Ellington

Wildkat softball drops two at state, tennis teams go 1-4

The Wildkats finished out the softball season with an 11-13 record after dropping a pair of games at the Class A State Tournament in Frenchtown over the weekend.

Street wins state javelin title, boys finish 8th

Angellica Street completed her dominance of girls Class A javelin and the boys used a balanced effort to finish eighth as a team Saturday as Columbia Falls competed in the State Track Meet in Laurel.

Park plows closing in on Logan Pass

Glacier National Park plow crews are closing in on Logan Pass. They were at Rimrocks late last week and didn’t plow on Monday because of the Memorial Day weekend.

John stories

The John Frederick memorial was moved from the hostel to Sondreson Hall because of the possibility of high water. Some years, even if there is no real flood, the water comes up high enough that the hostel is an island and just the possibility of ferrying a ton of guests in canoes was enough to move the gathering to the Community Hall. Good thing.

Teaching above and beyond

A big-time advertiser on Montana television has an ongoing program asking people to enter the name and background of “their favorite teacher.” Those chosen are then publicly honored statewide. I’d always planned to enter a name, but waited too long. It still bothers me it was not done while she was still alive; however, I did a column in April of 1988 and I’d like your approval of a return to ease my conscience. This comes from my heart.

Selenium in Koocanusa draws concern

What next?

Teen reaches plea deal in rape case

A Kalispell teen accused of raping a girl while she was asleep was sentenced in Flathead District Court recently.

Lucretia Ann Budak Popa

Lucretia Ann Budak Popa

Making her Mark

Jessica Sasser is well on her way to becoming a registered nurse. The Columbia Falls senior recently received her health occupation certificate from Flathead Valley Community College.

Vote for 17-01

How many times have you disagreed with politicians’ decisions and said, “They should let the people vote on that!” Well, now is your chance. On the back of your primary ballot, there’s a place where you can vote for Egan Slough 17-01. If passed, this initiative will negate the county commissioners’ refusal to protect our water from being bottled, sold, and trucked away. Voting for Egan Slough 17-01 will keep that water in our wells and on our fields, and protect our water, lakes, and fish from the plastic residue and chemicals from the bottling plant. If you weren’t planning to vote in the primary, please reconsider. There’s a lot more at stake than who gets to throw mud at whom until November.

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May 23

Plan looks to preserve griz habitat, claims climate change might help bears

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed off on plan May 16 that looks to maintain grizzly bear habitat and recovery along the Continental Divide even after the bear is removed from the Endangered Species List.

With the Gunsight Bar and Grill, the Nucleus revival continues

Another chapter in the revitalization of Nucleus Avenue in Columbia Falls is about to unfold in the beginning of June. Owner Pat Carloss is set to open the new Gunsight Bar and Grill in the former Bandit (and Sportsman) Bar in Columbia Falls.

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70 years ago

Doesn't like Downing, Tester

You can’t blame people for moving to Montana, but the problem is people like Troy Downing, a Californian, running for Montana’s U.S. Senate seat, who thinks the rules are for everyone else but him. Whether innocent or guilty, where are his ethics to even be involved and charged with violating Montana’s hunting regulations – involving him, his children and friend.

History road show coming to Columbia Falls

Folks interested in local history will be in their element in mid June as the Montana Preservation Alliance brings its Montana Preservation Road Show to Columbia Falls.

Mow, Weber, Landstrom to highlight public lands and tourism talk Tuesday

Wondering what to expect from this year’s tourist season?

Fire damages old Plum Creek sawmill

A late night fire heavily damaged the old Plum Creek sawmill Wednesday morning.

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Graduation

Williams named Academic Athlete of the Year

Former Wildcat Derrick Williams continues to excel running long distance for the ThunderWolves of Colorado State University – Pueblo.

Former Wildkat Hovde to play for Skylights

Former Wildkat basketball star Sydney Hovde will be playing for the Skylights of Montana State University- Northern next season, the school announced last week.

Feeling lonely? Sit on the Buddy Bench

We’ve all been in their shoes before — alone at the playground with no one to play with.

C-Falls sends pair of doubles teams to state

More roads open in Glacier Park

Glacier National Park plows were beyond Big Bend in the Grouse Point area as of presstime, which is less than 3 miles from Logan Pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Columbia Falls sending bus load to state track meet

Columbia Falls will be well represented at the Class A state track meet in Laurel this weekend as 17 boys and 12 girls earned spots at the meet with their performances at the divisional in Polson.

Wildkats to play in state tournament Thursday

The Columbia Falls Wildkats will be making their way to Frenchtown for the state tournament this weekend despite going 1-4 last week.

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The Columbia Falls City Council is looking for public input on ways to spruce up its business district in the coming year. The city announced Monday it will have about $221,000 in tax increment financing for the next fiscal year.

Mitchell's pot shot a sad state of affairs

The sad story of county commissioner Phil Mitchell ended earlier this month. For those of you not familiar with the case, there were some cottonwood trees growing in a county park next to Mitchell’s property in Whitefish.

At Michigan State, Law doing well

Columbia Falls alumna Natalie Law is making her mark in the world of music at Michigan State University.

LPW chosen to lead SD6 elementary planning

The School District 6 board last week chose LPW Architecture to help plan for the future of the district’s elementary school needs.

School will urge staff to avoid KRMC as rate dispute continues

Claiming the hospital is unwilling to negotiate more equitable rates, the School District 6 board last week adopted a stance that, in part, will recommend that its staff seek medical care elsewhere.

Fond memories of Dr. Torgerson

Gary Barker remembers the conversations on the banks of the Lochsa River after a day of kayaking, around the campfire looking at the stars above. They would talk about the theory of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity — two laws of physics that are true, but don’t jive.

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Lawrence C Brunner

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Center says thanks

We would like to thank all of the people who helped to make the Columbia Falls Senior Center a beautiful place for everyone to enjoy. We enjoyed seeing new faces as well as familiar ones.

RAC becomes a mess

I am so mad I could spit. Several weeks ago, we heard that RAC grants had been appropriated for another two-year period. I am in favor of the Secure Schools funding and it has poured several million dollars into Flathead County. I had high hopes that this appropriation meant it was likely the North Fork Road dust abatement would likely continue.

Piper, Turner announce nuptials

Shelby Ann Piper and Weston Ray Turner announce their engagement.

Bun pun fun

I just finished reading a very special National Geographic from a few years back, which featured Yellowstone Park and much of Montana. I had forgotten the widely discussed cover shot was a large scenic from Grinnell Lake in Glacier Park. It was looking northwest across the lake toward the towering peaks of the Continental Divide up to the “overlook.” In the center was a line of obviously well shaped co-eds from Montana State University “flashing” that magnificent view with their bare chests. Just bare backs were what the readers had to settle for.

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May 16

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Charlotte M. Packard

Hungry Lion project includes logging, trails

The Hungry Horse/Glacier View ranger district recently released a finding of no significant impact for the Hungry Lion Project, a blend of timber sales, roadwork and trailwork planned for the Desert Mountain-Lion Lake area.

Rivers meeting focuses on water quality

For decades, rafters and anglers from around the world have admired the Flathead River system’s pristine waters.

Through April, Glacier visitation down

Glacier National Park visitation for the year through April is down about 10 percent compared to last year. So far this year about 66,783 people visited the park. Last year, that number was 73,865.

Woman attacked by bear south of Libby; GoFundMe account set up

A GoFundMe page has been set up by friends to

Park Service green lights Sperry Chalet rebuild

The Park Service has determined there will be no significant impact to the environment by rebuilding the Sperry Chalet.

Flathead County Sheriff primary: Jordan White

Flathead County Sheriff primary: Brian Heino

Flathead County Sheriff primary: Calvin Beringer

Park plows nearing Big Bend

Glacier Park plow crews continue to make progress toward Logan Pass. On the east side, crews were to Jackson Glacier Overlook as of presstime. On the west side, they were looking to pioneer to the base of the Weeping Wall, which is just below Big Bend, about three miles from Logan Pass.

Kats down Browning, win four at Butte tournament

The Wildkat softball team seems to have hit its stride, winning five games last week and pushing their winning streak to eight games.

Wildcats ready for divisional track meet

Columbia Falls head track coach Jamie Heinz has said all season that he wants his teams to peak at the right time. The Wildcats seem to be doing just that as several new personal bests qualified the Cats for state in three more events last week.

Doctor's body found

The body of a Columbia Falls doctor who went missing on Big Mountain in February was found in a small avalanche on Saturday.

Study seeks photos of molting mountain goats

A new research study on mountain goats is seeking photos of the ionic creatures at their shaggiest — when they’re molting their hair in the summer months.

City sewer upgrades mean about $1.50 increase in base rate for homeowners

The Columbia Falls city sewer system upgrades will likely cost the average homeowner about $1.50 to their base rate per month.

Legion says thanks

American Legion Freedom Post 72 in Columbia Falls would like to thank everyone for their generous support of our spaghetti dinner April 14 at the Columbia Falls Fire Hall. We want to thank the fire department for the use of their meeting room and all of the businesses that donated to our fundraiser.

Thoughts on flooding

A few days ago, the North Fork River and its tributaries were running bank full and muddy. Today, Trail Creek is still high, but mostly clear. The river is still high and while not clear, neither is it really muddy. There are hints of green and it is dropping slowly. As a result, some locals were convinced that any flood danger is over.

Smoky fire damages home

Columbia Falls firefighters responded to a house fire on Eighth Street West Sunday afternoon shortly before 4 p.m.

Drinking with doctors

This month is a busy one for me because of umpteen family birthdays, including “First Wife” Iris, our two daughters, great-grandson and, of course, Mothers Day. Result? I needed to find a fun column for olden days. Our trip back this week is to the winter of 1992.

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May 11

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Paul A. Goguen

Ford leads cards

Jody Ford was the top pinochle player at the North Valley Senior Citizens Center on May 7 with 6,570. D. J. Lopez and Jerome Sand tied for second with 6,410. Juli Hooker and Shirley Ann Barnes melded 300 pinochle. Jeff Fredenberg won the door prize.

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70 years ago

CFAC pursuing tenants, even as Superfund work continues

The Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. is actively pursuing tenants even as it undergoes the Superfund cleanup process.

Legals May 16, 2018

No. 1640 Notice of Public Meeting Coram Water and Sewer District The Coram County Water and Sewer District will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 7:00 pm at the Community Church Education Building, 215 Coram School Lane, Coram, MT for the purpose of obtaining public comments regarding the on-going Water Preliminary Engineering Report. The District's consulting engineer, Morrison-Maierle, will summarize the improvement alternatives, provide a cost analysis of the improvement alternatives, potential funding sources and affects to rates, and environmental impacts of the recommended alternative. All attendees will have the opportunity to express their opinions regarding this project. Public attendance is encouraged. Written comments may be submitted to Jeff Cicon, Morrison-Maierle, Inc., 125 Schoolhouse Loop, Kalispell, MT 59901. May 16, 2018 MNAXLP __________________________

DEQ gives green light to RV Park

A new RV Park off River Bend Drive has cleared the last regulatory hurdle toward development. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality Monday announced it had given final approval for a sewer and water project for the new park, which will also include cabins.

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70 years ago

Flathead County Commissioner Phil Mitchell pleads out in park tree deaths

Flathead County Commissioner Phil Mitchell said Friday he killed five cottonwood trees in a county-managed park adjacent to his property last year — not to enhance the view from his own home, but because he simply doesn’t like that species of tree.

Women United continues to give back to the community

The Columbia Falls Church Women United was generous to local organizations in 2017, just as they are every year.

Service looks to delist NCDE grizzlies

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has taken the first step toward removing Northwest Montana’s grizzly bears from the “threatened” species list.

C-Falls students host pro-gun walkout

More than 100 Columbia Falls High School students gathered on the lawn west of the gym Wednesday, May 2 in support of the Second Amendment.

Supporters gather to cheer on Derby runner Bolt d'Oro

Dozens of well wishers filled the Dam Town Tavern in Hungry Horse Saturday afternoon to cheer on Bolt d’Oro in the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Something new: Griz captured near Marion

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks moved a grizzly bear last week that was getting into bird feeders in a neighborhood. That’s nothing new. What is new is where the bear was caught — near McGregor Lake not far from Marion.

As runoff flows, city keeping a close eye on Cedar Creek Reservoir

While most eyes are on the Flathead River as water levels rise, the city of Columbia Falls is keeping an eye on its own dam — the Cedar Creek Dam north of town.

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Eda Anders

Wildkats score 10 in the fifth to down Ronan, 15-5

The Wildkats exploded for 10 runs in the fifth inning Thursday to pick up a decisive win against Ronan to stay alive in the conference softball race.

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Gary Preston

Punching their tickets to state

Several more Wildcat athletes will be headed to the Class A state track meet in Laurel May 26-27 after strong performances in Whitefish and Kalispell last week.

Forest plowing East Side Road

The Flathead National Forest has hired a contractor to plow out the East Side Reservoir Road this spring.

Commissioner candidates square off at forum

The four Republican candidates running for Flathead County Commissioner shared their opinions on a few issues facing the county during a candidate forum last week in Kalispell.

Bob Marshall Foundation seeks volunteers

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation is looking for volunteers to support wilderness projects in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex this year.

Game wardens and whangdoodles

OK, so my memory of almost ninety years isn’t perfect. Last week, I wrote a few recalls of noted writer Pat McManus characters and mentioned his haunting game warden, “Smee.” What happens? A fellow Hungry Horse columnist, Jerry Smalley, also does a recall of his friendship with Pat and he had the game warden’s name correct. It was “Sneed.” I’m only going to point out, Jerry is younger than I.

State Parks deserve investment

With our rivers running high and our hillsides lush and green, I’m guessing our summer recreation season here in Montana is going to break another record.

Advice on the Missouri

Recent speaker at the April meeting of the Flathead Chapter of Trout Unlimited was Mark Raisler, co-owner of Headhunters Fly Shop in Craig, Montana.

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May 2

Park waters open to boats starting Saturday

Glacier National Park will start allowing boats on its waters May 12, though like last year, they’ll have to go through an inspection before launching. The inspections will start first at Apgar, then move closer to Lake McDonald on the west side. On the east side, inspections start June 1.

Glacier Guides and Montana raft recognized by Gov. Bullock

Glacier Guides and Montana Raft was recently recognized by Montana State University Extension and Montana Governor Steve Bullock for its pollution prevention efforts and statewide environmental leadership.

Woman hopes more will consider bone marrow donation

A Columbia Falls woman is spearheading a drive to find more bone marrow transplant donors after her brother was recently diagnosed with leukemia.

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For many skiers who head out into the backcountry, wearing an avalanche beacon today is commonplace.

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Open house

Technology levy passes, Rocksund and Nicosia elected to School District 6 board

The School District 6 technology levy passed 1,113 to 803 in Tuesday’s election. Board chairwoman Jill Rocksund retained her seat on the board and former superintendent Michael Nicosia was elected as the new trustee in the five-way race.

Glacier's hiker-biker shuttle starts up Saturday

Glacier Park’s spring hiker-biker shuttle will run on weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning May 12, and will continue until the Going-to-the-Sun Road opens through Logan Pass to vehicles. It will also run on May 28, Memorial Day. The shuttle will depart from the Apgar Visitor Center and drop off at both Lake McDonald Lodge and Avalanche Creek, once Avalanche opens to vehicles.

Elementary students support levy

We are two students from Ruder Elementary, we are in third grade and we are writing because we would like the community to know how important technology is to our education!

Teachers make case for technology levy

Trevor Wilson is a bright 11-year-old at Ruder Elementary School. He’s learned to write computer code at a young age and comes into class a little early in the morning so he can use the school’s Chromebooks to work on code for a video game he’s designing.

Wilson raises concerns about wrestling

The Columbia Falls school board recently approved its membership to the Montana High School Association, but not before trustee Larry Wilson raised his own concerns about the way wrestling is managed by the organization.

CFAC tour planned; no cameras allowed

The public is invited to a Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. community liaison panel and tour of the defunct site on May 9 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will include a project update. No photography or video will be allowed during the tour, however, company officials note. To sign up for the tour, contact Vonda Matthews at 1-877-384-7036. As part of the investigation of the Superfund site this year, the company plans on adding seven new monitoring wells and taking 147 new soil borings. The total number of wells on site is now 71.

Park opens Camas Road to vehicles

Glacier National Park has opened the Camas Road to vehicle traffic for the summer. The road opened earlier this week.

Another up and down week for Wildkats softball

The Wildkats softball team went 2-2 over the last week with wins over Whitefish and Corvallis and losses to Ronan and Hamilton.

Columbia Falls track teams gaining momentum

The Columbia Falls track teams had another strong week as the girls took fourth and the boys were third at the Whitefish ARM Invitational Saturday. Several athletes also saw action at the Russ Pilcher Top-10 Meet in Missoula Tuesday.

Jarretts celebrate 70th anniversary

Jack and Vera Jarrett of Columbia Falls celebrated their 70th anniversary with family and friends April 20 at an open house hosted by their daughter and son-in-law Judydel and Jim R. Perry. Their anniversary cake was made by their granddaughter.

Glacier Guides contract extended another 10 years with Park

Glacier Guides and Montana Raft, a West Glacier-based outdoor guiding and equipment rental company, has been awarded another 10-year contract to lead interpretive day hikes and backcountry guided trips in Glacier National Park. The company currently holds the contract, which was set to expire on the last day of 2018. The National Park Service announced the contract renewal for an additional ten years in a press release sent out this week.

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April 24

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George William Thompson

Snow slowly receding in North Fork

I doubt my last column wishing for sunshine had anything to do with it, but the sunny skies and warm days were sure to lift the spirits.

Democrats square off at Columbia Falls forum

Democratic candidates for Montana’s lone congressional seat squared off at a two-hour long forum Saturday afternoon at the Columbia Falls High School, answering prepared questions from both students and a crowd of about 50 people.

The wordsmiths

Last week, it was a lot of fun remembering good times spent with Patrick McManus, “world class” storyteller. Since then, a couple of readers have asked about him. Needless to say, they were both young. At least one said she was going to get something of his right away.

Making a case for quiet skies in Glacier

Last year, Glacier National Park visitors were treated to a rare experience – quiet skies. And visitors noticed. Friends for a Quiet! Glacier grew out of a need to help the Park make that permanent, just like the Glacier National Park Management Plan called for 18 years ago.

Students do well in math competition

Thirty-eight sixth through eighth grade students from Columbia Falls Junior High participated in the 2018 Montana Council of Teachers of Mathematics Regional Math Contest at Flathead Valley Community College recently. Students competed in number concepts, dimensions and shapes, potluck, foundations, and team tests. Students who earned an honorable mention scored in the top 35 percent of their grade and students who earned a superior scored in the top 15 percent of their grade.

North Valley Hospital welcomes new CEO to post

Kevin Abel is excited to take the reins of North Valley Hospital. Abel was selected as the new CEO of the hospital in December, but just recently started working at the facility a few weeks go.

Sand leads at senior cards

Jerome Sand was the top pinochle player at the North Valley Senior Citizens Center on April 23 with 7,290. D. J. Lopez was second with 7,170. Lois Timmreck was third with 7,080. Mary Lance melded a round robin. Shirley Ann Barnes and Catherine Morrison melded 300 pinochle. Shirley Hegel won the door prize.

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Margaret Luella Massman (Harker)

Former Glacier Park employee writes a fine first book

Back in 2003, Jackson Ellis worked for at the West Entrance in Glacier National Park. He recalled spending most of the summer dealing with the smoke, turning tourists away at the gate as the Park that summer suffered through an historic fire year.

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Fire talk

Legals May 2, 2018

No. 1639 PUBLIC NOTICE Notice of Application for Air Quality Permit (Pursuant to Section 75-2-211, MCA, and Rule 208, Section 5 of Flathead County Air Pollution Control Program, OPEN BURNING, Martin City Rural Vol. Fire Dept. has filed or will file on or about 4/25/18 an application for a conditional air quality open burning permit from the Environmental Health Services Division, Flathead City-County Health Department. Applicant seeks approval of application to open burn at 124 1st Ave. Martin City, MT 59926. Sec. 4, T30, R19. Any Member of the public with questions or who wishes to receive notice of the Department's determination, and the location where a copy of the application and the Department's analysis of it can be reviewed, or to submit comments on the application, must contact the Flathead City-County Health Department, Environmental Health Service Division at 1035 1st Avenue West, Kalispell, MT 59901, Phone (406) 751-8130. Any comments on the application must be submitted to the Department within 20 days after publication of this notice or filing of the application. The Department's decision to approve or deny an application for a Conditional Open Burning Permit may be reviewed by the Board of Health according to the following procedure: When the Division approves or denies the application for a Conditional Open Burning Permit under this section, a person who is affected by the Department's decision may request a hearing before the Board, within 3 days after the Department renders its final decision. The Department's decision on the application is not final unless 3 days have elapsed and there is no request for a hearing under this section. The filing of a request for a hearing may postpone the effective date of the Department's decision. May 2, 2018 MNAXLP _________________________