divisional championship in Whitefish, Toth spoke passionately about this year’s group and what they’ve accomplished and overcome. Tradition is in place, but this team is still hungry for more, she said.

“We have a competitive nature that is second to none,” she said. “I knew looking at this team when the season started, because they’re made up of such great characters and such hard workers and such amazing athletes, I knew that they were going to do big things.”

Cheering from the stands with her husband Bill and the rest of the Polson fans who made the trip, Hagadorn expressed the same optimism for this year’s team. She has been watching volleyball for many years now, with a family full of daughters and now granddaughters.

“They all balance out with their different skills,” Hagadorn, whose granddaughter is senior Kenzie Clay, said of the Lady Pirates. “They have all the elements.”

Polson's head volleyball coach Jan Toth, left, directs her players from the sidelines during the Lady Pirates' win over Columbia Falls to advance in the divisional tournament in Whitefish.

For the second year in a row, both Flathead and Glacier are back at the Class AA state volleyball tournament. Beginning Nov. 10 in Bozeman, Flathead will play last year’s runner-up, fifth-ranked Billings West (22-8), at noon. Glacier will play top-ranked Billings Senior (28-2) at 2 p.m.

Flathead (18-8) has made it to state six seasons in a row and enters this year’s tournament ranked third in the final power poll of the season. The Bravettes are hoping to bring back their first top-three trophy since taking third in 2007. The program’s lone state title came in 2001.

Glacier (15-10) returns to state a year after earning third place, the best finish in the program’s history. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/polsons_pursuit_of_greatness/25345/

Watchdog group questions the need for chemical suppression

Retardant’s Effectiveness Comes Under Fire

By Dillon Tabish, 11-09-11



	Caption: An air tanker drops retardant as the Emerald Hills Fire crosses Interstate 90 in this aerial view. - Photo courtesy of Larry Mayer, Aerial Photographics

A nearly decade-long battle over the use of fire retardant now centers on the effectiveness of the wildfire suppressant.

The group responsible for initially suing the U.S. Forest Service over the chemical’s environmental impact believes the agency’s latest assessment raises doubts about whether retardant is even proven useful, an opinion local fire officials and the leader of the assessment disagree with.

The Forest Service released its final environmental impact statement on Oct. 21, which examined the lasting effects of fire retardant and determined a stricter approach should be taken when using it. The new approach, if signed into effect by Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell by Dec. 31, would slightly increase the amount of land and water off limits to retardant drops unless human life or public safety is threatened. The preferred approach outlined in the EIS would provide direction and new maps to fire officials across the country.

The plan would better protect waterways, threatened, endangered or sensitive species and cultural resources, according to the Forest Service.

But managing retardant’s environmental impact is not the only issue needing to be addressed, according to the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE), a nonprofit watchdog group based in Eugene, Ore.

“The first question to ask is, well where is it effective?” FSEEE Director Andy Stahl said. “Because if it’s not an effective fire fighting tool then you don’t really need to approach the safety uses and environmental impacts, because you simply don’t use it.”

The FSEEE initially sued after local fisheries were damaged by retardant, highlighting an incident where 20,000 fish were killed. The FSEEE won its first lawsuit in 2006 after U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy said the agency must show it is in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. Molloy required the agency work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service to determine the impact on the environment and wildlife. A second lawsuit was filed in 2008, claiming the Forest Service was in violation of the Endangered Species Act.

Since then, the Forest Service re-addressed the claims raised in the lawsuits with a staff of roughly 30 people led by Glen Stein, an applied fire ecologist for the Forest Service and the team leader for the EIS project.

Stein describes the EIS as “very comprehensive,” pointing to the collaborative effort with the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries, along with communications with local agencies around the country.

Whether fire retardant is effective was not the focus of the assessment, Stein said, although field data has shown it is.

“We have a lot of evidence (that retardant is effective),” Stein said. “But that’s not what this was about. What this was about is we’re using chemicals, we’re dumping them out of an airplane and if we’re going to continue doing that, what are the effects we’re going to have on various aspects of the environment.”

The Associated Press reported that there have been roughly 36,000 retardant drops in the U.S. since 2000. The drops cost roughly $24 million to $36 million a year, according to the AP.

The Forest Service has had a policy in place since 2000 that deters retardant drops within 300 feet of water sources. Currently three exceptions can be made, but under the new approach only a threat to human life could be a valid exception.

In 2010, there were 16 accidental drops and 51 exceptions made, according to the AP. In 2009 there were 22 accidental drops and two exceptions.

Stein said his team looked beyond the impact of retardant on water species and took into consideration threatened and endangered species, like grizzly bears. They found no direct harm is done, Stein said, and protecting water sources remains the main concern.

Steve Frye, the area operations manager for the Northwest Land Office of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation in Kalispell, has fought fires since 1965. He considers retardant to be a valuable tool for fire suppression. Just last summer, he said he witnessed its effectiveness on two large incidents, one in Southwest U.S. and one in the Northwest.

At the Flathead National Forest office in Kalispell, assistant forest fire management officer Mike Goicoechea agrees with Frye, saying fire retardant has proven its need in his experience.

“There’s definitely a time and place that it’s appropriate,” he said.

Fire retardant has shown it is most effective in lighter fuels, which means it is not used as often in the heavy timber areas of Northwest Montana, Goicoechea said.

But, “if there’s a fire running away in a valley, we’ll try to put (retardant) between the fire and the values at risk,” he said.

Stahl remains steadfast in his disapproval of fire retardant. He believes the chemical is used haphazardly and only illuminates a larger problem — the way wildfires are handled.

“That’s been our theme throughout this, using fire retardant as an educating tool to illustrate what’s wrong with the way society approaches waging war against nature,” he said. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/retardants_effectiveness_comes_under_fire/25329/

Montana’s veteran unemployment rate among highest in the nation

Jobless on the Homefront

By Myers Reece, 11-09-11



	Caption: Iraq veteran Apollo Child, center, reaches for his son, Nathan, while talking about the difficulties of finding a job as his wife, Tamara Child, and Army veteran Dale Merrill, right, look on at the Flathead Job Service. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Apollo Child spent a year fighting for his country in Iraq. When he returned home to Kalispell, a happy wife and newborn baby were waiting for him, but a job wasn’t. He’s been unemployed for two months now and he’s beginning to have flashbacks to his poverty-stricken childhood.

“I can’t let Nathan go through the same thing I did growing up,” Child said, gesturing to his 3-month-old son while sitting in a room at the Flathead Job Service last week.

If things don’t start turning around, Child might have to sign up for active duty again. At least he’ll have a job then.

“Reenlisting is my last-ditch option,” he said. “Right now with the economy, I’ll take any job because I have a beautiful baby and my beautiful wife and I’ll do anything for them.”

Child returned from Iraq in September after a one-year combat tour as a gunner with the Montana Army National Guard’s 1-163rd Combined Arms Battalion. He is 26 years old, eager and capable, yet he hasn’t found an employer willing to hire him. When employers look at his job experience, they see an extended departure from the civilian workforce. They see holes in his resume.

But Child wants them to see his work ethic, his proven accountability, his long days under the hot Iraqi desert sun with no vacation and no complaining. He wants employers to see him for the hard worker he knows he is. In a state with a soaring veteran unemployment rate, Child faces an uphill battle.

“I was not expecting this when I got back,” he said. “I was in Iraq for a year and I only got one day off – Christmas. It’s not like I’m a slacker.”

Montana’s unemployment rate for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is 20.1 percent, fourth highest in the nation, according to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Only Michigan, Indiana and Minnesota have higher rates. Montana also has the second most veterans per capita of any state behind Alaska.

Mike Flaherty of Montana’s Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) said his organization has teamed up with the Montana National Guard and job services across the state, along with the Montana Chamber of Commerce, in an effort to facilitate relationships between the business community and veterans. They recently held a job fair in Great Falls.

“These veterans are gone for a year – they’ve lost their connectivity somewhat to the business community and they’re behind the eight ball a little bit,” Flaherty said. “They need a little help. We’re saying, ‘We’re going to help you because of your service to the country. We’ll help you connect the dots.’”

The issue has caught the attention of Montana’s Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, the state’s only member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. The senators cosponsored a bipartisan veteran jobs bill that is expected to receive a vote in the U.S. Senate this week.

The legislation calls for a simplified tax credit system to encourage employers to hire veterans. The credits are worth up to $5,600 for hiring veterans who have been unemployed for more than six months, $2,400 for veterans who have been jobless for more than four weeks but less than six months, and $9,600 for veterans with service-related disabilities who have been job searching for more than six months. The bill also expands education and training opportunities.

President Barack Obama included a similar provision in his American Jobs Act to boost veteran employment, according to Baucus’ office. Recent news reports also confirmed that the U.S. Government Accountability Office is working on a report examining federal jobs programs for veterans in response to requests from Tester and Baucus.

“The unemployment level we are seeing among our veterans is a disgrace, and it hits home especially hard in Montana, because we have more vets per capita than almost anywhere else,” Baucus said. “This bill will make it easier for businesses to hire veterans and help make veterans more competitive in the job market – it’s a win for our economy and the right thing to do for our veterans.”

While there are numerous factors that may impede a veteran’s ability to secure employment, including psychological issues and other circumstances unique to each situation, one consistent theme revolves around the disconnect, both real and perceived, between the military and civilian worlds.

For one, military training and work experience often don’t count on civilian job resumes. Bill Gilbert, a local veterans employment representative at the Flathead Job Service, gave the example of a veteran driving fuel trucks overseas, “but when he comes back, it’s hard to prove that – there’s no record of that.”

“He could have tremendous experience, but it’s not recognized,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert is pleased that the legislation under consideration in the Senate addresses this concern, among others. In general, he said steps are being made under the Obama administration to chip away at veteran unemployment.

Employment specialist Trevor Gonser, left, works with veteran Dale Merrill on his resume at the Flathead Job Service in Kalispell.

Last week, in arguing on behalf of the bill, Tester said military experience should count when applying for civilian jobs.

“If you spend six years in the Army driving a truck, you ought to be able to get your commercial license a lot faster than someone who doesn’t have that experience,” Tester said. “That’s the kind of common-sense idea we need to be looking at.”

Child said there are other elements of division between civilians and the military that have more to do with perception than paperwork. Even if employers are aware of a veteran’s relevant job experience from the military, Child said some are prone to dismiss it “as just an Army thing” that doesn’t translate to civilian life. He said businesses haven’t been interested in the leadership course he took in the military.

“They don’t think I know how to be a manager, but I’ve trained – I’ve learned – to be a teacher, a leader,” he said. “I’ve actually led troops into battle. What more experience do you want?”

Dale Merrill, 54, has been dealing with similar challenges for years. After serving in the Army from 1975 to 1995, including combat missions in Somalia and the Middle East, Merrill returned to Montana where “I figured my 20 years of experience would help.” But he quickly discovered he was mistaken.

“Although I wouldn’t change anything, the 20 years I spent in the military put me 20 years behind my civilian counterparts,” Merrill said.

Merrill recently graduated from Flathead Valley Community College with a degree in IT management and web design but has been unable to find a job in the field. To make ends meet, he continues to work part-time at Town Pump, where he was once the manager.

“We’re not looking for a handout,” he said. “We’re just looking for an opportunity to show what we can do.”

Gilbert, who works with both Merrill and Child, said he and other veteran employment coordinators at local job services try to inform the business community about the value of veteran workers. Gilbert hands out a list of 10 reasons to hire a veteran containing words such as “respect for procedures,” “integrity” and “efficient performance.”

“They’re good workers,” he said. “You put something in front of them, they’ll get the job done.”

Flaherty of the ESGR echoes Gilbert’s emphasis on educating both companies and veterans about available opportunities. He said resources like the GI Bill apprenticeship program need to be widely promoted.

“There are some really cool tools out there,” Flaherty said. “We just need to ring the bell a lot louder. We’re always learning more and more about what’s available out there.”

On top of everything, Child faces the additional challenge of a injured right shoulder. Also, Gilbert said Child and other veterans of his generation are greeted with a much different job market in western Montana than their predecessors. Blue-collar industries favored by veterans, such as timber and construction, are struggling and are no longer reliable job sources.

But Child, who has applied for everything from storage unit front desk clerk to chef, is undeterred. He is planning to bartend for no pay at the VFW to develop a “new skill” and pad his resume.

He is also helping start a program through the VFW in which businesses can post job listings and seek out potential veteran employees. He said Lowe’s already contacts the VFW when it has job openings and he believes other companies will do the same once they hear about the program.

Child wants to spread a clear message, if not a plea.

“We need to let people know, ‘We’re here. We’re willing. We’re ready to work.’” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/jobless_on_the_homefront/25334/

Election Results

Election Results from Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls

By Web Master, 11-08-11



	Caption: A Columbia Falls resident casts his vote in the Columbia Falls City Council election at City Hall. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

The final unofficial election results are in. Muhlfeld elected mayor in Whitefish. Anderson, Hildner and Sweeney elected to Whitefish City Council. Saverud and Guiffrida elected in Kalispell. Karper, Plevel and Fisher elected in Columbia Falls.

Whitefish unofficial election results

VOTER TURNOUT: 53 percent

WHITEFISH MAYOR
(Projected winner) John Muhlfeld – 1,481 (64%)
Turner Askew – 812 (35%)

WHITEFISH CITY COUNCIL (top three elected to council)
(Projected winner) John Anderson – 1,316
(Projected winner) Richard Hildner – 1,316
Life Noell – 503
(Projected winner) Frank Sweeney – 1,263
Mary Vail – 1,057
Doug Wise – 1,014

WHITEFISH REFERENDUM 1
(Projected winner) Yes – 1,444
No – 738

Kalispell unofficial election results

VOTER TURNOUT: 28 percent

WARD 2
(Projected winner) Wayne Saverud (incumbent) – 671 (53%)
Chad Graham – 562 (44%)
Erik Jerde – 34 (3%)

WARD 4
(Projected winner) Phil Guiffrida III – 531 (66%)
Cecilia Lee – 270 (34%)

Councilor Kari Gabriel (WARD 1) ran unopposed. Randy Kenyon's (WARD 3) challenger, Walter Keathley, stopped actively campaigning for health reasons.

Columbia Falls unofficial election results

VOTER TURNOUT: 16 percent

COLUMBIA FALLS CITY COUNCIL (top three elected to council)
(Projected winner) Julie Plevel (incumbent) – 250
Harvey Reikofski Jr. (incumbent) – 194
(Projected winner) Doug Karper (incumbent) – 270
(Projected winner) Darin Fisher – 248
Samantha Johnson – 225

[End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/election_results_from_kalispell_whitefish_and_columbia_falls/25351/

Wolfpack in Class AA semifinals; Bigfork loses in Class B

Glacier Wins First Playoff Football Game

By Myers Reece, 11-08-11



	Caption: Glacier quarterback Taylor Hulslander, second from right, pull pack for a throw while warming up with his teammates during a practice at Glacier High School. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Bigfork finally lost in the state football playoffs and Glacier finally won.

The Wolfpack won the first playoff game in school history on Nov. 4, defeating Billings Senior 24-10 at home in the first round of the Class AA playoffs. The following day, defending Class B champion Bigfork fell to Malta 42-0, ending the Vikings’ five-game playoff winning streak dating back to last season.

Malta, officially Malta/Whitewater/Saco, advances to the Class B semifinals to face Ronan, which defeated Baker 14-9 in the quarterfinals and Sweet Grass County 47-14 in the first round. The winner of that game, scheduled for Nov. 12 in Malta, will move on to play the winner of Fairfield and Missoula Loyola Sacred Heart in the championship. Bigfork beat Fairfield 24-21 in last year’s Class B title game.

With the win, the Wolfpack move on the semifinals where they will square off against top-ranked Billings West on the road this weekend. Glacier (9-2) is the tournament’s fourth seed. West beat Flathead 39-7 in the first round to move to 10-1 on the season. Flathead finished the year with a 4-7 record.

Glacier junior quarterback Taylor Hulslander threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns on 13-of-17 passing in the victory over Senior. Both of his touchdowns went to junior receiver Kyle Griffith, who finished with seven catches and 114 yards. Running back Aaron Mitchell ran for 114 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

The Wolfpack have made it to the Class AA playoffs three straight years after compiling a 2-18 record their first two years as a program. Glacier lost to Billings Skyview 28-14 in the first round in 2009 and then fell to Helena 48-16 in last year’s opening round.

Glacier finished the regular season with the best scoring offense in the state, averaging 36.3 points per game. West’s defense allowed only 16.6 points per game, third best in Class AA behind Helena Capital (11.4) and Helena High (13.9). Capital, ranked second, and Helena, ranked third, square off in the other semifinal game this weekend.

Other Northwest Montana teams that qualified for the playoffs include Eureka, which lost 48-8 to Missoula Loyola Sacred Heart in the first round of the Class B playoffs on Oct. 29, and Whitefish, which lost to Stevensville 52-19 in the first round of the Class A tourney on Oct. 28.

The Polson Pirates, who earned a first round bye in the Class A playoffs after winning their conference during the regular season, lost to Miles City 7-6 at home on Nov. 5. Miles City advances to the semifinals against Billings Central on Nov. 12 in Billings. The other Class A semifinal game pits Havre against Dillon.

In Class C six-man, Geraldine/Highwood plays at Denton in one semifinal matchup and Big Sandy travels to Savage in the other semifinal game this weekend. In the Class C eight-man semifinals, Twin Bridges plays at Ennis and Chinook plays at Fairview.

All championship games for Class AA, A, B and C will be played the following weekend on Nov. 18-19. For updated brackets, visit the Montana High School Association’s website at www.mhsa.org. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/glacier_wins_first_playoff_football_game/25344/

State program to help purchase new equipment for Flathead road crews

County to Use Anti-Icing Solution Next Winter

By Molly Priddy, 11-08-11



	Caption: Kalispell Public Works employees blast snow from the center of First Avenue East into the back of a dump truck to be hauled away. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Winter weather poses myriad challenges for road crews in Northwest Montana, but next year crews will have a new weapon to battle the snow and ice.

On Nov. 1, the Flathead County Commission signed a memorandum of understanding with the state Department of Transportation to facilitate the purchase of brine anti-icing solution.

This means trucks can spray the salt water on Flathead County roads before the snow hits, creating a barrier between the chip seal and the precipitation, according to Kyle DeMars, maintenance chief of MDT’s Kalispell division. MDT refers to this as its “just in time tactic.”

The level of separation allows for easier plowing since the snow doesn’t stick to the rock, DeMars said.

Brine solution is just salt and water, DeMars said, which is different from previously used magnesium chloride.

Flathead County Public Works Director Dave Prunty said the county used magnesium chloride years ago, but lately the county’s de-icing and anti-icing methods have consisted of dry materials, such as salted sand.

“We have not done any liquid de-icer for at least four years, and maybe a couple before that,” Prunty said.

Chloride solutions are often used over sand mixtures because sand can be blown off the road and can contribute to air quality concerns, according to MDT.

Prunty said magnesium chloride can be problematic in certain temperatures and situations because it can pull moisture from the air and cause issues on the road even when the weather is clear.

The brine solution does not share this characteristic, he said.

“This stuff can go down pre- and post-storm,” Prunty said. “It doesn’t have the quality of pulling stuff out of the air.”

Both magnesium chloride and the brine solution are corrosives and can adhere to vehicles, Prunty said, but MDT adds a corrosion inhibitor to the mixtures. The brine solution is made at MDT’s Whitefish plant near Highway 40, he said.

The county has a storage capacity of 10,000 gallons for the solution, Prunty said, so when road crews start using it next winter, they will only be using it on intersections and hills to help prevent accidents.

And at 47 cents a gallon, Prunty said the brine solution isn’t cheap, but it is about half of what the county would be paying for magnesium chloride.

DeMars said the salt water mixture has a cut-off temperature of about 20 degrees, but that should not be too much of a problem for county crews.

“If we use it right in the valley, it’s a pretty nice temperature through here,” he said.

Prunty said this new anti-icing tactic would not be possible without a program through MDT that helps pay for new county equipment, such as two combination sanding trucks that can be fit with saddle tanks for the brine solution. The trucks cost about $29,000 each, he said, but MDT covers about 86 percent of the cost through the program.

Flathead County will end up paying roughly $8,000 for both vehicles, he said.

“It’s a screaming deal,” Prunty said. “We’re getting equipment that there’s no way we could afford without this program.”

MDT uses brine solution for highway maintenance throughout the state, DeMars said. It looks to drivers as though the truck is spraying water on the road, but it is actually a highly diluted salt mix, he said.

Since chlorides are corrosives, MDT recommends drivers who use these roads wash their cars regularly through the winter. Tests on the anti-icing solutions used on Montana highways show no negative effects on water quality, vegetation or wildlife, according to MDT. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/county_to_use_anti-icing_solution_next_winter/25331/

Flathead Disability Health and Wellness Fair scheduled for Nov. 12

Creating Opportunity and Community for People with Disabilities

By Molly Priddy, 11-07-11



	Caption: Adaptive Exercise Program Coordinator Michaelann Lee, right, works with Kevin Reid on adaptive exercise equipment at The Wave in Whitefish. Lee is organizing the Flathead Disability Health and Wellness Fair in Whitefish. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Internet search engines can aggregate information at the touch of a button, but there’s nothing quite like learning about new options and ideas in real life and interacting with knowledgeable sources face to face.

That’s the idea behind the first annual Flathead Disability Health and Wellness Fair, scheduled on Nov. 12 from noon to 5 p.m. at The Wave in Whitefish. Event organizer Michaelann Lee said the fair’s purpose is to raise awareness about resources available to people with disabilities in the Flathead Valley.

Lee relocated to Whitefish from Seattle, where she had founded an exercise rehabilitation center for people with injuries and chronic disabilities. In Whitefish, Lee developed The Wave’s adaptive exercise program for people with disabilities.

Some of Lee’s clients are part of the Medicare waiver program, which pays for their specialized exercise therapy, such as the session last week with Kevin Reid, who experienced a brainstem stroke. Lee works with Reid on a weight-supported system and in the pool to exercise his body despite his paralysis.

“I moved here and saw that we needed exercise for people with disabilities and saw that there wasn’t much,” Lee said. “Working with people with disabilities, they don’t know that there are so many agencies and nonprofits around to help them.”

Resources for all types of disabilities – ranging from developmental to physical – will be represented at the fair with more than 30 state and local agencies and vendors available to answer questions. At least 20 of those agencies are local nonprofits; the remaining companies include hospitals, therapists and transportation businesses, among others.

The exhibitors will have booths set up during the fair and the afternoon will also feature hourly speakers to discuss how their services can benefit disabled persons in the valley with a raffle after each presentation.

Presentations from the state Disability Program and The Wave adaptive exercise program will begin at noon, followed by the Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana’s discussion on the Medicare waiver program and other programs the agency offers.

At 2 p.m., representatives from the Summit Independent Living Center will introduce their services, and Tim Gibb, a physical therapist and neurological specialist, will speak with occupational therapist and hand specialist Rebecca Norton at 3 p.m.

For the final discussion of the afternoon at 4 p.m., a support group panel will be available to answer questions about various meetings, including those for caregivers, men’s groups and the Recreation for Physical Disabilities Club.

While the event’s organizers would like to raise awareness of the Flathead’s disability services, another reason for the fair is to help build a sense of community for those who may feel alone, according to Flo Kiewel, the county coordinator and community work incentives coordinator at Summit Independent Living Center.

“A lot of people have disabilities that are physical or sensory,” Kiewel said last week, adding that this can be isolating for people who experience it.

Connecting with others in a similar situation can open a whole new world of opportunities and social interaction, Kiewel said, which is part of Summit ILC’s goal. The center is a resource agency that helps people with disabilities find ways to live as independently as possible.

Summit ILC does not directly provide the services, but provides suggestions and guidance through its network of various agencies, Kiewel said. One of the advantages of an event such as the disability fair is that it provides a chance for Kiewel to get to know other agencies and expand Summit ILC’s resource possibilities.

“It’s always good for us to have the networking opportunities,” she said.

Kiewel said, along with Summit ILC’s presentation on its general services, there would also be a specific discussion about its peer advocacy program, which provides one-on-one and group interaction with others who know what it is like to have a disability.

Anyone can attend the Disability Health and Wellness Fair free of charge, and Kiewel said she hopes people with disabilities come to explore what is available in the Flathead.

“I want them to come so they can connect to the services that will make them more active in their community,” Kiewel said.

The Flathead Disability Health and Wellness Fair will take place at The Wave in Whitefish, located at 1250 Baker Ave. For more information on Summit Independent Living Center, visit www.summitilc.org.

UPDATE: This story has been changed to reflect the correct date of the fair to Nov. 12. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/creating_opportunity_and_community_for_people_with_disabilities/25316/

Potential trail would run from Lee Road to Williams Lane near Bigfork

Public Meeting to Discuss Swan River Road Pedestrian Trail

By Molly Priddy, 11-06-11



	Caption: Traffic moves along Swan River Road near Bigfork. The Flathead County Planning and Zoning Department is holding a public meeting to discuss a potential trail along the east side of the road. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

The Flathead County Planning and Zoning Department is holding a Nov. 15 public meeting to discuss a potential trail plan near Bigfork along Swan River Road.

The trail, which is marked for Community Transportation Enhancement Program funds, would be about 1.5 miles long and run from Lee Road – which is near Montana Highway 83 around Echo Lake Café and Swan River School – to Williams Lane.

The meeting is scheduled for Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in the library at Swan River School.

According to county planner and CTEP coordinator Alex Hogle, the project is still in the beginning stages but the planning office would like to hear what the public has to say about the potential trail.

“Really, this is a trail that’s in its infancy,” Hogle said. “The application hasn’t even been submitted to CTEP yet.”

CTEP is a program that uses federal highway tax dollars to develop non-motorized transportation access for the public. If a project qualifies, CTEP will pay for 87 percent of the total cost, while the sponsoring group pays the remaining 13 percent.

In this case, the Bigfork Rotary Club is sponsoring the project, which they submitted to the county in 2010, Hogle said. At that time, the Flathead County Commission asked the community to suggest potential CTEP projects and prioritized three of the submitted ideas: the Swan River Road trail, the Blacktail Road trail in Lakeside and the Old Red Bridge in Columbia Falls.

The commission recently pulled CTEP funds for the Red Bridge project and the Blacktail Road trail application has been submitted to the Montana Department of Transportation, Hogle said.

Hogle said an initial cost assessment of the Swan River Road project put its price tag at roughly $335,000, and the commission earmarked $300,000 in CTEP funds for the project in 2010.

The planning department is still working on the CTEP application, Hogle said, which entails taking the information from the Rotary Club and putting it in a form that Flathead County can sign for.

“Before we do that and take it to the commissioners for approval, we want to include the public,” Hogle said. “This is really an opportunity for the public to ask questions and to provide any input that they might have.”

If the path does come to fruition, it would likely be an 8-foot-wide paved trail for pedestrians and cyclists. The planning department would like to keep it to the east side of Swan River Road because the Rotary Club has already completed some trail work on that side, Hogle said, though landowners on both sides of the road have been notified of the meeting.

The project is split into two sections. The first part runs from Lee Road to the existing path, and the second section completes the journey to Williams Lane.

This trail would ideally be one chunk of a bigger system that connects Highway 83 to the trail running along the Wild Mile on the south end of Swan River Road, Hogle said.

“Ultimately, there’s an interest in connecting that whole gap,” he said. “This project won’t do that, but it’s part of it.”

The trail would also help keep cyclists and walkers off a road with very little shoulder space, he said.

The Nov. 15 meeting will include an overview of the proposed trail and have time for questions, comments and concerns. Hogle asked anyone with questions to call the county planning office at 751-8200. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/public_meeting_to_discuss_swan_river_road_pedestrian_trail/25309/

Kila

Places: Smith Lake

By Web Master, 11-06-11



	Caption: Two locals cast a line into Smith Lake, near Kila, in early October. - Justin Franz/Flathead Beacon

Smith Lake near Kila provides excellent access to a variety of outdoors activities, with everything from fishing to bird watching. The lake has a fishing access site that’s managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and located on Smith Lake Road. It’s a perfect place to pull off and enjoy this beautiful area of the Flathead Valley.

The 3-acre fishing access site provides a dock and ramp for boats and two fishing piers where folks can cast a line and enjoy the breeze. Other facilities include a small picnic area and bathrooms.

One of the highlights may be the opportunity to view the variety of birds that call the area home, including ducks, geese, shorebirds, hawks and eagles. Because Smith Lake Road is lightly traveled, it would also be a great spot for a walk to get different views of the lake, giving people even more opportunities to see the area birds.

Located west of Kalispell, the fishing access area is an easy drive for those living in Kalispell and provides an excellent way to get out of town with little effort.

How to get there: Drive seven miles west of Kalispell on U.S. Highway 2 to Kila. Turn left at the Cottage Inn onto Kila Road and drive through the small town. Two miles from Highway 2, take a left onto Smith Lake Road and follow around the lake. The fishing access is located on the left. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/places_smith_lake/25255/

Local agencies team up to fight the invasive aquatic weed, which can ruin fisheries and recreation

Eurasian Watermilfoil Makes an Unwelcome Arrival in the Flathead

By Myers Reece, 11-05-11



	Caption: A diver looks for Eurasian Watermilfoil, an invasive aquatic weed, in Beaver Lake west of Whitefish. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

BEAVER LAKE – A peculiar scene unfolded along the shore of Beaver Lake, just west of Whitefish, on a recent Monday morning. As the sun burned through the early fog, a pair of boats slowly followed a steady stream of bubbles. All eyes were trained on the diver producing the bubbles. Suddenly, Sara Wilkinson emerged from the murky water with a fistful of green weeds.

“How far is it?” someone on the boat asked.

“It's dense,” Wilkinson responded.

Officials and scientists from local government agencies and nonprofits had gathered at the Beaver Lake fishing access to try to remove a small patch of Eurasian Watermilfoil that had been discovered a few weeks earlier on the lake bottom. The aggressive, non-native aquatic weed was first spotted in Washington state in the 1970s and has become a major problem in the Midwest. Up until a few years ago, lakes and waterways in Montana had not seen the weed, which can choke out native aquatic plants, destroy fisheries and inhibit recreation.

The patch found at the bottom of Beaver Lake – which was estimated to be about 25 square feet – was the first to be discovered in the Flathead Basin of Northwest Montana. Previously some had been found along the Missouri River and in a body of water near Thompson Falls. Addressing the issue while it is still small is crucial, according to Erik Hanson of the Flathead Aquatic Invasive Species Workgroup.

“It chokes out everything in small lakes,” he said. “It can cover everything, prevent recreation and kill fish.”

Hanson said property along lakes infected with the plant lose value, sometimes up to 15 percent and, because of that, those who live nearby should be vigilant in their preventive efforts. The most common ways Eurasian Watermilfoil gets into a lake are either from a boat that has recently gone through an affected area or by people dumping their aquariums into the water.

The aquatic weed looks like a long, green vine and when it breaks apart, small “wisps” can root into the water bottom and, depending on the conditions, can multiply into millions of new plants within a few years. Hanson said it’s unknown when or how the plant got into Beaver Lake, but considering the conditions it was likely a few years ago.

“That's one of the scary things – where did this come from?” Hanson asked. “Was it a dumped aquarium or someone's boat that was in an affected lake?”

Gordon Jewett, head of the Flathead County Weed, Parks and Maintenance program, said the weed patch was first discovered by a Department of Natural Resources and Conservation crew that was working near the lake. After confirming it was Eurasian Watermilfoil, the county – along with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the invasive species workgroup and the Whitefish Lake Institute – devised a plan to pull as much of the weed as they could before covering it with a mat to confine it to one area. Jewett said they were lucky to have been able to find it when they did and respond so quickly.

“In Flathead County we want to keep it in one spot. Our goal is to eradicate it,” he said. “It doesn't belong here and we don't want it here.”

Hanson said Montana has had very few problems with invasive plants and, because of that, it is important to address outbreaks as quickly as possible when they do appear. It was an opinion backed up by Thomas Woolf, the aquatic plant program manager for the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.

Woolf said Eurasian Watermilfoil has been a major problem across the Northwest, especially in Washington and Idaho. Since 2006, the state of Idaho has treated more than 10,000 acres of water affected by the plant and spent $9 million during that time. Woolf said the plant is a problem that can quickly get out of hand and is a danger to the public. He referenced an incident a few years ago when someone was trapped in a patch of the weed and drowned. However, he said the problem has been larger in the Midwest, where he went to graduate school.

“I've seen lakes that have been dominated by this (plant),” he said. “It looks like you can walk across it.”

Hanson said all of the groups involved with last week’s operation to pull and cover the weeds at Beaver Lake had the same goal: Prevent what has happened in other states from happening in Montana.

“The good thing is that we got here and dealt with it when it was small,” he said. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/eurasian_milfoil_makes_an_unwelcome_arrival_in_the_flathead/25300/

First unmanned aircraft made in state takes flight

A Montana Drone’s Maiden Voyage

By Myers Reece, 11-04-11



	Caption: Justin Sands, left, and Don Bintz communicate as they pilot the Sandstorm, an unmanned aircraft, while demonstrating the technology at an airstrip south of Columbia Falls. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

COLUMBIA FALLS – The Wright brothers would have appreciated the milestone that unfolded behind a small airplane hangar on Middle Road south of Columbia Falls earlier this week.

A battery-powered, fixed-wing aircraft with a 15-foot wingspan and weighing about 40 pounds buzzed down the runway past a group of onlookers and climbed into the empty sky. The airplane’s two pilots remained seated on the tarmac more than 100 feet below, guiding every move with handheld devices.

The crowd of almost 50 people, including two state senators and an official from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), witnessed “the leading edge” of aviation on Nov. 1 – the first test flight of an FAA-approved experimental unmanned aircraft, or drone, made in Montana.

The first drone, named the Sandstorm, was one of three prototypes unveiled that could be developed on a production level in Montana and used for a variety of tasks, such as detecting and monitoring wildlife, managing crops or surveying wildfires, among other abilities performed from high in the sky.

Although much smaller in size, the drones are similar in design to the larger Predator drones that revolutionized military aviation. The U.S. Air Force and Central Intelligence Agency uses Predators for surveillance and offensive operations overseas.

Sen. Ryan Zinke of Whitefish, who is running for lieutenant governor alongside Neil Livingstone, became familiar with military drones during his tenure as deputy commander of Special Forces in Iraq and commander of SEAL Team 6. He believes the next phase in aviation is going to be transitioning the military technology to commercial use.

“In a wildfire, what we can do (with a drone) is identify every hot spot; we can do a three-dimensional overlay of the fire; we can identify who and where every individual firefighter is,” Zinke said.

Zinke and Great Falls state Sen. Ed Buttrey are leading the campaign to create an industry in Montana for developing and testing commercial-application drones. With the support of Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, both Zinke and Buttrey believe Montana – with un-crowded skies and diverse terrain and weather – is a natural fit for a burgeoning industry that could offer countless jobs and commerce.

Buttrey, who is co-director at the Whitefish-based Center for Remote Integration with Zinke, estimates unmanned aircraft in the commercial sector to be potentially a $30 billion industry.

“Ryan (Zinke) and I have always believed that the Flathead has been a breeding ground for small technology-based companies. It’s just an absolute perfect place to do research and development,” Buttrey said. “This is really the tip of the iceberg. This is where we prove that you can take existing technology, commercialize it, make it affordable, make it producible and with limitless benefits.”

Baucus voiced his support through a letter that Zinke read during the gathering.

“I believe there is so much potential for Montana to lead the way in this emerging billion-dollar industry,” Baucus said in his letter. “Our troops rely on this type of technology every day and there is enormous future potential in border security, agriculture, and wildlife and predator management.”

Baucus said he is pushing for an amendment to the FAA reauthorization bill that would establish six unmanned aircraft testing sites across the country.

Simply getting approval from the FAA to fly the Sandstorm was a “huge milestone,” Zinke said.

As a risk-averse agency, the FAA has strict rules in place for occupying the skies and present a challenge for the future of unmanned aircraft. Going forward, the other drones being developed locally by Unmanned Systems Inc., a company based in Nevada, will continue to be reviewed for FAA certification, Buttrey said.

At the Nov. 1 unveiling, the two pilots flying Sandstorm, Justin Sands and Don Bintz, took turns controlling the aircraft using handheld devices that looked more suitable for video games.
Bintz didn’t even watch the plane as it soared through the air. Instead, he guided it with a joystick while gazing into a small television screen that displayed the plane’s view, similar to a flight simulator. A few feet away, Sands, acting as the safety backup pilot, watched the plane, holding a small remote control piloting device and telling Bintz what he saw.

The drones can be flown through the Internet from as far away as 1,500 miles and can reach as high as 400 feet in the air. They can fly for up to two hours in their current form. The maximum airspeed for the Sandstorm is 70 knots, or 80 miles per hour. The Trogdor, a turbine powered model, can reach 115 mph.

“We’re on the leading edge and building the best new product in the world,” Buttrey said. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/a_montana_drones_maiden_voyage/25298/

A few Glacier Park trail recommendations from the Kalispell resident who hiked them all

Jake Picks Six

By Dillon Tabish, 11-04-11



	Caption: For more trail information go to Jake Bramante’s web site at www.hike734.com. - Source: Glacier National Park

After trekking along every single established trail in Glacier National Park, Jake Bramante knew he was going to be asked the inevitable question: What was your favorite hike?

It’s a common query for the 34-year-old Kalispell hiker who completed an historic odyssey of all 734 miles in the park on Oct. 15, becoming the only known person to accomplish the feat in one season.

After almost 90 days of on-trail experience, Bramante has gained an encyclopedic knowledge of Glacier Park, and he’s sharing that information on his website, hike734.com, which is filled with first-hand knowledge, videos and photos.

Although he has a hard time whittling down a list of great hikes, he recommended a few places to the Beacon that he definitely wants to check out again. Here they are, in his words:

St. Mary/Virginia Falls to Sun Point
“This little gem is often missed by both the tourist and the experienced hiker. My recommendation is to park at the St. Mary Falls trailhead and experience both St. Mary and Virginia Falls, then take the trail past your car heading east along St. Mary Lake to Sun Point. You’ll get to see some great views of St. Mary Lake as well as a beautiful dock, Baring Falls, and the windy and breathtaking Sun Point. Take a shuttle back if they’re running. The total trip is a shade over three miles.”

Dawson/Pitamakan
“This classic loop is a big day, but full of amazing views. The east side of the park is one of my favorites and a trip around the Two Medicine area is awesome. I prefer to take the trip with Pitamakan first as it seems to make the walk out shorter after this burly 19-mile day. And, if you start early enough, you can catch the boat named Sinopah and shave off about three miles. You get to see a bunch of beautiful lakes from a ridgeline. As you round Mt. Morgan to the back side, the breathtaking views of the Coal/Nyack valley, Mt. Stimson and Pumpelly Glacier let you know that you’re in very big country.”

Highline Trail
“The trip up and over Logan Pass receives a lot of attention for good reason. A way to slow down the trip is to take the Highline trail. You get the classic Glacier experience with alpine views, glacier carved peaks, wildlife and more. On this hike, you can also hike up to Grinnell Glacier Overlook and get off trail to scramble up Haystack if you so desire. The full hike is a little over 11 miles, but you can start at Logan Pass and just hike until you want to turn around and head back to your car.”

Bear Mountain Overlook
“Before I decided to hike all of the trails, one of my favorite Glacier pastimes was climbing peaks because I loved the challenge and I loved the views. Bear Mountain Overlook is a trail version of this. Travelers will most likely hike this if they are planning on camping at Cosley Lake. My recommendation is to hike into Cosley, set up camp and then take a lightened pack and visit this overlooked trail. It is approximately 1.5 miles and gains around 1,300 feet of elevation, but oh, the views! Looking east, Chief Mountain, its ridge and Gable Peak stand before you with the Belly River Ranger Station and its meadow at your feet. Be prepared to watch raptors soar up from underneath you and look over the cliff edge to get a feeling for what 1,000 feet looks like.”

Hole in the Wall
“This doesn’t fall into the trail category, but it’s a favorite place of mine. This sweet spot is not really available to day hikers as the closest trailhead at Goat Haunt is 10 miles away. But it’s so pretty, why not stay a night? You are perched in a big mountain bowl with views down the Bowman Lake valley. Mountains surround you, including Boulder Peak looming overhead. Waterfalls are everywhere, including where you pump your water. Did I mention the wonderful boulder fields, wildflowers and a chance to see a wolverine? For those of you that want me to keep it a secret … sorry.”

Fifty Mountain
“The campsites are nestled into the trees, but not so much so that you can’t see the amazing views. To the east, Kipp and Cathedral peaks form a castle wall that runs north and south. At the base of this wall is a rolling green hillside with huge boulders that remind me of pictures of Ireland. While staying there I spotted a pine martin bounding through camp and a sow grizzly with three cubs digging in the distance. This area, like Hole in the Wall, is primarily done as a campsite stop as part of a larger backpacking trip, so it isn’t for everyone.”
[End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/jake_picks_six/25246/

Marshall Catch raising funds to travel to Dec. 7 show

Local Band to Play at Pearl Harbor Commemoration

By Molly Priddy, 11-04-11



	Caption: Marshall Catch - Contributed photo

Local band Marshall Catch is planning a trip to Hawaii this December, but these rockers have more in mind than just fun in the sun.

The band hopes to jet to the island state to perform during the commemorative events honoring the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which took place on Dec. 7, 1941. To help pay for the trip, Marshall Catch will hold two fundraisers this month, and a concert on Veterans Day.

The Evergreen-based rockers – consisting of lead singer and guitarist Luke Lautaret, Aaron Danreuther on rhythm guitar, Jared Denney on the drums and keyboard and Aidan Foshay on the bass guitar – were invited after event organizers heard their original tune, “The Ballad of the U.S.S. Arizona.”

Written from the point of the view of the battleship, the song recounts the attacks and their aftermath. Lautaret said Marshall Catch recorded the song and put it online, where it spread through social media sites and caught the attention of veterans and their families.

“We got an enormous amount of support from all over the country,” Lautaret said.

Lautaret said he wrote the song because the Arizona captured his imagination. The famous battleship sustained bomb hits from a Japanese air raid and went down, killing 1,177 sailors in the events precipitating the United States’ involvement in World War II.

The site is now a memorial and national park in Pearl Harbor. The 70th anniversary events will take place from Dec. 3 through Dec. 7 and will include various military bands as well.

Lautaret said his historical and nautical interests intertwined when he began researching the Arizona, and he felt compelled to write a song about it.

However, having never served in the military, Lautaret did not think it would be appropriate to write from the point of view of a sailor. Instead, he wrote from the battleship’s perspective, tracing its history from the shipyard to the ocean floor.

“The ship herself has a character,” Lautaret said last week. “There’s emotion there that is tangible; it’s almost human in a way.”

Organizers for the anniversary commemoration caught wind of the song and invited the band, Lautaret said, but they could not offer financial aid for the trip. For that reason, Marshall Catch is hosting two fundraisers this month, one on Nov. 5 and one on Nov. 11.

To get the entire band and its equipment to Hawaii, Lautaret estimates they need to raise anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 for lodging and airfare.

“It’s a little bit more difficult for us because we’re a rock band and we have to bring our gear,” he said.

Already, a donor has given the band stand-by tickets, but Lautaret said they would not be able to use those on the way to Hawaii due to the tickets’ unpredictable nature.

The Nov. 5 show will be an acoustic set performed at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake, running from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. There is no cover charge for the show, Lautaret noted, but donations are very welcome.

The band’s major fundraiser will take place on Veterans Day at the Elks Lodge in Kalispell, and will be the concert that “will either make or break the trip,” Lautaret said.

Along with the concert, the band will offer several items for auction, including unique music paraphernalia such as drumsticks signed by Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook. The concert will also be recorded for a live album, Lautaret said.

Marshall Catch is looking forward to the opportunity in Hawaii, Lautaret said.

“We really, really, really appreciate the support. We’re really excited to be able to do this, to play for the veterans,” Lautaret said.

Donations can be sent to Marshall Catch at 170 East Blanchard Lake Rd., Whitefish, 59937, or can be made online at www.marshallcatch.com. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/local_band_to_play_at_pearl_harbor_commemoration/25242/

Twenty years after he escaped from Czechoslovakia, a classical guitarist finds Montana

Searching for Home

By Web Master, 11-04-11



	Caption: Guitar player Miloslav Dunka, who escaped from Czechoslovakia in the spring of 1989, has recently relocated to Coram. - Photo contributed by Miloslav Dunka

Miloslav Dunka leaned forward and delicately picked at his guitar strings one at a time, tuning the instrument. Suddenly he stopped and then began to play; Leo Brouwer’s “Un Dia de Novembre” engulfed the room. As Dunka played the song – one that begins somberly and ends hopefully – he recalled escaping his home two decades ago.

Even 22 years removed from that cold spring night, Dunka still remembers the footsteps chasing him in the dark; the dogs panting as they ran through the brush; the flares shooting into the black sky above, alerting the guards of his location.

In 1989, as the iron curtain that had divided Europe for nearly 50 years began to crumble, Dunka decided he had enough of the communist system that had come to define his life in Czechoslovakia. Dunka and his two young children left for Austria on foot in the middle of the night.

“It was a constant urging for liberty, for freedom,” he said. “I felt that urge since I was a child. I knew the system was wrong.”

Growing up in a small border town, Dunka could only imagine what opportunity lay on the other side, including the chance to make music for a living. His father was a professional violinist and his mother was a music lover, but it wasn’t until he was 15 that he finally began playing the guitar and realized he had a natural talent.

“I felt that music was in my bones, and muscle, and blood,” he said.

When Dunka got older he formed a rock band and they played locally for nearly a decade. It was the era of the Beetles and Jimi Hendrix and, while western music was popular, the government restricted such music.

Dunka eventually left the band to find a new outlet for his music. Soon he found a music teacher who taught classical guitar, but it was a course of study that came with challenges.

“She was doing illegal things and I was doing illegal things by taking lessons and paying her,” he said.

For the next few years he learned under his mentor and, on the side, played the music he had grown to love. Dunka said the classical music was deeper, more complex and more rewarding.

At the same time, he knew that for his life and music to flourish, he needed to leave his homeland. He had become a Christian in a country where religion was frowned upon and most people were atheist.

“You lose everything and you’re like a disenchanted person with nothing. No friends. No family. No love,” he said.

When Dunka arrived in the United States in 1996, nearly a decade after he escaped from Czechoslovakia, he was, for the first time in his life, able to focus on music while living in North Carolina and then Georgia. For the next few years he studied under Mary Akerman and began playing concerts locally.

Dunka also began teaching while he made a living by caring for the elderly, which is how he landed in Montana earlier this year.
When he arrived here, the geography reminded him of home.

“This corner (of the country) is the corner of my dreams and when I arrived here I said, ‘I’m finally home,’” he said.

Dunka said the landscape of Montana is the perfect environment for him to create and expand his musical catalog, which includes the works of Bach and others. Dunka said he hopes to continue to play and teach music and is looking for students and venues.

“Life is not predictable, especially (for a) person like me, who has had so many drastic changes in life,” he said. “I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I know it’ll be connected to music.”

Dunka can be contacted at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (406) 407-0767. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/searching_for_home/25251/

After surviving rare heart disorder, 12-year-old boy recovers and faces new life challenges

Beau Battles Back

By Web Master, 11-03-11



	Caption: Twelve-year-old Beau Bronson pauses for a moment while recounting his story with his parents, Jon and Rose Bronson, in their Columbia Falls living room. After suffering a heart attack, Beau was diagnosed with a genetic congenital heart defect. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

COLUMBIA FALLS – With his arm hanging off his neck in a sling, Beau Bronson looked like any other 12-year-old recovering from an injury: stretched across the couch, planted in front of the television and appearing generally relaxed. But the looks Beau’s parents Jon and Rose kept giving their son, the long stares and slight smiles, said otherwise.

The parents know that very little of Beau’s life has been like any other 12-year-old’s since Jon found him lying unconscious in an intersection a month ago, the victim of a rare heart disorder. Now the three of them – Beau, Jon and Rose – are facing the reality of a radically changed life and significant medical bills, a difficult situation they hope to handle with the help of friends and family.

In early October, Jon, who used to work at the Columbia Falls Aluminum Plant and now works on oil rigs in North Dakota, was back home in Montana recovering from an on-the-job injury sustained when a pallet came down on his foot. Using his newfound free time, Jon decided to take Beau to Kalispell to visit some family friends on the afternoon of Oct. 8. Arriving at Chuck Reeves’ house, Beau found out that his friends were a few blocks down the road biking and within moments he had retrieved his bike and was tearing down the street. That was the last time Jon would see his son conscious for two weeks.

Just a block away from their friend’s home, Beau collapsed in the street and fell off his bike. Although no one knew it at the time, Beau’s heart had stopped. Doctors would later determine that Beau had Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia, a rare heart disorder that occurs in only one in every 10,000 people, mostly youth.

Moments after Beau collapsed, his friends biked toward him while someone living in a house across the street ran to perform CPR. When the other kids saw Beau’s condition, they quickly biked to where Jon was. Minutes later, Jon approached his lifeless son, kneeled down and held him. Beau’s eyes were empty. His lips were blue.

“That’s when I looked into my son’s eyes and saw that he was gone,” Jon said later on.

Rose Bronson, left, and her husband, Jon Bronson, describe the day their son Beau had a heart attack. Beau was later diagnosed with a genetic congenital heart defect.

Police and an ambulance arrived quickly, restarted his heart and then whisked the boy off to the hospital, but upon arriving there, doctors knew this medical anomaly was something they couldn’t deal with by themselves. A helicopter from Missoula was dispatched and within a few hours Beau was in Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.

In Spokane, Beau was put in a medically induced coma and his body was cooled down to 90 degrees, to allow the body to begin healing. It appeared that Beau was going to survive the ordeal, but the big question remained: Would he be the same?

“It was touch and go because there was concern about brain injuries,” Beau’s mother Rose said.

Almost a week after what was described as a mini heart attack, doctors tried to wean Beau off sedative drugs and have him emerge from the coma, but when he did, he was confused and combative. Beau, who even now doesn’t remember what had happened, had no idea what was going on or where he was. Doctors decided it would be best to again place him in a coma and wait. A few days later he underwent surgery to place a pacemaker in his chest to ensure that his heart keeps beating.

Almost two weeks after the accident, doctors again slowly took Beau off the drugs and he once again emerged from a coma, this time less combative – just confused. Jon and Rose told him what happened, about the heart attack, about the pacemaker and about how his life was different now. From now on, Beau has to take beta blocker drugs twice a day, for the rest of his life. He also has to be more aware of physical contact because any sudden strike to his body could stop his heart once again. Jon said it’s an adjustment, but one they will all get used to.

“Dad can’t wrestle with him for awhile,” Jon said. “It’s tough because we always used to do it... It’s an eye opener for me. I’ve got to adjust to his needs.”

Although Beau is disappointed about his new limitations – it’s unlikely he’ll be able to play contact sports like football or, at least this year, go hunting – he knows he will grow accustomed to his altered lifestyle.

“It’ll just be a habit,” Beau said about having to take pills everyday and being careful about physical contact. “I’ll get used to it. It’ll just be what I do.”

Since the accident, Beau has missed almost a month of school but he’ll be returning soon and he can’t wait. Although he hasn’t minded the break, he misses his friends. He has also grown tired of wearing a sling, which is meant to keep him from raising his arm higher than his shoulder, at least for now. Rose said she knows eventually her son will be back to normal.

“At first I’ll be concerned about letting him out that door and out of my sight,” Rose said. “But I don’t want to keep him in a bubble... (I) just want to let him live his life as normal as possible.”

But she knows Beau can’t wait to get out that door again, joking that he’s getting tired of hanging out with “us old people.” For now, though, he’s still at home, resting on the couch. Jon and Rose can’t take their eyes of their son. They both know it was a miracle that Beau lived.

“He’s got a purpose in life; we just have to find it,” Jon said. “The good Lord had his plan for Beau and it all worked in step.”

A trust fund has been set up to help the family with their medical bills and donations can be brought to the Parkside Federal Credit Union in Columbia Falls.
[End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/beau_battles_back/25241/

Main Street property manager, former mayor say the issue threatens health of city core

Rekindling Downtown Kalispell’s Parking Debate

By Dillon Tabish, 11-03-11



	Caption: Kalispell’s Parking Enforcement Officer marks tires with chalk along Main Street in downtown Kalispell. Downtown business owners have recently spoken out about a shortage in parking options. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Earlier this month Karlene Kohr asked the Kalispell City Council a simple question.

“Who wants to take business downtown when there’s no parking?” she said at the Oct. 17 meeting inside City Hall.

Kohr, who manages the La Lark building on Kalispell’s Main Street, believes the lack of adequate parking is driving customers away from downtown and hurting businesses. She said she speaks for a number of business owners who consider the parking situation to be a critical issue and one that has been largely ignored for more than 30 years. A former mayor who once strongly advocated for a parking structure downtown echoes her concerns.

In her public comment before the city council Kohr pleaded for the issue to finally be addressed.

“It’s been this problem that nobody has really wanted to resolve,” she said in a later interview.

“Why is it that we always have to take forever and then it ends up costing more to address these real problems? And downtown parking is a real problem.”

The streets in and around downtown have meter-less parking available, but cars can only stay in one spot for two hours before they are in danger of a $10 ticket. That’s a deterrent to shopping, Kohr said, as customers are less likely to stay and visit more than one store.

Then there’s the simple scarcity of parking spaces. Because of limited availability, downtown streets have become “through streets,” Kohr said, meaning cars are led right through town, away from business.

“If we could start talking about this problem instead of ignoring it, we could look at avenues and look at putting in angle parking,” she said. “Why do we want to move traffic away from the downtown area? We want to find a place for traffic to park.”

Doug Rauthe, who served as Kalispell mayor from 1990-98, regularly made efforts during his two terms trying to address the issue. Rauthe considered a parking structure on West Second Street near Valley Bank to be the best solution then, and still does now.

“Whether this economy will support (a parking structure), it’s probably a Catch-22 thing where until the economy gets better they won’t do it,” Rauthe, currently the executive director at Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana on Main Street, said. “But really the core of Kalispell is under threat because they haven’t done it.”

Rauthe believes one of the two parking structures that were proposed more than 10 years ago and nearly came to fruition would have improved downtown Kalispell. Instead, like Kohr, Rauthe believes the issue remains unresolved.

“Parking is just critical for the health of businesses,” he said. “Everybody needs to have parking.”

At Community Action Partnership alone, roughly 500 people per week walk through the doors along with nearly 70 employees. Every two hours, employees and clients are forced to stream out to their cars and move them to another two-hour location. This goes on throughout the day, Monday through Friday.

“Just trying to find a parking spot is really hard,” Community Action Partnership agency development director Danielle Bundrock said. “It’s just a waste of time and complicates things.”

There are 10 designated parking lots of varying sizes spread across downtown. The Skyline lot behind the VFW Lounge on First Avenue West was recently made a free lot as a way to attract downtown employees away from precious storefront parking spots.

At Glacier Bank on Main Street, two lots have been established for customers. But President Bob Nystuen says the day-to-day frustration is dealing with non-customers occupying the lots.

“We try to keep tabs on that and it’s kind of been a frustration for us,” he said. “Those are prime spots that customers would like to use.”

Nystuen has heard the parking structure conversation for years. He looks at it from a banker’s perspective when thinking about its feasibility.

“The big challenge is how does it pencil out? Where does the capital come from?” he said. “That’s always been a challenge.”

But that said, both Rauthe and Kohr believe if the city establishes a will to solve the overall parking situation, there’s a way.

“We have to keep brainstorming,” Rauthe said.

“In my lifetime I hope (the parking structure) comes to fruition. It certainly needs to, otherwise what will happen is exactly what we’ve seen; new businesses will move out to Hutton Ranch and points beyond and the core area will keep being threatened.”
[End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/rekindling_downtown_kalispells_parking_debate/25240/

Kalispell puts two teams in state football playoffs for first time; Glacier to host

Home Field Advantage

By Dillon Tabish, 11-03-11



	Caption: The Glacier Wolfpack defense runs up “the hill” at the end of practice adjacent to the high school. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Grady Bennett has hopes of his hometown one day being dominant in football like Helena. His dream came a little closer to reality this season.

For the first time ever, Kalispell has two high school teams in the Class AA playoffs, and the field at Legends Stadium has not seen its final game of 2011.

After the best regular season in program history, Bennett’s fourth-ranked Glacier Wolfpack earned their first home playoff game. The Wolfpack (8-2) host fifth-ranked Billings Senior (7-3) at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Broncs are a well-balanced team, with the third-ranked offense and defense in AA. Glacier is 1-1 against Senior, winning 41-21 in the regular season opener at home in 2009 but losing 28-13 on the road last year.

Flathead (4-6) snuck into the playoffs for the first time since 2008 by the slimmest of margins. The Braves beat Missoula Hellgate last Friday in their final game and then needed wins from Glacier, Butte and Great Falls C.M. Russell before their berth was secure.

On the same side of the bracket as Glacier, the Braves will travel to Billings on Friday to take on the new No. 1 team, West (9-1), at 7:30 p.m. Ranked third almost all season, Billings West took over the top spot in the standings after second-ranked Helena Capital (9-1) handed No.1-ranked Helena High (9-1) its first loss of the season, 20-13, last Saturday.

Bennett sees an exciting finish like the one in Helena between two powerhouse teams and dreams of one day experiencing that same atmosphere locally.

“Why can’t Kalispell be like Helena? Why not Kalispell?” he said recently. “We want to keep working to get both Flathead and Glacier to the level where this is where it’s at; this is where teams have to come through.”

Small steps lead the way, even though in the case of Glacier it’s been more like small leaps. The Wolfpack have established a winning tradition in only five years.

Among the Elite: Head coach Grady Bennett, top center, meets with his team and coaching staff at the end of practice at Glacier High School.

“They’re one of the top teams in the state right now,” Helena Capital coach Pat Murphy said. “They’ve gone from pushovers two or three years ago to one of the top programs. It’s a credit to the school and the way they’re building that program.”

Glacier has now made the playoffs three years in a row after going 2-18 the first two seasons. Since 2009 the Wolfpack are 21-11. Bennett admits the growth of the program happened faster than he thought it would.

“To build our program, we did it faster than probably anybody anticipated,” he said.

That’s the truth, according to legendary C.M. Russell head coach Jack Johnson. Johnson has coached for 39 years and has a career record of 324-103. He has been surprised by how well Glacier has done in the school’s short history.

“It’s pretty unusual,” Johnson said. “When (Billings) Skyview and (Missoula) Big Sky opened, I can’t remember how long it took them exactly. But I think Glacier has done it in a shorter amount of time than most people have.”

“They’re just a good, solid football team on both sides of the ball and on special teams,” he added. “They’ve done a good job up there.”

Just advancing into the postseason is no longer a lone goal, Bennett said. Glacier lost to Billings Skyview 28-14 in 2009. Last season, the Wolfpack fell to Helena 48-16.

This season, with a strong core of upperclassmen leading the best offense in the league, Glacier has its eyes on a new milestone.

“We’ve been in the playoffs but we want to win. That’s the focus,” Bennett said. “In the past, as a new program it was like, ‘Wow we made the playoffs.’ Now it’s the expectation, and now we need to win a game.”

The offense, led by another standout Glacier quarterback, is averaging more than 36 points per game and is filled with talent. First-year starting quarterback Taylor Hulslander is the top passer in the league and recently broke the school record for passing yards in a single season. The junior amassed 2,463 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and only nine interceptions during the regular season.

The previous school record was held by current Montana Grizzly Shay Smithwick-Hann, who passed for 2,340 yards his sophomore year in 2008. Smithwick-Hann had 22 TDs and seven interceptions that season.

Two of Hulslander’s favorite targets have been Kyle Griffith and Anthony Gugliuzza. Gugliuzza, also a great return man, has 768 yards receiving and nine touchdowns, and Griffith, the team’s capable kicker, has 756 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. Both are near the top of the league in these categories.

Running back Aaron Mitchell has impressed as well and had a monster game against Missoula Big Sky last week. Mitchell rushed for 197 yards and five touchdowns, both school records.

“All year long there has been two things that have stood out: their resiliency and the fact that nothing really rattles them,” Bennett said of his team.

Wolfpack quarterback Taylor Hulslander, second from right, pulls back for a throw while warming up with his teammates during a practice at Glacier High School.

Bennett said he knew this year’s team had the opportunity and the potential to achieve this type of success, but he didn’t know how it would play out.

“You always want to have high expectations. We knew we could be good,” he said. “Our junior class is talented but it all depended on how those seniors did. We knew it all depended on how they all stepped up. It’s amazing, it really is. I’m just really proud of the seniors and those young kids who stepped up.”

The same can be said at Flathead, where a second-half slump seemed to derail a strong start to the season. After starting out 3-2, the Braves dropped four straight games and seemed out of the playoffs for the third year in a row.

But the Braves rallied in what seemed to be their final opportunity. Against Hellgate last week, six different players scored and Flathead won 48-12. George Sherwood, one of the top receivers in the state, had 72 yards receiving and a touchdown. Sherwood now has 715 yards, third most in AA, and eight touchdowns this season.

First-year quarterback Matt Tokarz, a junior, continues to impress and finished the regular season with the most all-purpose yards of any player with 2,576. He amassed 27 touchdowns – 19 passing and eight rushing. Billings West quarterback Brady Gustafson is third behind Tokarz and Hulslander with 2,243 total yards.

In other first-round Class AA action, third-seeded Helena High is hosting sixth-seeded C.M. Russell and second-seed Capital is hosting seventh-seeded Butte. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/home_field_advantage/25256/

Kalispell sees a growing list of downtown dining options

Fresh Flavors

By Dillon Tabish, 11-03-11



	Caption: Marty Stuehler, left, and Pam Cole, center, have their table cleared while dining in the new Rising Sun Bistro space in Kalispell. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

The menu choices keep growing in downtown Kalispell.

A fresh crop of restaurants opened recently in the historic center of town, shepherding in a new set of flavors that business owners hope will last.

Two popular restaurants reopened last week with a different look: Rising Sun Bistro, formerly of Whitefish, and Hop’s Downtown Grill, formerly Capers Restaurant and Pizzeria. The latest offerings join an expanding list of eateries, including the new Split Rock Café, Majestic Mountains Bistro Café, Bonelli’s Bistro and ScottiBelli’s Ristorante.

Slightly outside of downtown, the Original Chicken Coop has also opened in the last year on West Center Street and Pizza Hut on North Main Street recently grew to combine Wing Street.

“We’re committed to downtown and we’re committed to that feel of downtown,” Doug Day, co-owner and chef at Hop’s, said. “That’s what this is about.”

Rising Sun Bistro
Rising Sun Bistro, previously a popular destination in Whitefish, opened its doors last week in the classic brick building on Second Avenue West where the Knead Café was once located.

Owned by Jennifer Griffith, her mother Sally Racine and her godmother Peggy Kirby, Rising Sun features a French-oriented menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with a cabaret license and a bar menu.

Everything on the menu is tied to the current season and mostly local, Griffith said. Rising Sun is a member of the international Slow Food organization that promotes clean, healthy, local food that is produced without harming the environment.

“We’re good food oriented,” Griffith said.

Rising Sun earned praise while in Whitefish, even being recognized last summer in Travel and Leisure Magazine’s “Chef’s Favorite U.S. Restaurants” for Montana. But the owners, who took over in 2005, could not resist the opportunity to have their own building and expand the operation, opportunities that Kalispell offered. In its new location, Rising Sun has double the capacity and double the staff compared to Whitefish, Griffith said.

“We have a really good product and now our kitchen is four times the size, so the space is letting us do so much more,” Griffith said.

“People can expect quality and community and just appreciation for letting us come in and redo this,” she added.

Split Rock Cafe

On their first date, Jason and his wife Jocelyn Gerbozy talked about opening a restaurant. Seven years and two kids later, the Gerbozys have made it happen with Split Rock Cafe.

Surrounded by historic photographs of the KM Building and the Flathead County Courthouse, Cece Balcom clears a table at Split Rock Cafe in Kalispell.

In the historic KM Building where Red’s Wines & Blues used to be, Split Rock is a breakfast and lunch destination modeled after Buffalo Café in Whitefish and Echo Lake Café outside of Bigfork, two successful and popular breakfast stops that have built strong customer bases throughout the years. The Gerbozys hope to expand with a cabaret license and evening menu in the future.

“We’re trying not to get carried away with complex food,” Jason said. “We want to keep it simple and offer good food with fresh ingredients and good service.”

Managed by Jocelyn, Split Rock opened in July and has blended into the historical character of the KM Building. When talking about the building, Jason explains with enthusiasm the history he’s been learning since moving in, such as the significance of the KM Building as one of the first and most important buildings in town in the early 20th Century. And he points out that Second Street East used to be the main street in town.

To hear him talk about the history is to see how much he wants to be a part of it.

“We believe in what downtown could be and we want to be a part of that as downtown grows,” Jason said.

Hop’s Downtown Grill
Doug and Vonnie Day have had a restaurant on Main Street for 15 years, starting with Café Max and then Capers. The intimate downtown setting has transitioned once again to the type of restaurant Doug has wanted to create all along. And, as he puts it, he’s “saved his best for last.”

Last week, the Days unveiled Hop’s, a similarly fashioned restaurant with a new taste, described simply as “American.”

“The focus is American food and the diversity of American food,” Doug said. “What I describe it as is really an American restaurant, and that can mean a lot of things and that’s what I like.”

The new menu still lists the classic brick oven pizzas that Capers was well known for, but now there’s a long list of unique hamburgers and appetizers. The restaurant will also be home to almost 100 beers, Doug said. Right now, eight regional beers are on tap along with bottled beers from across the country. And the wine list is still as impressive as ever.

“This was always what I wanted to do, and the time was right to do it,” he said.

Doug has seen many downtown businesses come and go throughout the years. Staying power, he said, lies in the quality of food and service — that will always prevail.

Day isn’t considering the new crop of restaurants to be competition; he considers it a positive to have new roots being planted downtown.

“We really want to work with the downtown restaurants, as a group, not as a competition,” he said. “We’re really happy to see these places coming downtown.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/fresh_flavors/25250/

City deciding how to spend millions of tax increment dollars

The Whitefish TIF Debate

By Myers Reece, 11-02-11



	Caption: Whitefish City Hall. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

What Whitefish city officials know is that they will have millions of tax increment finance dollars available for infrastructure projects in the coming years. What they don’t know is exactly how to spend those millions.

And at the heart of that question, especially in recent months, is how much can and should be divvied out to a new City Hall and an updated high school. The city council is expected to give staff direction on addressing that question at a Nov. 7 public meeting.

“Financially I think there’s room for both,” City Manager Chuck Stearns said in an interview last week. “They just have to decide how they want to consider including the school and to what level.”

In mid-October, the Whitefish City Council held a work session to discuss options for using money generated by the city’s TIF district, which sunsets in 2020. Cities use TIF districts as an economic development tool in which revenue gained from increased taxes within the district is funneled into a special fund. That money is reserved for specific projects that improve the district and hopefully encourage business growth there.

Whitefish city officials expect the TIF district to generate more than $4 million per year through fiscal year 2020, the final year before the district expires. That puts the TIF fund on pace for an ending cash balance of $10.7 million when factoring in already dedicated expenditures.

At the work session, councilors and staff discussed whether the high school would be an eligible project for TIF funds. The Whitefish school district has identified a new or updated school as a top priority. Much of the current facility is more than 50 years old, which school officials say presents a variety of concerns, including health and safety.

After a lengthy planning process that included substantial public comment, a design team has presented a proposal that would combine renovations with new construction to modernize the high school. The price tag is $18.5-19.5 million and councilors would like to know if TIF funds can be used to help pay for that figure or any other proposed figure that may arise.

During its Oct. 17 work session, the council looked at three primary options for allocating TIF funds for the high school. One is releasing revenue to all of the taxing jurisdictions that contribute to the fund. The city could also advance a certain amount of tax revenue that the school district is anticipated to receive from the city over the coming years. The city and school district have a unique interlocal agreement in which the district receives a share of residential tax increases.

Wendy Compton-Ring walks past the front entrance of Whitefish High School. Whitefish is considering using TIF funds to help pay for a new high school.

A third option, generally favored by the council, is adding the school to the TIF district. Stearns said the city is looking into the legal aspects of such a move, adding that “all options are still in play.”

Stearns knows of examples in which cities have made direct TIF contributions to school districts in Montana, though they generally involve lower sums of money. When he was finance director in Missoula two decades ago, Stearns said the city made a contribution to the school district from the TIF fund to help pay for windows.

“Direct grants have been made to schools in the past but the difference here is the amount of money,” Stearns said.

He also cautioned against being too liberal with interpreting TIF laws. When the state Legislature convenes every two years, Stearns said TIF districts are often a topic of conversation, particularly if a legislator perceives that a certain municipality is misusing the funds.

“When people stretch the boundaries, someone may or may not like that,” Stearns said. “Everyone has their own ideas of how tax increment funds should be used and sometimes those options differ.”

Contributing funds to a new City Hall is more straightforward. When the city adopted its urban renewal plan in 1987, it was decided that TIF funds would fund a new City Hall to avoid issuing a bond or raising taxes.

The current building was built in 1917 and the façade was refaced in 1958. City officials say there are size limitations and structural deficiencies in the building. Currently, the parks and recreation and building departments are housed in separate locations.

Based on the resolutions of past city councils, Stearns said more than $1.5 million has been allocated so far for City Hall construction. Council has the power to overturn those resolutions if it wants to use the money elsewhere.

Stearns has been meeting with Finance Director Rich Knapp and other involved parties such as the school district. He also points out that there is a list of other projects eligible for TIF funds.

“We have to look at all of our options,” he said. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/the_whitefish_tif_debate/25239/

A disabled WWII veteran finds solace – and large bull elk – out in the woods

Hunting for Healing

By Myers Reece, 11-02-11



	Caption: Sharpshooter: Al Paine stands on his property in Columbia Falls a day after harvesting an elk for the second year in a row. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

COLUMBIA FALLS – Al Paine smiles so much it’s hard to tell he’s in pain. But old World War II injuries in his feet are haunting him. These days he walks with a cane or cruises around on his Golden Companion scooter. The grocery store seems a lot farther from home than it used to. And the woods seem even farther, which is more painful than anything for the 86-year-old. He loves elk hunting.

But on two memorable October days over the past two years, Paine mustered up the mobility to take his .35 Whelen rifle into the woods in search of the wild wapiti. Both times, he shot a large bull. And both times, Mike Robison was there, including last Monday when Robison and Chad Taber helped call in a 5-by-5 bull that Paine promptly took down.

For Paine, a tough old-timer facing the dreary prospect of immobility after seven decades of hunting, it was an emotional moment. For Robison, it was worth every cent lost from closing down his All About Sports and Tool Shed shops in Columbia Falls for the day. Money can’t buy moments like those.

Al Paine moves the head of a large elk he harvested on Oct. 24. Paine is a disabled World War II veteran.

“He was in tears,” Robison said of Paine. “It was so cool. It was something else.”

It was the second year in a row Robison has accompanied Paine on a hunting trip, serving as a sort of guide for his elder. Last fall, Robison and two acquaintances helped Paine get a massive 7-by-8 bull.

This year, Robison and Paine, along with Taber, returned to the same area, a Block Management chunk of land owned by Columbia Falls Aluminum Company and reserved for hunters with disabilities and youth. Paine, disabled from World War II injuries, has drawn a permit each of the last two years.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks entered into the Block Management partnership with CFAC three years ago. Lee Anderson, FWP’s regional game warden captain, said the property is the only hunting area he’s aware of in Montana that’s open exclusively to the disabled and youth. Anderson said game warden Perry Brown deserves much of the credit for starting up the program.

“It’s very unique,” Anderson said.

The CFAC land is divided into a 900-acre southern section located east of Columbia Falls and a 1,000-acre northern section situated below the base of Teakettle Mountain. The southerly portion has roads from which disabled hunters with proper permits can shoot from their vehicles. The northern part is walk-in. FWP wardens patrol and enforce regulations on the full 1,900 acres.

Hopeful hunters enter into drawings for one-day permits. A hunter who draws a tag gets the entire northerly or southerly section to his or herself for a full day during the season, and is allowed to bring companions. In Paine’s case, Robison and the other companions aided with field dressing and transporting the animal, in addition to helping Paine get in the position to make a kill.

Allowing only one hunting party each day, Anderson said, gives the permit holder the best possible chance at shooting an animal. And closing off the property for three days a week prevents overhunting.

“It’s not a huge area,” Anderson said. “We wanted to provide maximum opportunity and maintain a quality hunt. We want to make sure hunters aren’t just crawling all over each other.”

Paine frequents Robison’s stores in Columbia Falls and over the years the two have gotten to know each other well. Last year, Paine mentioned that “he didn’t have anybody to go hunting with him,” Robison said.

At his home in Columbia Falls, Al Paine talks about this year’s hunting outing, which resulted in a bull elk.

“I said, ‘Shoot, I have a lot of buddies who would like to help,’” Robison said. “I never thought we’d get two elk in two years.”

Any elk hunter knows how difficult it is harvest an animal, let alone a trophy. Paine is a sure shot with his trusty .35 Whelen, but his success can also likely be attributed to a combination of good fortune, good hunting buddies and good things happening to a deserving guy.

“Al, he’s a heck of a good guy,” Robison said.

Paine has put in many years of tromping through the high mountains in freezing weather, searching for that elusive bull. Perhaps he is being rewarded for all of those years. He said his bull last year was either the largest he’s ever shot or at least in the top two, rivaled only by one he shot 20 years ago in Canada.

This year’s bull, harvested on Oct. 24, was divvied up between Paine, Robison and Taber. Paine said he gave the nicest cuts away, partly because “I can only eat burger these days with my teeth the way they are” but mostly to show his gratitude for his younger hunting pals.
“They worked so hard to help me,” Paine said. “Mike closed down his business and Chad took the day off work.”

Robison said his two hunting trips with Paine are the only two times he has shut down his stores for reasons other than family. And he will gladly do it again next year. When customers come to Robison’s door, instead of finding an open store they find a sign: “Happy Hunting.”

The antlers of a large bull elk Al Paine harvested this year are seen extending upward toward a metal elk cutout on his garage door.

And if those customers could see Paine, they would understand that the sign is more than a well-worn, old saying. Rather, it’s a fitting description of what it’s like to spend an October day in the woods with an 86-year-old man who, on that day, has walked away from his pain.

“I’ve been hunting my whole life,” Paine said. “I love it. I just love being able to get out. The way it is now, I’m cooped enough.

“I’m already making plans for next year.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/hunting_for_healing/25236/

Special stamp, cachet commissioned by historic preservation group

Somers Celebrates Post Office’s 110 Years

By Molly Priddy, 11-01-11



	Caption: Bill Bosslet enters the Somers Post Office on Somers Road. The Somers Company Town Project has commissioned a stamp celebrating the 110-year anniversary of the post office. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

The Somers Post Office recently turned 110 years old, and a group of citizens celebrated the event with a special emphasis on promoting the town’s history.

The Somers Company Town Project is an effort by Flathead Valley residents interested in historic preservation activities. In honor of the post office’s anniversary, the SCTP commissioned a stamp, a cachet and a cancellation stamp to commemorate the event, according to Tom Sliter, the group’s treasurer.

Multiple books of stamps and 250 envelopes were sold during the anniversary celebration on Oct. 21.

The stamp, created on Stamps.com, features a 1940 photo of the town’s historic S-2 steam locomotive engine. This engine, put into service in 1929, moved trams of railroad ties in the tie-treatment plant established by the Great Northern Railway, according to the SCTP.

At its peak in 1937, the Somers sawmill employed 375 people and produced 60 million board feet, according to the SCTP.

When the engine was taken out of commission, Somers residents worked to get it placed back in town after a term with the county historical society. It was repainted and placed at the head of Rails to Trails.

Sliter said the SCTP is raising money to build a shelter to cover the engine and protect it from the elements. The funds earned from the cachet and stamp sales on Oct. 21 garnered about $1,000 toward the project, he said. There was more interest than the group expected.

“Because of the success we had that day, we sold out (of cachets and stamps),” Sliter said.

The group expected to receive a new shipment of stamps and cachets on Oct. 28. Sliter said many of the people who purchased the anniversary products either used them to send a note to relatives or set them aside as collectors’ items.

The stamps are official postage and worth 44 cents. The cancellation stamp features the Oct. 21 anniversary date and reads, “Somers Post Office 110 Year Station.” The cachet envelope features a photo of downtown Somers in its early years.

As part of the event, Sliter said the group put together a pamphlet on the history of Somers, including important landmarks such as the water tower, St. Ann’s Catholic Church, a historic milk route and the various historic uses for Flathead Lake.

Other than the post office’s anniversary and the S-2 engine, the SCTP has worked on multiple historical preservation projects, including one with local eighth-grade students, Sliter said. The students interviewed longtime community members and recorded the sessions, eventually transferring the chats to DVDs.

The SCTP has also hosted a wine tasting event at the Somers Bay Café, Sliter said.

For more information on the Somers Company Town Project, visit www.sliters.com/somerscotownproject. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/Somers_Celebrates_Post_Office_110_Years/25244/

Defending Champ to Host Class B Football Quarterfinal Game

Bigfork Wins in Dramatic Fashion

By Myers Reece, 11-01-11



	Caption: Senior running back Cody Dopps, left, rushed for 286 yards in a Bigfork win in the first round of the Class B playoffs. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Just when hope had started to fade and the season seemed lost, that Bigfork magic returned.

The defending champs are not done yet.

Led by senior running back Cody Dopps, the fourth-ranked Vikings rallied in the second half from 20 points down to stun Florence 35-26 in the first round of the Class B playoffs in Bigfork on Oct. 29. The Vikings will try to keep the momentum going in the quarterfinals on Nov. 5 when they host second-ranked Malta (9-0) at 1 p.m.

Following the dramatic win, Bigfork has now won of 14 of the last 15 games dating back to the midway point last season.

“It wasn’t looking good at half,” Vikings head coach Todd Emslie said. “It showed us a lot about this team’s character. I know what kind of kids these are and what their character is, but it’s nice to see them prove it. They really proved it on Saturday.”

Dopps, who had the tough task of replacing standout Travis Knoll this season, turned in a performance second to none. The senior running back had 286 yards on 45 carries and scored four touchdowns in the second half.

“We just made a decision at halftime that we were going to put the ball in Cody’s hands and our offensive line’s,” Emslie said. “(Dopps) popped some unbelievable runs.”

The exciting come-from-behind win called to mind last year’s dramatic playoff run that ended with a last-second, game-winning touchdown in the title game.

But this Bigfork team is telling its own unique story this season, and it’s been an exciting one. The Vikes (8-1) have not lost since the opener on Sept. 2 against Ronan, 32-12. Since then the team has scored 41 points or more all but once, when they beat Missoula Loyola 21-12.

Before Saturday’s game against Florence, the defense had not allowed more than 13 points in any game except against Ronan. The team has not lost at home since Oct. 9, 2009, when Fairfield defeated the Vikings 35-0.

And regardless of whatever ending there may be, this year’s story is already a memorable one.

“That sense of accomplishment that this team has after that (Florence game), it’s going to carry into basketball season and into their lives,” Emslie said. “They learned never to quit and that you just have to work hard. The harder you work, good things will happen.”

In the Class A playoffs, fourth-ranked Polson is ready to go after a first-round bye. The undefeated Pirates (8-0) will host fifth-ranked Miles City (8-2) on Nov. 5. Miles City defeated Livingston 57-14 in the opening round.

Polson is the lone Northwestern A team remaining after Libby lost to Hamilton 28-11 and Whitefish fell 52-19 to Stevensville.

Senior quarterback Vince DiGiallonardo has turned in a great final season at Polson. DiGiallonardo has piled up 22 touchdowns (16 rushing, six passing) and 1,069 total yards (541 passing, 528 rushing).

The Polson defense has been nearly flawless this season, allowing only 52 total points. The Pirates have had four shutouts and allowed more than a touchdown only once, in a 53-32 win over Whitefish. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/bigfork_wins_in_dramatic_fashion/25243/

Region is highlighted in Obama administration report on conservation and recreation

Recognizing the Crown of the Continent

By Myers Reece, 10-30-11



	Caption: As fog settles in over Glacier National Park, the early morning sun begins to illuminate Reynolds Mountain looming above Logan Pass. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Stretched across a state and two provinces, the Crown of the Continent is one of the last wild places in America and now it is being highlighted in a report by the U.S. Department of Interior promoting the outdoors.

The report, to be released this week, features two prominent projects in each state that reconnect the public with nature. Here in Montana, that includes both the Crown of the Continent – the region encompassing Glacier and Waterton Lakes national parks and surrounding areas all the way south to Missoula – and the Fort Missoula Regional Park.

The report is part of President Barack Obama's “America's Great Outdoors” initiative, which is aimed at getting people reconnected with the environment. The initiative is also designed to stimulate the economy by promoting travel, tourism and working forests, according to Will Shafroth, counselor to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. Shafroth said the department worked closely with each state to pick two projects and decide how federal, state and local governments could work together to promote and preserve them.

“The Crown is exactly the type of partnership that we need to be more supportive of – a partnership between private landowners and federal agencies,” Shafroth said.

The Crown of the Continent geotourism project has been spearheaded by National Geographic and the Center for Sustainable Destinations. At the center of the project is a map and guide produced by the Crown of the Continent Geotourism Council that showcases some of the environmental and cultural highlights of the region. According to project coordinator Dylan Boyle, there are very few places like the Crown on earth and that's a primary reason why it made the report.

“It's an honor that people outside the area see (the Crown) as special as we do and that helps us with our mission,” he said. “It helps us show that tourism is an economic engine, but it also shows that conservation can support that.”

According to the Department of the Interior, the report will bring attention to these projects and Boyle said he hopes it brings recognition to the groups, from economists to conservationists, who have worked to establish the Crown of the Continent.

Salazar, in a press release last week, said the project highlights the efforts of government at all levels to help preserve America's wild places.

“Under the America's Great Outdoors Initiative, we are listening to the people of Montana and communities across America and working with them on locally based projects that will conserve the beauty and health of our land and water and open up more opportunities for people to enjoy them,” Salazar said.

Shafroth said ultimately the project is about preserving the past, both environmentally and culturally.

“(The Crown of the Continent) is a place that is a lot like it was 100 years ago,” Shafroth said. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/recognizing_the_crown_of_the_continent/25215/

Marion

PLACES: Little Bitterroot Lake

By Web Master, 10-30-11



	Caption: The road to Little Bitterroot Lake. - Justin Franz/Flathead Beacon

Secluded on the shores of Little Bitterroot Lake, the Kelsey Cummings Park is located just north of Marion and provides access to an oft-ignored place in the Flathead area.

Visitors can park at a small lot located near the park and enjoy the views from the water's edge and lunch at one of the picnic tables. Even at just 3 acres, there is plenty to enjoy at the park and you can launch your boat onto Little Bitterroot Lake. The park includes a gazebo and bathrooms, all maintained by Flathead County Parks and Recreation.

Although there are homes and cabins along the lake, the park is very quiet and there is little traffic, although it should be noted that a road does cut through the park area and people should use caution.

Even though it may be getting too cold to head out on the water, Kelsey Cummings Park on the Little Bitterroot Lake is a perfect spot to simply sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery the Flathead Valley has to offer.

How to get there: From Marion, turn north off U.S. Highway 2 and drive down Pleasant Valley Road, past both the post office and elementary school. When you arrive at a fork, take a left onto Bitterroot Drive. Drive less than two miles to Bitterroot Lane, which is on the right. Turn there and on the left you'll find the parking lot and straight ahead is the boat launch. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/places_little_bitterroot_lake/25140/

Board discusses plans to update facilities

Kalispell Schools Address Long-Range Planning, Overcrowding

By Myers Reece, 10-29-11



	Caption: Kindergarten teacher Brent Benkelman, center, greets students as they arrive for class at Elrod Elementary School in Kalispell. School board officials are working on a long-range facility plan that will address the district's overcrowded classrooms. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Elementary school classrooms across the district remain overcrowded and the Kalispell School Board is hoping to find a solution with an updated long-range facility plan.

Superintendent Darlene Schottle presented a planning proposal draft at an Oct. 25 school board work session that would modernize the current facility plan to address new and future challenges in School District 5, namely overburdened elementary schools.

Currently the district is the equivalency of eight classrooms short for elementary students, according to Assistant Superintendant Dan Zorn.

“You have an immediate need right now for classrooms,” school board member Rob Keller said.

The long-range facility plan, which was last updated in 2004, has a list of “critical assumptions” that would give board members a framework for future decision-making.

The list includes a standard of excellence that should be maintained in academics and activity programs; a focus on ongoing upgrades, maintenance and technology improvements; an established facility plan that meets the diverse needs of students; and providing better infrastructure for all aspects of a school, like food service.

Also high on the list is relieving overcrowding in schools. The district has been grappling with high enrollments, lack of sustainable space and short staffing.

In September, the board voted to increase librarians’ work hours to full-time and add teacher aides to assist with the crowded classrooms. Help arrived at Elrod Elementary School on Oct. 24.

“I know my staff is happy that we have that extra support,” Elrod Principal Jeff Hornby said. “It’s really probably not enough. It’s a quick fix and we’d like to see a long-term fix. It’s a universal issue through our district that we have limited space for the numbers of kids we have.”

As a way to address the district’s congested classrooms, board members at last week’s work session entertained the idea of forming a board of trustees for the facility plan that would include community members and examine a wide array of options to present to the public.

Possible solutions that have been discussed include additions to existing space or building a new elementary school, but board members must find a way to pay for improvements or new construction, which could mean floating a bond.

Last March, Kalispell residents overwhelmingly rejected a school building reserve levy that would have provided the district with almost $6 million in funds for building improvements.

At the recent work session, the school district talked about presenting a bond to the public that would fund construction for a new school. If a bond were to pass in the next year, Schottle predicted a new elementary school could be running by 2014.

“We had community support with bonds in 2004 that allowed us to build a second high school, enhance the original high school structure, renovate and expand our junior high into a middle school,” Schottle told board members. “The staff and student outcomes within these buildings are a testimony to the positive impact that enhanced learning environments can have on student achievement and working conditions.”

The school board will vote to approve the updated long-range facility plan at an upcoming meeting and will move forward from there with trying to implement the goals.

“Despite this situation we must continue to examine our district needs in terms of an increasing student population, some aging facilities and the need to provide 21st Century learning opportunities to our students,” Schottle wrote in the proposed plan. “We believe that there is support for our schools, but we must be creative in finding funding solutions that will be supported by our community.”

At Elrod, Hornby has seen classes spill over into the library, where more student groups are being held. Discipline issues are a growing concern with the high amount of students, Hornby said, especially at recesses and in physical education.

The Elrod staff, like other elementary school staffs in town, is making adjustments, but Hornby would like to see a more permanent solution.

“It’s inevitable for Kalispell that we’re going to have to do something to accommodate this many kids,” he said. “Whether that’s a new building or an addition or more staff, something will have to happen.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/kalispell_schools_address_long-range_planning_overcrowding/25214/

National award recognizes partnership between Missoula group and Stinger Welding

Libby Project Honored for Use of Tax Credits

By Myers Reece, 10-28-11



	Caption: Stinger Welding, Inc., employees work on steel while constructing bridge girders in an old central maintenance facility at a former lumber mill in the Kootenai Business Park in Libby. Earlier this year, Stinger moved into a brand new facility. – Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

A project by the Montana Community Development Corporation has been awarded top honors by the Novogradac Community Development Foundation for using new markets tax credits to assist Stinger Welding in Libby.

Montana CDC, a Missoula-based nonprofit small business lender, helped secure $17 million for Stinger Welding to complete a steel fabrication plant earlier this year in Libby. Stinger is an Arizona-based company that fabricates infrastructure for bridges.

The Montana CDC applies for tax credits from the U.S. Treasury, which in turn sells them to investors to get capital for startups and small businesses. Montana CDC President Dave Glaser said the fact that the Stinger project was located in an area with a struggling economy was an important factor in both securing the funds and winning the award.

Glaser’s organization received the top award for Operating Business of the Year last week at a conference hosted in Chicago focusing on new markets tax credits.

“Ultimately this is a very competitive program and the Stinger Welding project was a strong one,” Glaser said. “We're basically (giving incentive) for businesses to invest in low-income areas.”

Lynn Dankowski, marketing manager for Montana CDC, said the Urban Investment Group at Goldman Sachs was the primary investor in the Libby project. With the investment, Montana CDC was able to get money up front for Stinger's expansion in Libby. Dankowski said an important aspect of the program is finding investors who are willing to wait for their payback.

The award gained the attention of Montana U.S. Sen. Max Baucus as well, who congratulated Montana CDC on being one of the best financial development corporations in the country. According to a press release issued by the senator’s office, Baucus has worked to ensure that a fair share of the U.S. Treasury’s new markets tax credits are spent in rural areas.

“My hat goes off to Montana CDC for helping businesses create jobs in Montana by using the New Markets Tax Credit program,” he wrote in a press release. “This national recognition is one more way we can spread the word that Montana is a great place to invest and do business.”

Stinger Welding came to Libby in 2009 to establish a 105,000-square-foot fabrication plant, yet a lack of funds stalled the project until this year. When it's in full operation, Stinger could employ up to 160 welders, including many who are being trained at the nearby Flathead Valley Community College Lincoln County Campus. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/libby_project_honored_for_use_of_tax_credits/25203/

Your Weekend Guide

On Tap: Soccer and Christmas at the Mansion

By Molly Priddy, 10-28-11

Live Music:
Friday: Zen Cowboy, Chuck Pyle in Concert at Kandahar Lodge, Whitefish Mountain Resort; Richie Reinholdt at Symes Hot Springs Hotel; Gent Treadly at Swanee's Bar and Grill; Marion Grille Halloween Party, Live music by Dangerous at the Marion Grille; Russ Nasset and the Revelators at Great Northern Bar; Moonshine Mountain at Craggy Range Bar and Grill

Saturday: Live Classic Country at Eagles; Spring Wagon Stringband - Halloween Hoedown Party at Cottage Inn; Voodo Horseshoes at Symes Hot Springs Hotel; 20 Grand at Stonefly Lounge; Russ Nasset and the Revelators at Great Northern Bar

Sports:
Friday Football: Glacier v. Missoula Big Sky at Legends Stadium at 7 p.m.

Saturday Soccer: Whitefish v. Polson at 12 p.m. for Class A boys state soccer championship; Football: Bigfork v. Florence-Carlton at 1 p.m.

Arts and Events:
Friday: Last Fridays, Bigfork Art Walk at Downtown Bigfork; Waiting for Lefty at Flathead High School; Native Vision at O'Shaughnessy Center; Sweeney Todd at John Dowdall Theatre; Haunted House at the Zone Family Fun Center; Christmas at the Mansion - 28th Annual at Conrad Mansion

Saturday: It's Pumpkin Time, Charlie Brown at O'Shaughnessy Center; Waiting for Lefty at Flathead High School; Twelve Angry Men at Glacier High School; Growl-O-Ween at Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply; Christmas at the Mansion - 28th Annual at Conrad Mansion

For a full listing of times and other events, go to www.flatheadevents.net. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/on_tap_soccer_and_christmas_at_the_mansion/25211/

Bravettes playing with renewed confidence

Poised for a State Run

By Myers Reece, 10-28-11



	Caption: Flathead's Hannah Sackett, left, looks to spike the ball during practice at Flathead High School. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Asking a Flathead Bravette volleyball player what it takes to win the state title yields a response that has shades of psychology.

The Bravette will tell you that the differences between going home empty handed and hoisting the shiny trophy at year’s end are decided only partly by what goes on inside the painted lines and largely by what goes on inside their heads.

The word “mental,” as attached to “consistency” and “toughness,” comes up frequently in conversation, as does the concept of “not playing inside our heads.” Which is a way of saying, “just play.”

At some point, the players know that too much thinking may actually hinder the raw athleticism and talent they have throughout their roster.

“We need to focus just on playing,” senior setter Alison Lunde said. “When we get inside our own heads a lot, we get in slumps. If we just play, we can make it there.”

When Lunde says “there” she is referring to the state championship. And she is not alone in her belief that this Flathead team is a legitimate title contender.

In last week’s Class AA power poll, the Bravettes were ranked third overall behind Helena High and Billings Senior and second in Western AA. Flathead’s record is 16-8, including 8-3 in league. The Bravettes lost to top-ranked Helena on Oct. 20 but then rebounded with a win over Helena Capital the following day.

Head volleyball coach Leon Wilcox, right, keeps track of points as the Bravettes play a team game during practice at Flathead High School.

Flathead has one remaining regular season match on Oct. 29 at home against Missoula Big Sky. The state tournament is held Nov. 10-12 at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman.

“This is the best team I’ve played on for sure,” senior hitter Kylie Schlegel said. “We all know we have the talent but we need the consistent mental toughness to win it all.”

Flathead is indeed talented. What opponents likely notice first is the team’s imposing front line, which is able to rotate no fewer than five 6-footers, including Schlegel, 6-3 junior Kwyn Johnson and all-state senior Hannah Sackett.

“All of our hitters are very capable of putting the ball away when we need to,” Schlegel said.

But the team’s talent does not stop up front. Lunde is an all-conference setter, while every other position on the court at any time is filled by a capable athlete. Head coach Leon Wilcox said he has been pleased by the team’s improved back-row defense.

“We’re solid at six positions,” Wilcox said. “Not many teams have that. It’s quite a blessing.”

Earlier in the month, the Bravettes traveled to Spokane for the 64-team Crossover Classic volleyball tournament. Wilcox said it’s the first time he’s aware of that a Montana team has participated in the tournament and the players said many of the opponents had no clue where the Flathead Valley is. The Bravettes finished third.

“They didn’t know anything about us, but we left our mark,” Schlegel said.

Flathead's Cassie Krueger, center, eyes a spike during practice at Flathead High School.

The third-place finish against a field loaded with high-quality, out-of-state opponents gave the players renewed confidence, which Schlegel said has shown in the energy level at practices.

“Looking at the teams we beat,” Wilcox said, “says a lot about what we can do when we’re not in our heads.”

In Wilcox’s five years as head coach, the Bravettes have made it to the Class AA state tournament each year, including a third-place finish in 2007. Flathead High’s lone state title came in 2001.

Wilcox has worked with this year’s seniors since they were in eighth grade. Led by those talented seniors, he believes his team – which has been playing “determined” and “with a sense of purpose” – has the tools to make a deep run at state.

“It’s been five years of developing them and watching them grow,” Wilcox said of his seniors. “This is kind of the culmination of those five years of work. If anybody’s hungry, it’s those seniors.

“It’s their last shot. I think they’re especially keen to go all the way.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/poised_for_a_state_run/25155/

Young actors troupe performs Charles Schulz classic

It’s Pumpkin Time in Whitefish

By Web Master, 10-27-11



	Caption: Grayson Gorian, Katie Blankenship, Elleanor Taylor and Makkie Haller, clockwise from top left, cheer during a rehearsal of "It's Pumpkin Time Charlie Brown!" at the O'Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. Whitefish Theatre Company's Young Actor Performance Troupe will perform skits from the Peanuts' comics by Charles Schulz in two performances for kids by kids. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

In a nearly empty theater, April Vogel sat at a piano and looked over a stack of scripts and notes. In front of her were four members of the Whitefish Theatre Co. Young Actor Performance Troupe, preparing for this year's performance of “It's Pumpkin Time, Charlie Brown!” – the classic Halloween tale by Charles Schulz.

“I can't hear you!” she said, stopping often to give notes to the young performers, all between the ages 11 and 13.

After noting where they should stand, how they should recite their lines and where to look, the troupe began again, now going into the classic scene of Charlie Brown trying to kick the football Lucy's holding.

“Can't hear you!” she said again.

“This is how rehearsal works,” Vogel said.

And members of the Young Actor Performance Troupe, established by the theater company last year, have been attending a lot of rehearsals as they prepare for two shows on Saturday, Oct. 29 at the O'Shaughnessy Center in downtown Whitefish.

The troupe was established for children in grades six through 10. Twice a year auditions are held for spots on and off stage for two annual productions, keeping with the theme of “theatre for kids, by kids.”

Vogel is the theater's director of education and organizes the youth performances. She started the program to give the young actors an outlet for their passion. A passion, she said, that provides life skills.

“I'm filling their tool box constantly with things that'll make them good citizens,” she said.

Vogel picked Schulz's Peanuts Halloween story because of the humor the play invokes and issues it addresses, even decades after the story was penned. She said while the primary audience is children, the story lines are relatable to any age.

With a number of items depicting Charlie Brown on her piano top, April Dawn Vogel directs Whitefish Theatre Company's Young Actor Performance Troupe rehearsal of "It's Pumpkin Time Charlie Brown!" at the O’Shaughnessy Center.

A highlight of the event will be a real pumpkin patch created inside the theater with pumpkins donated from Super 1 Foods. Kids will be able to sit among the pumpkins and some will be able to take one home. Vogel said it's the perfect place for the community to pause for a moment and relax.

“We're so fast paced and busy now, it's great to have the kids come and sit in a pumpkin patch and enjoy the humor of Charles Schulz,” she said.

For the young actors who put on the show, it's mostly about fun. All of the children participating have been in plays and shows before and Vogel said they are all advanced for their age, including 11-year-old Grayson Gorian.

“Well if you're playing a mean character, you don't get in trouble because you're supposed to be mean,” she said. “And it's fun and I like the costumes.”

All of the kids said they loved being in the plays, though their reactions were mixed as to if they wanted to do it for the rest of their lives. Some want to be famous, others secret agents.

Vogel said that whatever they do, they'll be successful because of the skills they've learned on stage, including not being scared of being in front of a crowd.

“It's scary at first because your heart is like ‘ba-boom, ba-boom’ and then you realize it's just like rehearsal but they're people in the seats,” Gorian said.

“It's Pumpkin Time, Charlie Brown!” will be performed on Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $5. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/its_pumpkin_time_in_whitefish/25145/

S & S campers continue building family tradition

Handcrafting Campers

By Dillon Tabish, 10-27-11



	Caption: Patrick Robertson puts the finishing touches on a camper door frame on at S&S Campers south of Kalispell. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Doug Sieler remembers when and where he earned his first paycheck. It came from his father Elmer in 1984 when Doug was a freshman at Flathead High School. Almost 30 years later, Doug remembers when and where both his son and daughter earned their first paychecks. They’re still earning them today right where Doug did.

The Sieler family business is S & S Campers on U.S. Highway 93 south of Kalispell. With Doug as its president and the rest of his family working in a variety of positions, the company builds slide-on truck campers, the kind that sit on top of a pickup truck as opposed to being pulled behind like a trailer.

The manufacturing company is approaching 10,000 units sold, an impressive milestone for a local family owned and operated business that started in Sieler’s childhood garage more than 40 years ago and has survived through a difficult economy.

Doug, who took over almost 15 years ago for his father, used to have as many as 30 employees working inside the 60,000-square-foot manufacturing shop. Then the economy fell apart and the manufacturing industry as a whole took a considerable hit across the country.

“There’s just a few people that build truck campers,” Doug said, “and there’s less now than there has been.”

Today, S & S endures, and it’s thanks in large part to the Sieler family work ethic. Doug has his uncle, son, daughter and wife working alongside him at one of the more trusted and innovative camper manufacturing sites in the northwest.

“It can be as big as a whole new floor plan or as small as changing the way a door is mounted, but they’re innovating everyday,” wrote Truck Camper Magazine in an article about S & S.

Kalispell resident Larry Hanson bought a camper from S & S before he and his wife toured Alaska for two-and-a-half months.

“Everything worked great. And that’s a pretty good test,” Hanson said. “They’re exceptionally well-made. We’ve had some trouble with prior campers and they just weren’t put together right. We’ve found the S & S to be very, very high quality. As good as anybody’s. And they’re from Kalispell.”

Along with building recreational campers from the ground up using local wood products and insulation, the company provides service and repair for all types of motor homes.

Recently S & S has evolved its specialty into the commercial sector.

“With the way the economy is, a guy’s got to think outside the box,” Doug said.

As a buyer-direct operation, S & S has become a supplier of specialty-made models that can be built around specific needs. The U.S. Geological Survey has commissioned five campers that can be used in the field. Another company up in Canada has ordered 10 custom-made models that act as an EMT station on wheels.

The roots of the company date back to 1969 when Elmer started building canopies for trucks inside his garage. Pretty soon the canopies were selling by the thousands — more than 14,000, in fact — and Elmer was expanding into a broader camping manufacturer on Willow Glen Road. By the mid-1970s, Elmer had opened S & S, and his son Doug was helping out. The business started shipping campers across the country from Alaska to New York to Florida. Following his father’s lead, Doug learned the trade, which, when it comes to building campers, means being a jack-of-all-trades.

Doug went on to take over the family business and now finds himself working alongside his son and daughter the same way he did with his father at their age.

“I like them to do something they like to do, and I think they both like working down here,” Doug said.

Working with family provides a trust and pride that carries over to S & S’s final product, Doug said. And as a bonus that goes beyond the paycheck, he gets to spend more time with his family.

“It makes for a nice work environment,” he said.
[End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/handcrafting_campers/25154/

Costume rental shop reopens in Kalispell after eight-year hiatus

Masters of Disguise

By Molly Priddy, 10-26-11



	Caption: Dawn Lembke hangs a Cruella de Vil costume on a hanger for a customer who reserved the attire from In Disguise Costume Rentals for Halloween. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

On a crisp fall day in mid-October, Shannon Fraleigh sat in front of a sewing machine and some curtains, transforming the fabric into a pile of men’s knickers as Cleopatra lounged across the room and a mermaid began to take shape nearby.

It’s a typical day in the costume shop.

Fraleigh owns and operates In Disguise, a costume rental business in Kalispell, along with Dawn and Curt Lembke. They reopened their doors for this Halloween season after taking eight years off, though the process of creating disguises never really stopped.

In Disguise started renting outfits in 1993 and did so every fall for about 10 years. Then, eight years ago the shop went on the backburner as the focus shifted from sewing costumes to raising kids; both families have four children.

“We were pregnant and trying to sew and put the baby in the car seat,” Dawn Lembke said last week. “Now they’re all in school.”

With the kids out of the house for the day, Lembke and Fraleigh were freed up to get back to costuming. They pulled their rental collection out of storage, spruced it up and moved everything into their current location on the 300 block of Center Street East.

The shop is filled with racks of homemade outfits, most of which are organized in chronological order based on era and decade. The 1950s seem to be popular this year, the owners said. Every costume is unique, though there are usually variations of the same theme.

Perennial favorites for women include belly dancers and genies, while the guys usually opt for Robin Hood or Braveheart. It’s an overarching theme both Lembke and Fraleigh have noticed over the years.

“The guys usually want to be scary or funny and the girls want to be pretty or sexy,” Lembke said.

There are also masks and other accessories available. Most of the accessories are for purchase only, but there are various jewelry options to rent for those who would prefer to spend $2 on a necklace and return it the next day.

Customers can typically rent a full costume for $25 a night, while the more intricate costumes such as the Renaissance dresses cost $35 to cover the extra dry-cleaning costs.

All of the outfits are washed and pressed after each use, Fraleigh said, and the owners pay special attention to wear and tear. If something is especially beat up or looks dirty, it is either repurposed as a zombie or discarded.

It can be difficult to anticipate each year’s popular trends, so the costumers stock up on their most popular items throughout the year and can make custom outfits in a week.

Using her sewing machine, Shannon Fraleigh creates new knickers for In Disguise Costume Rentals in Kalispell.

Another part of the job is helping customers find exactly what they would like to be. While most people have “no idea” what they want when they walk in, Lembke said others are dedicated to finding the pieces that will perfect their Halloween ensemble.

“Once they have something in their mind, that’s what they want to be and we help them with that,” Lembke said.

The idea for the spooky sartorial business sparked after a purchased costume fell apart. The disappointment about the flimsy garment turned into opportunity as they realized the pattern would not be difficult recreate with more durable fabric.

“We said, ‘We could do that,’” Fraleigh said.

Fraleigh and Lembke have been friends since their days at Flathead High School 25 years ago, and have always had a penchant for dressing up on Halloween. With piles of homemade costumes sitting unworn, the women combined their collections and went to yard sales to find more treasures before opening up their rental shop.

The beginnings were humble. Both women laughed as they recalled their first setup in a storage container with no heat. Their location is now more permanent. The plan is to keep the shop set up and open by appointment or request, Fraleigh said, since the Flathead has other costume opportunities throughout the year. Eventually, they would like to stock novelty shirts and other items to keep the doors open everyday.

Lembke and Fraleigh keep an eye out all year for potential costume pieces or accessories during summer garage and estate sales. Thrift store prom dresses hold plenty of promise, such as the one currently being transformed into a mermaid.

“This is really fun,” Lembke said. “It doesn’t seem like work.”

Fraleigh added: “We just create all day.”

Family help is important too, they said, with husbands and kids pitching in to make the shop successful.

After perusing the Renaissance section with a potential customer, Lembke checked her watch. It was an early out school day and their kids would need a ride soon; they take turns shuttling each other’s children wherever they need to go.

Lembke decided it was her turn.

“Now you can sew and I’ll pick up the kids,” Lembke said, as Fraleigh continued to make her way through the pile of knickers.

In Disguise is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday through Oct. 31. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/masters_of_disguise/25144/

At 83, Western Building Center’s co-founder Ivan O’Neil still working and scaling mountains

Kalispell Pioneer

By Myers Reece, 10-26-11



	Caption: Ivan O'Neil talks about the growth of Western Building Center while sitting in his living room in Kalispell. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Two weeks ago, 83-year-old Ivan O’Neil completed a 12-mile hike in Glacier National Park. It would be hard to say whether his age makes the feat more impressive or the fact that he’s legally blind and uses poles to navigate the terrain. O’Neil would say neither. He’s not impressed.

“Well, there wasn’t much elevation and it wasn’t off-trail,” he said. “And I used to go a lot farther.”

O’Neil is an original founder of both Kalmont Distributors and Western Building Center, which is said to be the largest building supply dealer in Montana with 10 retail stores from Stevensville to Eureka. Just as he has no intentions of quitting his weekly hikes through Glacier Park or his frequent ski trips in the winter, he isn’t ready to fully retire from the lumber industry. As his close friend, notable radio personality George Ostrom, describes it: “He’s retired about 10 times.”

On a recent Tuesday, Western Building Center General Manager Doug Shanks stopped by O’Neil’s Kalispell home to talk shop and go over reports. These days it takes O’Neil, who remains the company’s board chairman, a bit longer to read the documents because of his macular degeneration. He holds a magnifying glass inches from the paper to decipher the small numbers and words.

Shanks, who took over as general manager from O’Neil in the mid-1990s, speaks to his elder with the carefully balanced decorum of a businessman talking not only to a fellow businessman but also a revered figure. Even if modesty causes O’Neil to seem unimpressed by his own accomplishments, it’s clear everybody around him is thoroughly impressed.

“There’s no quit in him,” Shanks said. “He’s been very successful and there’s so many things that he’s done that he doesn’t talk about or beat his chest about. He’s just an amazing guy. We all look up to him.”

O’Neil was born in Kalispell in 1928 to one of the Flathead Valley’s pioneering families. His grandmother played a major role in raising him after his mother passed, according to Ostrom. O’Neil started working for his uncle’s business O’Neil Lumber in eighth grade, an experience he would later draw on when opening his own lumberyard.

As a freshman at what was then called Flathead County High School, O’Neil met Ostrom and the two started a lifelong friendship. Ostrom recently recalled an incident their freshman year when O’Neil was struck in the back by a stray bullet, possibly originating from a gopher hunter. The newspaper, Ostrom said, declared: “Little Ivan O’Neil is in the Hospital.”

“The bullet lodged close to his heart and it became encased in there,” Ostrom said. “It’s still in him.”

When Ostrom and other classmates enlisted in the military, O’Neil, the boy who had already taken a bullet, couldn’t sign up because of concerns over the piece of lead lingering in his body. So instead in 1946 he enrolled at the University of Montana. He graduated four years later with a degree in business administration.

Ostrom said military health standards changed and O’Neil was enlisted into the U.S. Army Audit Agency, where he served as a bookkeeper from 1951-1953. He didn’t see combat.

“I fought the battle of Seattle,” O’Neil jokingly said.

O’Neil moved back to the Flathead and immediately put his business degree to work. In 1954, he teamed up with Les Kjos, who operated a cabinet shop. O’Neil “thought Evergreen should have its own lumberyard” and Kjos agreed. In 1955, Western Woodwork became Western Woodwork and Supply. Later it changed its name to Western Building Center.

“Les and I were the same kind of people,” O’Neil said of his business partner, who passed away in 1988. “We worked hard.”

The business thrived in Evergreen. Buoyed by that success, O’Neil bought a Columbia Falls lumberyard from his cousin Carle O’Neil in 1972. The story of Western Building Center since then is one of sustained growth and savvy entrepreneurialism, particularly in O’Neil’s land dealings.

“He just seems to have a nose for property development,” Shanks said.

Running a successful business for six decades requires an extraordinary amount of adaptability to an ever-changing world. For example, when the industry started to turn to computers, O’Neil made sure he was ahead of the game.

Ivan O'Neil walks close behind Walt Bahr across a snowfield below Haystack Butte on the Highline Trail in 2009. O'Neil is one of the Over the Hill Gang's founders and has scaled more than 120 mountain peaks in Glacier National Park.

“Usually it’s the younger guys who seem to take to computers, but he’s been extremely computer literate from the first day,” Shanks said.

In 1981, Shanks, Randy Kjos, Dave Lyon, Craig Maltby and Bill Schottelkorb purchased majority interest in Western Building Center. Today the company has retail stores in Kalispell, Evergreen, Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Eureka, Libby, Ronan, Polson, Plains and Stevensville. Its headquarters are in Kalispell.

Along with its 10 retail stores, the company operates a corporate inventory yard and truss manufacturer in Columbia Falls. The truss plant opened in 2008. At the height of the building boom, Western Building Center employed 235 people and now has 180 employees, plus 15 temporary workers.

“I didn’t have any idea what it would grow into, but I thought there was a lot of potential for a life-long business,” O’Neil said.

Yet Western Building Center only takes up one line on O’Neil’s substantial resume. In 1976, O’Neil founded Kalmont Distributors, which sells doors, hardware and other specialized building supplies. It’s based out of Kalispell and services the entire state. O’Neil also lent a hand when Jack King was starting up First Security Bank, now called Three Rivers Bank.

To learn about some of his other many notable accomplishments, which are often done quietly, one must ask his friends.

“Ivan is very modest about what he’s done,” Ostrom said.

Ostrom and Shanks say O’Neil was instrumental in expanding and modernizing Glacier Park International Airport. He also played key roles in establishing Immanuel Lutheran Home and Buffalo Hill Terrace for senior living. The list goes on, but Ostrom said O’Neil would be uncomfortable if the full list was disclosed, though he did hint that his friend has been very generous with a number of organizations, including his alma mater UM.

In 2005 the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce gave O’Neil the Great Chief Award, the chamber’s oldest and most prestigious honor.

“Ivan is one of the most successful businessmen this valley has ever seen,” Ostrom said.

O’Neil was also one of the founding members of the hiking group known today as the Over the Hill Gang. Since 1976 the group has met up every week during the warmer months to hike through Glacier National Park.

O’Neil estimates he has hiked nearly 600 of the park’s 734 total established trail miles. When the snow falls, he trades in weekly hikes for cross country ski sessions, while also downhill skiing a couple of times each week.

Because of his poor eyesight, O’Neil uses poles to feel his way around the trail. He walks at his own steady and methodical pace. This summer he had a foot injury and was unable to hike for a while. Once he recovered he immediately took to the mountains again.

“He keeps going,” Ostrom said. “He worries the heck out of me. I think he’s up there today.”

But over their 69 years of friendship, Ostrom has learned that “when he puts his mind to it, he just goes – by golly, he’s going to let nothing stop him.” Just in the past few years, Ostrom said O’Neil has traveled to the Mediterranean, South America and China. After his wife passed away a few years ago, Shanks said “he hasn’t let it slow him down.”

Ostrom is proud to call him his “best friend.”

“All these years, we’ve never had an argument about anything,” Ostrom said. “Something happens to me, he’s the first one there. And it’s the same with me if something happens to him. There’s nothing like having good friends.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/kalispell_pioneer/25153/

Local businesses recognized at MWED annual dinner

Nomad’s Meteoric Rise

By Dillon Tabish, 10-25-11



	Caption: Nomad Technologies recently moved north on U.S. Highway 2 to a 25,000-square-foot facility near Glacier Park International Airport. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

“We wanted to establish a business for the ages,” Will Schmautz, CEO of Nomad Global Communications, said rather frankly in front of a crowded room at the Hilton Garden Inn last week.

No one in the audience could dispute the results. Schmautz appears to have done that.

Last month Nomad Global Communications Solutions, based in Columbia Falls, celebrated its ninth anniversary. What started out as Schmautz, his brother Seth and two other close friends meeting at Wheat Montana to discuss an innovative business plan over a $3 breakfast has become one of the most successful companies in the region. Nomad’s growing list of clients includes the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. The multifarious staff — from engineers to information technology service providers — has increased to more than 70. The technology being developed on U.S. Highway 2 West is being used in Europe, South America and the Middle East.

In other words, Nomad is becoming exactly the type of business its founders hoped it would be.

Schmautz explained the meteoric rise of Nomad at the recent Montana West Economic Development annual dinner on Oct. 20. Three other companies were recognized at the gathering for their recent success and innovations — Hurraw!, The Apple Barrel and Applied Materials.

Introduced as one of the “People to Watch Under 40 In Montana,” Schmautz charted Nomad’s transformation from a simple barn facility to becoming “one of the gems of the Flathead Valley,” as Kimberly Morisaki, manager of business development at Montana West Economic Development, said in her opening.

Schmautz credited the valley’s support in its early years as key to Nomad’s success. After making a profit in 2003, the company kept a malleable mentality with its business model and it paid off.

“We wanted to set down roots and do something meaningful. The idea of the ‘One Valley, One Vision,’ I’m a big fan of that concept,” he said. “I’m a big promoter of the idea that a rising tide lifts all boats. The truth of the matter is when we got started in 2002, the tide was helping us.”

Explaining exactly what Nomad actually does can be a bit difficult. Schmautz boils it down to this: “Essentially we launched with the idea of providing advanced communications solutions to those who couldn’t otherwise get it.”

With a manufacturing facility that builds custom-made equipment and vehicles, Nomad provides mobile communications, most often used in emergency situations. For instance, wildland firefighting command centers established in the wilderness but are needed to be transient use Nomad's technology and manufacturing.

“The thing that sets us apart is that we’re a turn-key integrated technology company as well,” Schmautz said. “You can’t get the whole suite of things from very many companies.”

Nomad is developing around a certain future, one where smartphones are integral.

“Your smartphone really is the key to the future,” he said. “That’s what Nomad is focusing on now, making sure your smartphone works anywhere and any time.”

When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, communications broke down because cell phone towers were overwhelmed immediately. Nomad has a solution.

“We are bringing to market here in the next few months essentially small-based cell towers that can be deployed in a few minutes that will be for emergency responders available all day,” he said.

Entering the global playing field has lent Nomad very attractive opportunities, but Schmautz reassured the room of local residents that the company isn’t going anywhere.

“The truth of the matter is that there may be some logistical value being somewhere else, but I wouldn’t want to have it anywhere else,” he said.

Another success story, this one in the form of all-natural lip balm, is taking place in Whitefish.

Hurraw! all natural, organic and vegan lip balm is made by Corrie Colbert in Whitefish.

At the dinner, co-owner Neil Stuber touted the successful ingredients of Hurraw!, the 100 percent organic, vegan lip balm sensation that has been raved about in the pages of Oprah Magazine and the New York Times among other prominent publications. Sold in 31 states and 18 countries, Hurraw! has become an overwhelming hit for Neil and his wife Corrie Colbert, who started manufacturing the balm in their kitchen a few years ago. Now the product is being produced in an expansive commercial kitchen and selling roughly 30,000-40,000 units a month. American Apparel stores nationwide sell the product, which has grown to almost 20 different flavors.

Stuber said the company is in the process of increasing its staff from seven part-time employees and remains true to its original ideals, including offering a healthy natural product.

Even though it would seem natural to grow rapidly, Stuber said Hurraw! is actually limiting its exposure and slowing the marketing.

“We’re really trying not to grow too fast,” he said. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/nomads_meteoric_rise/25146/

After denying permit for historical statue, supervisor withdraws decision

Forest Service to Seek Comment on Whitefish Jesus Statue

By Myers Reece, 10-24-11



	Caption: Skiers stop momentarily near the statue of Jesus Christ near the top of chair 2 on Big Mountain last season. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Following a week of public outcry, the U.S. Forest Service has withdrawn its decision to deny a permit renewal for the statue of Jesus Christ that sits on a patch of federal land at Whitefish Mountain Resort.

Since 1953, the Knights of Columbus Council No. 1328 has maintained a special-use permit to maintain the Jesus statue on a 25-by-25-foot piece of leased Flathead National Forest land located near the top of Whitefish Mountain Resort’s Chair 2.

But in a late-August decision, the Forest Service declared the statue an inappropriate use of public land possibly in violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

After news about the decision surfaced last week, local residents along with Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg lobbied the Forest Service to change its mind. And that’s exactly what Flathead National Forest Supervisor Chip Weber did on Oct. 21.

Weber’s withdrawal of his Aug. 24 decision was based on new information from the Montana State Historical Preservation Office, which determined that the statue site is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historical Places.

The Forest Service will now seek public comment over the next few weeks on the proposed action for reissuing the permit.

“Information that developed after my Aug. 24 decision is a significant factor driving this withdrawal and reconsideration,” Weber said in a statement. “It has always been clear to us that there are strongly held values associated with this monument and that it is important to the community.”

Phil Sammon, media coordinator for the Forest Service Northern Region, said he received “more than 100 emails and three dozen phone calls” from people asking for the statue to be left alone. Sammon said the original decision to deny the statue’s permit renewal was based on legal concerns.

“It mostly had to do with the large number of Supreme Court decisions and recent case law that set the precedent with monuments with religious themes or icons with religious themes,” he said.

A Wisconsin-based organization called Freedom from Religion Foundation, which according to its website represents “atheists, agnostics and skeptics,” issued an Oct. 20 release taking credit for persuading the Forest Service to deny the 10-year permit renewal. An attorney for the group had filed a Freedom of Information Act request asking the Forest Service to release policy and permitting information pertaining to the statue.

“This is a sham designation that insults and excludes the many ‘atheists in foxholes’ and non-Christian veterans who defended our country,” Annie Laurie Gaylor, the organization’s co-president, said, adding that the statue should be on private land.

Sammon disagreed with the group’s claim that it persuaded the Forest Service to make the decision.

“But they are certainly free to make that claim,” he said.

Rehberg, who had been in frequent contact with the Forest Service asking for the statue to be left where it is, released a statement praising Weber’s withdrawal of his previous decision.

“Public outcry from the community – and the entire country – can be a remarkable lubricant for getting the wheels of government turning,” Rehberg said. “This decision to give us more time to find a more permanent solution is great news, but it’s only the first step. Now we’ve got to make sure this historic World War II monument is protected for generations to come.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/forest_service_to_seek_comment_on_whitefish_jesus_statue/25141/

After the last one failed, smaller school bond heads to voters

Marion Principal: ‘We’re Busting at the Seams’

By Web Master, 10-23-11



	Caption: Principal Justin Barnes sits in his office. - Justin Franz/Flathead Beacon

MARION – Tutoring rooms are stuffed into basement closets, the laminating machine is stashed in a boys’ bathroom and Principal Justin Barnes' office has a sink, because at one time it was a janitor’s closet.

“We're busting at the seams,” Barnes said.

Strewn across three buildings, one of which is more than a century old and another a temporary modular, according to Barnes, Marion Elementary School is in desperate need of building improvements. And he is hoping local voters approve a $500,000 bond next month for the K-8 school of 110 students.

The bond, which will be decided by mail-in ballot, is far less than the $2.2 million bond that failed last year by 25 votes. Barnes said it failed last time because people don't know the extent of the school's needs.

“I think some people think we're a small rural school and we don't need the bond,” he said. “Well that ain't right.”

Even if this bond passes, Barnes said it would just be a “band-aid” for the school. Currently two classrooms are housed in a modular trailer with no restrooms, meaning students must go to another building to use one; counselors and special education tutors are located in the basement of a 110-year-old school house with no sprinklers; there are no restrooms that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and the music and physical education programs must share a gymnasium-turned-cafeteria. On top of that, paper and supplies must be stored anywhere and everywhere, including in a boys bathroom, hallways and a room that houses the water furnace and electrical boxes.

“It's not a place you want for tons of paper, but there's no other place for it,” Barnes said, pointing to boxes of printer paper stored near the water heater in a dark basement.

Teachers say that while the buildings may have been adequate when first built – the original school is more than a century old, a newer addition was built in 1978 and the modular was added on in 1999 – they just aren’t conducive to teaching anymore.

“In the age of technology, when you're running a bunch of computers and such, access to electricity can be a problem,” said Wendy Davis, who has taught history and art for more than a decade at the school. “I don't think it impedes the learning but it limits how creative you can be. Stuff needs to be planned out (in advance) and you can't be so spontaneous.”

Next door in Deborah Johnson's room, where she teaches English, many of the same problems emerge, but her largest isn't technology. Johnson said because of where her classroom is located, staff and students often have to go through her room to access other parts of the building, including Davis' classroom.

Barnes said a simple majority is needed for the school to gain the $500,000 bond and with it a new addition to the school would be constructed, replacing the modular classroom, which would be moved to the other side of the school to house the music program and provide additional storage. The addition would push counselors and special education teachers out of the dark basement and enable the school to also use that area for storage.

Ballots are being sent to registered voters on Nov. 10 and due back on Dec. 1. Residents must be registered by Nov. 1 in order to vote.

Barnes said the school has been much more active this time around in trying to educate the community about its needs. He said that effort will only increase in the next few weeks. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/marion_principal_were_busting_at_the_seams/25118/

Home explosion

House Explodes in South Kalispell

By Web Master, 10-23-11



	Caption: The home at 2358 Coot Court in south Kalispell. - Kellyn Brown/Flathead Beacon

A home on the south side of Kalispell exploded Saturday, collapsing the roof and blanketing neighboring homes with insulation. No one was inside the 2358 Coot Court home when it exploded at about 12:15 p.m. There were no injuries.

A gun was accidentally discharged at the home earlier in the morning. Investigators believe the gunshot may have unknowingly damaged some of the internal natural gas piping or furnace in the crawl space, where the initial explosion may have occurred.

When firefighters arrived, debris could be found throughout the neighborhood just off Airport Road. The home is a total loss. Damage was also reported to three neighboring homes and “a total dollar amount loss is initially reported at $300,000,” according to the Kalispell Fire Department.

Along with the Kalispell Fire Department, the Evergreen Fire Department, South Kalispell Fire Department, Smith Valley Fire Department, Whitefish Fire Department, Flathead Electric, Northwest Energy, Kalispell Police Department, and City of Kalispell Water Department assisted at the scene.
[End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/house_explodes_in_south_kalispell/25128/

Twenty-six students sign up for Flathead High School's new IB business management course

Building a Bridge Between Students and Business Leaders

By Myers Reece, 10-23-11



	Caption: Kalispell potter Tim Carlburg, right, talks with Flathead High School student Sierra Maxwell during an IB Business Management open house at the school. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

During a recent early-morning networking event held in her classroom, Flathead High School teacher Jesse Rumsey told a group of community business leaders that the students sitting next to them were some of the school’s finest pupils.

The students wore nice clothes, with many of the boys sporting button-down shirts and ties. They listened attentively. As participants in the school’s new International Baccalaureate (IB) business and management course, taught by Rumsey, the teenagers looked every bit the young professionals they are asked to be for the class.

They wanted to make a good impression on the first day of what Rumsey hopes is a fruitful partnership between her 26 ambitious students and 26 local business leaders.

“The IB is a very rigorous college preparatory program,” Rumsey told the assembled business leaders. “A lot of our students are taking it to get ahead. These are some of the most motivated students we have in the school.”

The International Baccalaureate academic program was founded in 1968 to help students “develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world,” according to its website. There are currently 3,290 schools in 141 countries offering IB courses to 970,000 students.

Flathead is the only Montana high school with an IB program, which is in its seventh year at the school. Flathead IB coordinator Kelli Higgins said Missoula Hellgate is currently working on establishing the state’s second.

Last year, about 250 juniors and seniors took at least one IB class at Flathead, Higgins said, with 86 taking at least one exam. This year more than 100 are registered to take an exam, which Higgins said is the most ever.

The most common college preparatory program offered in Montana is Advanced Placement (AP). According to the Montana Office of Public Instruction, 54 high schools, plus a handful of middle schools, offer AP statewide. Altogether, there are 18,340 schools offering AP to 1,973,545 students, according to College Board statistics.

The business and management course is the most recent addition to Flathead’s IB curriculum. Now in its first year, the syllabus consists of five units: business organization and environment; human resources; accounts and finance; marketing; and operations management. As with other IB classes, a final exam is held in May.

As one of the course’s primary components, students are asked to write a report demonstrating real-world business management skills based on their experiences with selected businesses from the community. Many of the students have chosen to work with the businesses of family or friends, but some reached out to people they had never met.

“For some of these students this is a huge leap out of their comfort zone to meet with these business owners,” Rumsey said.

The Oct. 18 networking event at Rumsey’s classroom was an opportunity for the students to converse with the business leaders they are paired with and for the business leaders to better understand the program.

The students are asked to pinpoint a specific challenge or problem facing the business: “What is an issue that is keeping you up at night?” They analyze the issue and then ultimately write a 1,500-word report that details a possible solution or recommendation.

The list of businesses slated to participate is wide-ranging: cell phone repair, pottery, a florist, a bike store, a bed and breakfast, a high-tech company, a coffee shop and more.

“What’s exciting is the students get to leave the walls of the building and reach out to people in the community,” Higgins said. “It forms a nice, natural connection between the community and these students.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/building_a_bridge_between_students_and_business_leaders/25116/

Glacier National Park

PLACES: Belton Bridge

By Web Master, 10-23-11



	Caption: The Belton Bridge near West Glacier crosses the Middle Fork of the Flathead River and, for a few more days, is a great spot to view the changing foliage. - Justin Franz/Flathead Beacon

This week may be one of the last to take in some of the stunning fall colors in the Flathead Valley and a great spot to do that is at the Belton Bridge in West Glacier.

Located at the mouth of John Stevens Canyon along the Middle Fork, the bridge was the original entrance to Glacier National Park and in 1920 a modern concrete bridge was constructed. For two decades the bridge brought visitors into the park until a bridge at the current entrance was built in the late 1930s. However, the old Belton Bridge would once again see use in 1964, when a devastating flood took out the new bridge. Although the Belton Bridge was damaged as well, a concrete arch remained and the Park Service built a temporary bridge, which was used for two years.

Today, the Belton Bridge is used as a pedestrian path over the Middle Fork and provides excellent views of the river. The bridge also provides access to the Southern Boundary Trail, which meanders along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River and is also be a perfect weekend activity, although be sure to pack some bear spray, just in case. There is also a short walking path along the river to the west of the bridge.

How to get there: In West Glacier, take a left off U.S. Route 2 towards the park entrance. Take a right on Old River Road. Go about a mile, past the school and some cabins, and park right in front of the bridge. Crossing the bridge provides trail access and a small interpretive sign. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/places_belton_bridge/25063/

Chamber of commerce hosts open forum for city council hopefuls

Kalispell Candidates Tout Business-Friendly Goals

By Dillon Tabish, 10-22-11



	Caption: Kalispell City Council candidates Kari Gabriel, Erik Jerde, Chad Graham, Randy Kenyon, and Phil Guiffrida, left to right, listen as Wayne Saverud, center right, makes his opening remarks during the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce's 2011 city council candidate forum. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

All the attention in Kalispell city government these days seems to surround attracting new business and redeveloping the old.

This year’s city council candidates shared their plans for how to do that along with what their visions are for the city in an open forum at a Kalispell Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Red Lion Hotel on Oct. 18.

Three incumbents and three new candidates running for seats on the eight-person Kalispell City Council focused on one of the most common issues being tackled by the current council – the economy – in front of roughly 150 attendees.

“We really need to focus on business incentives in Kalispell. We cannot wait for the federal government,” Phil Guiffrida III, who is running in Ward 4, said. “We need to really focus on creating jobs for the taxpayers.”

Guiffrida is eyeing a seat left vacant by retiring Councilor Duane Larson, who has served since 1990 and recently won a lifetime achievement award for his public service. Guiffrida’s opponent, Cecilia Lee, did not appear at the forum.

The most hotly contested ward this year is Ward 2, which spans the northeast part of the city. Two new candidates – Chad Graham and Erik Jerde – are running against incumbent Wayne Saverud.

Saverud, who has served one term, spoke out in favor of the expansion and use of the West Side Tax Increment Finance District, which could help fund redevelopment in the evolving Urban Renewal Plan. Saverud emphasized the importance of revitalizing downtown, and he cited the TIF as one way to do that.

“We’re at a pivotal position in our history and we have the ability to potentially reinvent the core of Kalispell,” he said.

When it came to the TIF, Graham said he would rather look into a partial sunset of funds if possible, which Guiffrida seconded. Jerde was opposed to it altogether.

Randy Kenyon, running for reelection essentially unopposed in Ward 3 – his opponent, Walter Keathley, is no longer actively campaigning – said he supported using and expanding the TIF. Kari Gabriel, running unopposed in Ward 1, said first there needs to be a clear redevelopment project before she makes a decision.

A majority of candidates spoke out against relying on impact fees or retail transaction fees in their current state, while Gabriel noted their complexity and the city’s need to explore the options.

When it came to a local option sales tax, which would be similar to a resort tax and help pay for infrastructure needs, Gabriel and Kenyon expressed their support. Gabriel used the current model in Las Vegas as an example of positive results for a local economy.

Jerde said he would support the local option sales tax if property taxes were done away with, an idea he touted on numerous occasions.

Ballots have been mailed out to voters and are due back by Nov. 8. Residents can register to vote until election day. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/kalispell_candidates_tout_business-friendly_goals/25117/

Steven Norred accused of Sept. 28 Lakeside bank heist

Alleged Bank Robber Pleads Not Guilty

By Molly Priddy, 10-21-11



	Caption: Steven Dee Norred, left, in Flathead County District Court on Oct. 20. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

A Bigfork area man accused of robbing a Lakeside bank on Sept. 28 has pleaded not guilty.

Steven Norred, 55, entered his plea to felony robbery in Flathead District Court on Oct. 20 in front of District Judge David Ortley.

Norred is accused of demanding money at Glacier Bank in Lakeside last month after showing the tellers what appeared to be a handgun. The alleged robber was wearing a black helmet during the heist, according to court records, and escaped on a silver and red motorcycle.

The robber stole more than $14,000, records state.

A witness at the bank followed the suspect after he left the bank and lost him on a road outside of town. The witness reported seeing a truck pull out of a logging road and gave the license plate number to investigators.

The truck was tracked to Norred’s mother, who allegedly told investigators that she had purchased it for her son.

When officers located Norred later that day, they pulled him over in a traffic stop. Court records state that officers could see a pistol in a black holster and a stack of cash in the middle console of the truck, along with a bag containing several cash bundles.

A search warrant executed on the truck produced about $3,600, which employees at Glacier Bank allegedly said was bundled the same way they bundle their cash at the bank.

Another search warrant for Norred’s property allegedly turned up a $20 bill with a matching serial number as the bills stolen from Glacier Bank.

Deputies found the motorcycle on Sept. 29, hidden in the woods. The vehicle identification number came back registered to a man who said he sold it to a “short guy with a bushy mustache who lived in Bigfork and was a contractor,” records state, matching Norred’s description.

According to the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sept. 28 robbery was similar to at least five others that have occurred in western Montana in the last two years, including those at Muralt’s Truck Stop in Missoula in September 2009; at First Interstate Bank in Bigfork in September 2010; at Glacier Bank in Lakeside in November 2010; at First Valley Bank in Seeley Lake in April of this year; and Bitterroot Valley Bank in St. Regis in May 2011.

According to a press release from the FBI, the suspect wore a motorcycle helmet and escaped on a motorcycle in four of the five other robberies. Prior to last month’s bank robbery, the FBI had offered a $5,000 reward for information about the robberies.

Norred has not been charged in these other cases.

The judge scheduled Norred’s pretrial conference for Feb. 29 and a trial in spring. Norred remains jailed in the Flathead County Detention Center. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/alleged_bank_robber_pleads_not_guilty/25119/

Your Weekend Guide

On Tap: Film Festival and Pumpkin Pictures

By Molly Priddy, 10-21-11

Live Music:
Friday: Burlesco at the Boiler Room; Living Well Tom & Barb at Symes Hot Springs Hotel; The Cold Hard Cash Show at Great Northern Bar

Saturday: Live Classic Country at Eagles Lodge; Kayla Adams at Grouse Mountain Lodge; Karaoke at the Marion Grille; Kathy Colton & the Reluctants at Symes Hot Springs Hotel; Gent Treadly at Swanee's Bar and Grill; Reverend Slanky at Great Northern Bar; Antioquia at Craggy Range Bar and Grill

Sports:
Friday Football: Flathead v. Great Falls CMR at Legends Stadium at 7 p.m.; Whitefish hosts Frenchtown at 7 p.m.

Saturday Live Locally 2011 5K Run Walk at Healthcare Plus

Arts and Events:
Friday: Wild and Scenic Film Festival at O'Shaughnessy Center; Proof at Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts; Viva La Salsa Montana at Kalispell Eagles Club;

Saturday: Zumbathon Fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness at Eagles; Fall Bazaar at First Presbyterian Church; Ladies Day Out at Red Lion Inn; Occupy Flathead at Depot Park; Meet The Candidates at Moose Lodge 642; Annual Harvest Dinner at United Methodist Church; Pumpkin Patch Free Photo Sessions at Sweet Pickin's Pumpkin Patch; AKTP presents Disney's Alice in Wonderland Jr. at Whitefish Performing Arts Center; Faith Healer at O'Shaughnessy Center

For a full listing of times and other events, go to www.flatheadevents.net. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/on_tap_film_festival_and_pumpkin_pictures/25111/

Whitefish students selected to perform in Macy’s Thanksgiving parade

Macy’s Marching Orders

By Molly Priddy, 10-21-11



	Caption: RIGHT: Freshman Sarah Bonnington plays the baritone saxophone during band rehearsal. LEFT: Sophomore Thomas Henson laughs while talking over a part with a fellow percussionist during practice at Whitefish High School. Henson and Bonnington are performing in this year's Macy's Day Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

People are often told to march to the beat of their own drum, to branch out and express themselves. Two Whitefish High School students are about to take this advice literally, and in a big way.

While they play their instruments, sophomore percussionist Thomas Henson and freshman saxophonist Sarah Bonnington will be marching with about 200 other musicians from across the country in the 85th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City on Nov. 24.

Bonnington and Henson will join their peers in the Great American Marching Band as they march into Herald Square during the iconic parade, which is expected to be watched by roughly 2.5 million audience members on the parade route and 50 million more tuning in to the NBC broadcast.

The Whitefish High band director, Mark McCrady, said the musical duo were a bit of a late addition to the massive marching band, accepted as the deadline for applications drew near.

The nationwide effort to select students for the band began over a year ago, giving musicians from 14,000 schools a chance to audition. McCrady said he received an email informing him that several Western states had not sent any audition tapes.

McCrady gave his band students the information and asked if any of them would like to head to New York to play for the country on Thanksgiving.

“Both of these students stepped up and said, ‘I would love to do that,’” McCrady said after band practice at the high school last week.

Henson said he had been rehearsing over the summer and sent an audition tape in to the program. As a percussionist, Henson plays more than just a drum set, with a range that includes various cymbals, xylophones and other rhythmic instruments.

He is unsure what his part will be in the parade, but said he is excited for three main reasons: “Getting to go to New York, missing school and being on TV.”

As a sophomore, 15-year-old Henson has been playing percussion since middle school. He said he is a little nervous for the parade, though he is looking forward to getting back to the state where he was born. His family will accompany him on the trip, he said.

“I’m really excited to go, it should be a lot of fun,” Henson said after ta percussion section practice.

Bonnington, a 14-year-old freshman, noted that while she has played her saxophone in a parade before – specifically during Whitefish’s Winter Carnival – the Macy’s parade would offer a few brand new experiences.

“I’ve never been in a marching band before,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever played with that many people before.”

Bonnington said she will play the alto sax during the band’s rendition of “Disco Inferno” and a song commissioned specifically for this event.

While she’s been to New York before, Bonnington said she and Henson would get the opportunity to tour the city with the other marching band members after they have practices in the mornings.

McCrady said the Great American Marching Band is a musical machine, with precise, straight lines and flawless uniforms. There are very high standards, he said.

“It’ll be great for them, really eye opening,” he said.

The musicians will be under the direction of Richard Good, director of bands at Auburn University, and Jon Woods of Ohio State University. They will perform with 50 choreographed flag performers and dancers, as well as the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps of Pennsylvania.

The students will have four days of rehearsals, and will also attend a leadership and educational workshop.

McCrady said he is working with Henson and Bonnington to prepare them for the event and looks forward to watching them on television on Thanksgiving morning.

“I know these students will do a great job and make us proud,” McCrady said.

Anyone wishing to donate to the students’ trip to New York can contact Mark McCrady at 406-862-8600, extension 420.
[End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/macys_marching_orders/25068/

At Flathead forum, focus on how local farmers should adapt

Agricultural Innovation

By Dillon Tabish, 10-20-11



	Caption: Steve Streich, center, a local seed potato farmer, talks with Pam Gerwe, left, at the Nourish the Flathead booth during the Flathead Valley Agricultural Forum at the fairgrounds. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

Despite the challenges that persist in the evolving agriculture industry, the active farming community in the Flathead Valley continues to be one of the most innovative in the country.

How that community can remain strong and survive in a difficult climate was the focus at the first-ever Flathead Valley Agricultural Forum at the Flathead County Fairgrounds on Oct. 11.

Almost 200 people attended the half-day event, which was hosted by the Montana Land Reliance and covered subjects like sustainable management and included speakers such as Ron de Yong, director of the state’s Department of Agriculture.

De Yong, a native to the valley who grew up farming and ranching on a family plot near Creston, focused on how local farmers can fit into the global system and maintain diversity while keeping pace with emerging trends.

“Rural America is supported by agriculture,” he said. “What we need to do as producers is figure out how our unique system fits into this big diverse agriculture plot.”

The global agriculture industry is expected to expand significantly. Food needs will increase with population growth and as countries become more developed. In Montana, agriculture remains the largest industry, generating more than $2.4 billion a year. In the Flathead Valley, almost $34 million is generated annually on crops and livestock.

Roughly 60 percent of the agriculture commodities in the state and 90 percent in the valley are exported overseas, Mark Lalum, general manager of Cenex Harvest States, pointed out.

Wheat remains a major local cash crop, producing the equivalent of 107 million loaves of bread annually, Lalum said. Other crops grown in the region, such as lentils and barley, are also in high demand.

“Because of the economic powerhouse of agriculture, exports need to become part of the game,” Lalum said.

Montana is known for its quality wheat, which gives the state a growing advantage.

“Part of that changing system is becoming much more diversified. The new system will focus much more on quality, not quantity,” de Yong said. “It will focus more on fair prices instead of cheapest prices. It’s going to actually focus on production, processing and distribution of locally grown food much more than big transportation of food.”

The challenges that local growers face are significant: short growing seasons and erratic, cold weather patterns combined with limited transportation options and shrinking farmlands.

“It’s tough farming in this valley,” Lalum said after the forum.

“The consequences of making a mistake are huge financially. That’s the struggle.”

De Yong talked about ways farmers can maintain stability and even flourish by remaining true to the characteristics that have long defined Flathead Valley agriculture.

“Flathead Valley is really innovative, more innovative than anybody else in the state and more innovative than most places in the country in agriculture,” he said.

One area that appears to be changing is food consumption habits. High rates of obesity and diabetes have altered how nutrition is valued. The 2012 Farm Bill will include an added emphasis on nutrition, de Yong predicted.

“Most of the time as a farmer I just dismissed that part. I thought, 'Well that has nothing to do with me,'" he said. “But nutrition is important now. What they do with nutrition will affect everyone who is doing value-added agriculture.”

For example, revamped school lunch programs and food stamp requirements could create new opportunities.

“What they do with the nutrition part is now important to agriculture beyond just getting the Farm Bill passed,” de Yong said. “It’s going to affect that whole transition to a new food system. We need to pay attention to the nutrition part.”

Another topic covered at the forum was the importance of integrating cattle grazing onto farmlands. Although chemical sprays have become popular, manure remains the best way to replenish the nutrient cycle and improve the produce harvested, Markus Braaten of Cenex Harvest States said.

“There is a real economic advantage in livestock manure. It might outweigh the value of the livestock themselves,” he said.

Braaten also emphasized how no-till crop production can increase organic grow ability, which is increasingly in demand.

Renewable resources are another trend, although the technology and feasibility remain in question at the moment, he said.

“The renewable fuels are an intriguing area and warrant some more research,” Braaten said. “But these are the things that excite me. What if the price of diesel stays higher or gets higher? … The renewable fuels are an area we need to explore.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/agricultural_innovation/25064/

Glacier High Junior Emerges As One of State’s Top Runners

Fraley’s Time Arrives

By Dillon Tabish, 10-20-11



	Caption: Glacier's Troy Fraley breaks out from the middle of the pack during the Glacier Invitational cross country meet at Kidsports Complex. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

All summer long, Dana Fraley would ask her husband John, “Where’s Troy?”

On almost every occasion, no matter what day or what time it was, the answer would usually be the same — he’s out running.

“I would try to tell him he can take a day off and enjoy the summer,” Dana said of her youngest son. “But he’s got this plan in mind and he goes for it.”

Troy has a plan, all right, and he certainly is going for it.

After a rigorous summer of running every morning and evening, the Glacier High School junior enters Saturday’s 48th annual state cross country meet in Missoula with the fastest time in Class AA and a chance at winning the program’s first individual state title.

Troy has matured into a leader. He has finished either first or second in his six races. Only two Montana runners have beat him — Flathead’s Zach Perrin and Helena’s Matt Barker — but no one has run faster than his best time, 15:01. The winning AA time at state last year in Helena was 15:34.

“You see all these runners that were at the top all these years and now Troy’s right there with them,” John said. “It’s really neat to see. You just wonder, ‘How did this happen?’”

As most kids do growing up, Troy looked up to his older brother and sister, who both ran. Like old clothes, running was passed down to him. Then he joined the popular middle school Highlander Track program and found a new group to look up to: the Flathead High School runners who volunteered to help.

“I remember I had Elliot Welder as a Highlander Track coach. I always looked up to him and was like ‘he’s so fast,’ ” Troy said.

By his freshman year of high school, Troy was running with most lead packs. Even back then, Glacier head coach Mike McLean remembers seeing real potential in the 5-foot-6, 14-year-old.

“I said it at a track banquet two years ago, ‘He is one of the best athletes at our school,’” McLean said. “And he’s proven that.”

Troy became the first all-state cross country runner in the school after placing seventh as a freshman.

As a sophomore, he continued to improve, but bad luck arrived on the eve of the final race in the form of illness and injury. Troy ended the season in 21st place.

The slow finish didn’t sit well with Troy. He worked in the offseason and had a strong track season running long distance. But when summer came, he didn’t stop training; he actually trained harder and more often.

“He’s become a great leader with his work ethic. He’s a real fiery competitor,” McLean said. “He hates to lose.”

Glacier's Troy Fraley runs in the middle of the pack during the Glacier Invitational cross country meet at Kidsports Complex.

It was only a matter of time before the Flathead Valley produced another standout distance runner. There is currently a crop of running talent that could bring home multiple state titles this weekend. Derrick Williams in Columbia Falls, a close friend of Troy’s, is competing for a top spot in Class A; Makena Morley in Bigfork has run the fastest times for a girl since Flathead’s Zoe Nelson began her dominating stretch a decade ago; Flathead’s Zach Perrin, another friend of Troy’s, has been dominant the previous two seasons and near the top of the field in Class AA.

And then there’s Troy, who has come into his own this fall. Now standing 5-11 and in the best shape of his life, the Glacier captain is the reaping the benefits of his summer’s work.

“I worked really hard and decided I wanted to do really well this year,” he said. “If you work hard and put in the time, you’re going to see good results. It pays off.”

At the massive Mountain West race, where almost 400 runners converge on the same course as the state meet, Troy clocked a 15:01 and finished second behind Mead’s Andrew Gardner, who was ranked fourth in the nation last year.

In his next race, the Capital City 7-on-7 in Helena, Troy held off last year’s second- and third-place runners at state to win in 15:08.

“You could tell when he got in shape like he is now and when he matured physically, he’s going to be tough to beat,” McLean said. “If you’re going to beat Troy, you’re going to have give a pretty big effort.”

Last week, in the final race of the regular season, Troy sat back boxed in between a pack of orange and blue jerseys and was on pace for his slowest time in almost two years. It was at the Glacier Invite at Kidsports Complex. Early in the race he swiveled his head and waved back at two teammates who wanted personal-best times, signaling them to catch up. For two miles he shepherded the pack into good position while Perrin and two other Flathead runners ran away with the lead.

With a mile to go, Troy couldn’t hold back any longer. Not someone as competitive as him. He kicked into stride, tearing around the course as though his race had just started. Within a half mile he had caught and passed every runner but Perrin. As he strode down the final stretch, the home crowd cheering him on, Troy showed a smile.

For once, he was fine with second place. This wasn’t the finish line he was worried about.

“I’m just keeping my eye on the prize. State’s next week. I didn’t want to be tired out for that,” he said afterward. “It’s going to be a tough race. There’s a lot of competition this year. But I think I’ve put the time in. I can do it.”

Troy eased into a cool-down run by himself after the race. When he was finished he walked slowly back toward the Glacier tent to put on his sweatpants. But first a young middle school runner approached him sheepishly.

“Nice job,” he said to Troy, who stopped and thanked him. The two talked for a couple of minutes and Troy gave the boy a few pointers. The boy knew what was ahead for Troy and wished him good luck.

“I hope you win it,” he told Troy.

Troy smiled and thanked him before running off to get a hug and congratulations from his mom and dad. [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/fraleys_time_arrives/25066/

Younger candidates join incumbents in city council race

Five’s a Crowd in Columbia Falls Elections

By Myers Reece, 10-19-11



	Caption: Downtown Columbia Falls. - File photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon

There are five candidates running for Columbia Falls City Council, which passes for a crowd in a town that is home to Flathead County’s quietest city elections.

When voters look at their ballots on Nov. 8, they will be faced with the prospect of actually selecting candidates, which hasn’t always been the case in recent years. In the 2009 election, four candidates filed for three open seats but one withdrew, though his name still appeared on the ballot. The 2007 election was similarly uncontested.

The five candidates are vying for three seats on the six-member city council. The winners will serve four-year terms.

For those who have been paying attention to council affairs, three names will be familiar: incumbents Julie Plevel, 57, Harvey Reikofski Jr., 61, and Doug Karper, 59. Between them, they have almost three decades of combined experience on the Columbia Falls City Council.

There are also two newcomers, both of whom represent a younger demographic: Samantha Johnson, 29, and Darin Fisher, 34. Shane Hutcheson, another young newcomer, initially filed but dropped out of the race after discovering he lives outside of city limits.

None of the candidates are running what could be viewed as a campaign, particularly when compared to the contentious race happening just down the road in Whitefish. There is a notable lack of political mailers and candidate forums.

With that said, the number of candidates and their range of backgrounds seem to indicate an uptick in interest for the council. Karper, who has served for more than 12 years altogether on the council, said Columbia Falls races often consist of only incumbents. He welcomes more people into the mix.

“The more interest, the better,” he said. “I think it’s nice that we have a few new people interested.”

Reikofski, a truck mechanic, is seeking reelection after serving eight years on the council. In 2009 he was appointed to finish out a two-year term after Councilor Don Barnhart was elected mayor.

“I agree that it’s time to have some new faces, some new blood in there,” Reikofski said.

Fisher, a trails technician for the U.S. Forest Service, said Columbia Falls is seeing more young people move into town. Young families like his own, he said, seek out Columbia Falls because it’s “affordable and it’s a great place to raise a family,” surrounded by outdoor recreation opportunities.

“It has the best of both worlds,” he said. “I feel like people are rediscovering it.”

Johnson, who works for the public relations company Outside Media, agrees with Fisher’s assessment of Columbia Falls’ demographic shift, referencing recent U.S. Census figures that show “our demographic is the largest.”

But while she believes she could give those younger residents a voice in city government, she understands the council’s role is to be representative of the entire population and she says she embraces that role.

“There’s a great community spirit here,” Johnson said. “There are very resilient people here who have made it through the economic downturn. I just think we should enhance what we already have and make it thrive.”

Fisher expresses a similar sentiment.

“I’m not this young guy who wants to come in and change all these things,” Fisher said. “There’s a great heritage here and I want to keep that. I just want to get involved with my community.”

The candidates all convey an appreciation for the laid-back nature of Columbia Falls politics. Karper, who works in maintenance for School District 6, illustrates this point when he describes past scenarios in which there were fewer candidates than open seats.

“When that happens, you just find someone that’s interested and talk them into it and appoint them to the council,” he said.

With that in mind, candidates are apt to cultivate a political atmosphere that is more congratulatory than cutthroat. Fisher says, “as far as I’m concerned, (the candidates) are all good folks with good ideas who care about their community.”

“If there are more qualified people who win, I’m not going to be upset,” he added.

And neither will Reikofski.

“If I’m not elected to council and one of them is elected,” he said, “I think that’s good for the council and the community in general.”

RELATED: Columbia Falls City Council Q & A [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/fives_a_crowd_in_columbia_falls_elections/25075/

Montana’s seven tribal colleges form basketball league hoping to recruit and retain students

Reservation Dreams

By Myers Reece, 10-19-11

Click the image or use the arrows to see more photos from Salish Kootenai College practices.

On the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, a land riddled with devastating poverty and perpetual unemployment, there are no scholarships. Basketball is played, as the saying goes, for the love of the game.

Fort Belknap’s Aaniiih Nakoda College is one of five Montana tribal colleges to officially form basketball programs within the last two years, joining Salish Kootenai College on the Flathead Indian Reservation and the Crow Agency’s Little Big Horn College.

The others are Stone Child College in Box Elder, Chief Dull Knife College in Lame Deer, Blackfeet Community College in Browning and Fort Peck Community College in Poplar. Aaniiih Nakoda is in Harlem.

Now all seven of the state’s reservation colleges have basketball programs, playing in a league called the Montana Tribal College Athletic Association. The organization was called the Montana Tribal College Basketball League last year, which was the organization’s first. The regular season begins in November and the league tournament is held in February.

While the tribal colleges have long had loosely formed teams, the school’s athletic directors say the league gives the teams a real game schedule, a claim to legitimacy and, most importantly, an incentive to attract young American Indians to college and keep them there.

“It gets more students to our campus because Indian people love basketball,” Gerald Stiffarm, league commissioner and Aaniiih Nakoda College’s athletic director, said. “It’s just what makes Indian communities tick.”

Some of the greatest prep players to ever take the court in Montana have been American Indians. The names border on legendary in knowledgeable basketball circles: Jonathan Takes Enemy, Elvis Old Bull, Larry Pretty Weasel and J.R. Camel, to name a handful. Camel is an assistant coach on the Salish Kootenai men’s team.

But the transition off the reservation into college life has been rocky for a number of the state’s top native players, if they left home at all. It is with this in mind that tribal college presidents founded the league with three fundamental goals, according to Stiffarm: student recruitment, student retention and developing “the concept of the Native American-student athlete.”

The state’s tribal basketball teams are made up of enrolled members of their respective tribes who attended nearby high schools, except in the cases of Little Big Horn and Salish Kootenai, which have more established programs and recruit players from around the country in addition to locals. Little Big Horn is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Basketball players must meet certain academic requirements and they may also garner outside recruiting attention – two realities that help foster improved performance in the classroom. At Aaniiih Nakoda, Stiffarm hopes the sport encourages students to buckle down for their two-year degrees, and then maybe more.

“We want to do things for our youths to encourage Native American people to go into four-year programs,” Stiffarm said.

For all the passion and support behind the game, operating a basketball program on a reservation does not come easy. It is true that if you build it they will come, but enthusiasm alone cannot maintain a program. The money question weighs heavily, even on the Flathead Indian Reservation where the economic picture is more positive.

The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs pegs the unemployment rate on some reservations at higher than 60 percent. On Fort Belknap, located in north-central Montana, Stiffarm said the jobless rate at times soars above 80 percent, while a little under half the population lives in poverty.

“Money is damn hard to get,” Stiffarm said. “But we just dig deeper and we raised money to get those uniforms.”

In addition to securing money for the teams’ uniforms, the college’s 20 student-athletes – out of 143 enrolled students – must raise a combined $14,200 to pay their way and for cheerleaders, Stiffarm said.

“With a community with that high of a poverty level, it’s quite a task to raise that money, but we do it,” Stiffarm said.

Michelle Spang, the athletic and activities director at Chief Dull Knife College in Lame Deer, said her school once had a junior college men’s team but in recent years the college has only fielded teams to play in the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) tournament in March. That has been the case for other tribal colleges in Montana as well.

The Northern Cheyenne student-athletes who try out for the Chief Dull Knife team must endure odd and often late practice hours based on the availability of gym time at the local elementary school. Many of the players – some nontraditional students – are single parents, all without scholarships.

Spang, who is the women’s coach, can relate. As a college basketball player years ago, she had a baby her freshman year.

“They played in high school and they were good and then they did what I did and went and had a child,” Spang said. “Now they’re able to be a part of an organized college basketball program. They’re able to travel and meet new people and go to other schools and experience that lifestyle, something they might never get to do otherwise.”

The socioeconomic conditions at Salish Kootenai College in Pablo are less bleak. As a whole, the reservation is more economically developed while the four-year college is reputed for its academic integrity. And the basketball program is among the most successful of all 36 AIHEC tribal colleges and universities in the nation, for both men’s and women’s.

Though the college has had basketball since the 1980s, it’s only been in the last decade that the program has become a national powerhouse. Both the men and women have regularly won AIHEC national championships since 2000. The teams practice and play in the $5.5 million Joe McDonald Health and Fitness Center, which opened in 2007 and was constructed with the help of grants.

Zachary Conko-Camel, in his 13th year as head coach of the men’s team, said in the early 1980s all seven tribal schools played regular game schedules. He’s glad to see it happening again, as he sees great benefits in a team working toward a common goal for a full season. His players, together as a group, have been able to endure the deaths of two teammates in the last two years – one in a shooting and another in a drowning.

“They become brothers and family members to me,” Conko-Camel, the older brother of J.R. Camel, said. “Our job is to make them into good players and good people, to help get them set for life.”

Juan Perez, Salish Kootenai’s athletic director and women’s coach, said since the formation of the league he has seen a decline in the number of players from other reservations who come play for his team. They are staying home to play, which is a foremost goal of the league. But players still stream in from out-of-state tribes.

Lisa Bible of Big Arm, a shooting guard for Salish Kootenai, grew up watching Bison basketball and said she doubts she would have played college ball anywhere else after graduating from Polson in 2007. Her husband is James Bible of the men’s team. She said most of her teammates are at the college specifically to play basketball or because of the school’s academic reputation.

“This is all on your own time; it’s a lot of work,” she said. “These girls want to be here. There aren’t any scholarships. It shows their heart.”

But even with the college’s many successes, both on the court and off, basketball dreams do not come without their obstacles at Salish Kootenai. For one, the programs don’t have money for scholarships, which is problematic for the athletic department’s goal of joining a league such as the NAIA’s Frontier Conference, in which teams such as Rocky Mountain College and Carroll College play.

Other tribal athletic directors have the same ambitions, though Spang concedes that such aspirations are hardly realistic for Chief Dull Knife College at this point. First the program must get on its feet. And while doing so, perhaps a few of the school’s players will get recognized by a four-year school.

“Maybe in the future we’ll be able to offer scholarships,” Spang said. “That would be my dream down the road, but it’s hard when you don’t have a gym and you have to hold rental agreements with the schools to be able to practice.”

Stiffarm also has a vision for his program and it extends well beyond the reservation borders. He hopes the players can see that far too.

“Hopefully one day we could send a Native American player to the NBA or WNBA,” he said. “That’s our dream.” [End of article]

This article was printed from flatheadbeacon.com at the following URL: /articles/article/reservation_dreams/25076/