School board accepts bond vote, plots course; Museum waiting on library move

By ALEX STRICKLAND - Bigfork Eagle

The Bigfork District School Board meeting Wednesday night drew a crowd of concerned parents, teachers and a few students to hear the plan in the wake of the Oct. 9 failure of the high school bond issue.

Final numbers for that mail-in ballot election indicated a 51 percent voter turnout, significantly higher than the district's historic levels for elections held at the polls, which has been more like 18 percent.

"All in all I think the response is good," said Eda Taylor, district business manager.

Eighty-three ballots have been received at the district office since the polls closed last Tuesday, Taylor reported. The high school ballot was defeated by 84 votes.

Because of election laws, officials are unable to open those late ballots to see what the respondents voted.

The cost of the elections, not including informational booklets printed by the district, totaled just over $8,000, Taylor said.

Audience members spoke at length about the issue and what their feelings were concerning the next step.

"I think the slim margin tells us a lot about the win and the loss," Mary Knoll said. "I think our job telling people what they're voting on could be improved."

Leading up to the Oct. 9 elections, Superintendent Russ Kinzer canvassed Bigfork meetings and events explaining the issue. Because Kinzer is employed by the district he was bound to neutrality and could only present information, not advocate a position.

Nancy Mahlum told the board that a better marketing approach was needed.

"I went to a bunch of meetings," she said. "And sometimes it was clear and sometimes it was less so."

Brenda Olson echoed concerns of clarity saying that on the floor plan included in the information packet it appeared that the library — which, according to the plans, would be a joint-use public library — was not secure from the rest of the school in any way and that library patrons would be free to roam the halls and would have to in order to use a rest room facility.

Kinzer said the floor plan included was a rough outline and that in fact the library would have separate bathrooms and security measures in place to prevent patrons from entering the rest of the school.

As discussion turned inward with the School Board, there was a split on whether to put the bond back out for voter consideration immediately or to step back and take another look before sending it back to voters.

Kinzer supported taking time to re-examine what was being asked for in the bond and try to identify things that might have caused confusion in the community. Trustee Mike Roessmann said he felt that the plan put forth in the October election was a good one and that everything that could be pared away had already been taken.

Trustee Paul Sandry advocated taking some time to consider the next step, but was in agreement with all other board members that a need exists at the high school and something must be done. Trustee Maureen Averill agreed with the notion of taking time out.

Trustee Dave Carlson disagreed, saying the bond should go back out as soon as possible.

Because of the time needed for paperwork and legalities of a mail-in ballot, Taylor said the soonest a ballot could go back out would likely be February.

"I think counsel is good," Kinzer said. "We don't want to be reactionary."

The board will meet again Nov. 8 to discuss the plan further and encourage community input on how to make the issue succeed. That meeting will be at 5 p.m. in the Bigfork High School band room.

The ripple effects of the Bigfork High School Bond being voted down two weeks ago have reached the newly re-named Bigfork Museum of Art and History.

Formerly the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center, the organization was planning to expand into the space currently held by the library on Electric Avenue to create a museum of Bigfork history.

"We obviously hoped that the library would get picked up," said Museum of Art and History Director Marnie Forbis.

Because the library will stay put for the time being, the Museum will continue working with its upstairs space to create a more comprehensive look at Bigfork's past.

Forbis said the group wants to concentrate on not only Bigfork's history, but also the history of the Forest Service in the area, the University of Montana Biological Station at Yellow Bay and Flathead Lake.

"People need a connection to place and we hope that the museum will help them have that," she said.

"We want to highlight Bigfork for its unique history which has been varied and amazing," she said. "I think we're losing a lot of that heritage as the town changes and older folks pass away."

To help finance the changes in the organization, a fund raiser will be under way soon to bring attention to the museum and, hopefully, some funds.

After more than 10 years the fee structure for membership will change. Membership is one of the main funding sources and it will now be charging $40 for individual/family memberships, business and supporting memberships will remain at $100 with the hopes that more local business will support the Museum. Fourteen businesses currently give annual support.

Patron level is $250 and benefactor level is $500. The museum receives no funding from the Federal or State government nor from any other source other than membership and fundraisers. Board members will be going into the community in the coming months to explain the changes and to solicit for new members.