Friday, May 31
Glacier Park says hikers and bikers will see weekday restrictions on Sun Road in June
Starting June 10, hikers and bikers won’t be able to use the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park beyond the gate at Avalanche Creek on weekdays because of sealing work being done on the highway. The road is expected to be open to hikers and bikers on weekends.
Smoky skies prevail in Montana; flash flood watch issued for east half of Glacier Park, Rocky Mountain Front
The dark skies the past few days in Columbia Falls aren’t just from clouds — it’s from smoke from fires in northern Canada, the National Weather Service is saying.
West Side Reservoir Road will see closures
The West Side Reservoir Road will see some temporary closures starting next week for bridge repair work.
Thursday, May 30
First case of 'zombie' deer disease found west of divide in Libby
The first known deer with chronic wasting disease west of the Divide was recently killed in Libby.
Man pleads not guilty in teen's death
The man who drove his pickup truck into an Evergreen home, killing a Columbia Falls High School student who was asleep inside, was arraigned on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to a charge stemming from the incident.
City wants public input on River's Edge Park
Columbia Falls has started surveying residents on how best to manage the popular River’s Edge Park in the city as it looks to add amenities like a bathroom, with running water.
Wednesday, May 29
Jazz musicians get to jam in New York
Three Columbia Falls musicians recently played in New York City as members of the Flathead Ellington Project.
Thoughts on resort tax, school renovations
Over the past few months a couple of big ticket items have come up in Columbia Falls. The first is the reconstruction and/or renovation of the city’s two elementary schools.
Book of classic Glacier Park, North Fork tales is back on shelves
A book of classic tales from William J. Yenne has been re-released with twice and many photos and more tales of adventure in the North Fork, Glacier National Park and other parts of the American West.
Car clunks restaurant at pass, owners give them a ride home
Rivers and small streams swelled to flood stage east of the Divide over the Memorial Day weekend.
Pros and cons of the Thompson
Fishing the Thompson River in May:
Hunter accidentally shoots son
Things turned tragic for a father and son from Utah who came to the Troy area looking to hunt bears May 21, after an accidental discharge put the son’s life in jeopardy.
Alcohol licenses up for bid
Two new alcohol licenses are up for bid in Columbia Falls in the next month. The Department of Revenue announced a beer and wine license is up for bid and a “floater” all-beverage license is available, with some caveats.
Visitors to Glacier continue to spend more and more in communities
Every year for the past seven years, visitor spending in the gateway communities of Glacier National Park has grown.
School may need pole barn to keep park cabin program going
Columbia Falls High School may have to build a sizable pole barn to continue a building program with Glacier National Park.
Wildkats go 3-2 at Class A state softball tournament
The Wildkats went 3-2 at the Class A State Softball Tournament in Polson over the weekend, downing Stevensville, Custer County and Ronan while falling to eventual champion Belgrade and runner-up Polson.
Schweikert takes third for Kats at state tennis tourney
Hannah Schweikert fought her way back from a second-round loss to earn third place at the Class A state tennis tournament over the weekend while the boys doubles team of John Gilk and Camryn Lingle earned sixth place.
Kats sixth at state track meet, boys take eighth
The Columbia Falls High School track teams both finished in the top 10 at the state track meet in Laurel over the weekend, the boys relying on senior experience to earn an eighth-place finish while the youthful girls team came in sixth.
High school hosts 'mini maker' fair
Ruder Elementary fifth graders got the chance to team up with some their high school counterparts last week as the Columbia Falls High School Library hosted a “mini maker” fair.
Small steps, big dreams for Columbia Falls senior
As graduating senior Cole Burger looks back over his time at Columbia Falls High School, he realizes just how far he has come.
52 ticks
I’m not sure there is such a thing as a “normal” spring on the North Fork. If there is, this May is certainly not normal. A couple of nice days doesn’t cut it. They have only made me more unhappy with cloudy, windy, gray days with short blasts of rain.
A real nailbiter
This week G. George Ostrom has selected a classic column from April 5, 1968.
Legals May 29, 2019
No. 1660 NOTICE OF SALE FOR STATE SCHOOL TRUST LAND The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) will offer the following parcel of state land with a commercial townhouse located in Flathead County, for sale at public auction on July 17, 2019 at 1:00 pm, at the DNRC Northwest Land Office, 655 Timberwolf Parkway, Suite 1, Kalispell, Montana under terms and conditions provided herein. Sale No.1048: Commercial Townhouse with approximately 1315+ Square Feet Commercial Lot: .043 Acres+ Legal Description: Lot 1 of Lupfer Townhouses, T31N-R22W, Sec. 36 Minimum Bid: $290,000. Location: 140 Lupfer Avenue, Whitefish, MT BID PARTICIPATION A bid packet containing an Offer to Purchase and Bid Deposit Receipt Form and Invitation to Purchase State Land at Public Oral Auction General Terms & Conditions of Sale is available on the website: http://www.dnrc.mt.gov/trust/land_banking/ or from DNRC upon request. All persons wishing to participate in the auction of any state parcel indicated above must, on or before June 27, 2019, submit a bid deposit in the form of a certified or cashiers check made payable to DNRC equal to twenty percent (20%) of the minimum bid indicated for that parcel. In addition, an Offer to Purchase and Bid Deposit Receipt Form must be completed and submitted with each bid deposit. Failure to submit the Offer to Purchase and Bid Deposit Receipt Form as provided herein will prohibit participation in the auction. All Offer to Purchase and Bid Deposit Receipt Forms and Payments must be sent to the address shown below. TERMS OF SALE 1. The parcel and improvements are sold as-is by the DNRC. 2. The minimum acceptable bid for this parcel is the value indicated above. 3. The parcel will be sold to the high bidder of that parcel 4. In addition to the purchase price for each parcel, the purchaser shall also be responsible for the following costs (if applicable to that particular parcel) including, but not limited to: Advertising, Appraisal, Survey, Title Commitment and Insurance, Filing fees, Cultural Survey, Water Right Transfers, Cost of Closing. All inquiries, bid deposits, or requests for forms are to be sent to: DNRC, Real Estate Management Bureau, Attn: Mark Harvel, PO Box 201601, 1539 Eleventh Ave., Helena, MT 59620-1601, (406) 444- 1445 or mharvel@mt.gov. May 29, June 5, 12, 2019 MNAXLP __________________________
Tuesday, May 28
Thirteen cyclists stranded by avalanche on Sun Road Monday
No one was injured, but 13 bicyclists were stranded in the alpine section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park after an avalanche swept over the road at Triple Arches.
Wednesday, May 22
School District 6 insurance costs about $3 million annually
This year school District 6 will top the $3 million mark to pay for health insurance for its employees.
Anderson awarded Phase 2 for Sperry Chalet completion
Dick Anderson Construction will finish the work the company started rebuilding the Sperry Chalet in Glacier National Park.
C-Falls netters qualify four for state tourney
Four member of the Columbia Falls High School tennis teams will be in action at the state tournament this weekend after earning top-four finishes at the divisional tournament in Kalispell.
Softball team drops three heading into state tourney
The Wildkat softball team will head into this week’s state tournament in Polson as the second seed from the Northwest A Conference after dropping three games to close out the regular season last week.
Track teams looking to do well at state meet this weekend
The Columbia Falls High School track team will be taking a busload of athletes to the state meet in Livingston this weekend after a strong showing at the divisional meet in Butte.
Genesis Kitchen doing well in C-Falls
Genesis Kitchen owner David Cohen was not sure Columbia Falls was ready for artisan olive oil and balsamic vinegar shop when he decided to move his main business here from Whitefish earlier this year, but business has been better than expected since he opened the doors on the north end of Nucleus Avenue in March.
Nicosia doing well for UM track squad
Former Wildkat track star Carla Nicosia continues to make her way to the top of the college scene, recently taking second in the triple jump at the Big Sky Conference outdoor track championships in Missoula.
C-Falls student experiences culture in Guatemala
One Columbia Falls High School student recently got a unique look at Central American culture, spending a week in Guatemala courtesy of the Rotary Interact Club and Maya Pedal.
Park plows closing in on Pass
Glacier National Park plow crews were less than a mile from Logan Pass as of presstime on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Crews on the west side were working at Rimrocks, which is a band of cliffs just below the pass. The east side crews were still working at Siyeh Bend.
How to care for a fly line
While there are certainly bigger problems in the world than a dirty fly line, fly fishing is definitely more fun and productive with clean dry line.
Seeing grizzlies
This week G. George Ostrom has selected a classic column from Oct. 18, 1968.
A few bills you may have missed
Many bills during the 2019 legislative session grabbed headlines. Here are a few that passed quietly but will be of interest to Montanans.
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Bruce McAtee
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Memorial Day walk
Bad camps
I’ve camped in a lot of different places over the years. The first camping trips were in the backyard of my grandmother’s farmhouse under 200-year-old maple trees.
New Sperry Chalet will always have a little bit of Christmas
Back in the late fall of 2017, a 79-foot tall Engelmann spruce located in Upper Ford administrative site on the Three Rivers Ranger District in Troy was felled by sawyer Pete Tallmadge.
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May 14
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Arne R. Moen
Wolf certification course offered by FWP
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is offering a free wolf trapper education and certification course near Kalispell on Saturday, June 1.
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70 years ago
Tuesday, May 21
Pursuit buys Belton Chalet
Pursuit, the company that was formerly known as Glacier Park Inc., announced Tuesday it had purchased the historic Belton Chalet in West Glacier. Terms were not disclosed.
Friday, May 17
Two women killed in U.S. Highway 2 wreck
Two 18-year-old Great Falls women were killed in a car accident on Highway 2 Wednesday near Essex.
Thursday, May 16
Cold, wet, system headed this way
The weather honeymoon is over. The National Weather Service is saying a cold, wet system should descend on the region today, tomorrow and into the weekend.
Wednesday, May 15
Bullock has a long way to go to get to oval office
By JOHN S. ADAMS
Thoughts on grizzlies
The grizzlies are back! By any measure, the grizzly bear, with a lot of human help, have made a remarkable recovery. Many folks, including Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks feel that they should no longer be listed as an endangered species. Others, including many environmental organizations, are opposed to delisting. Let’s look at the facts as I interprets them.
Farm Hands looks to feed youth, elderly, this summer
Farm Hands – Nourish the Flathead will be looking to battle hunger in and around Columbia Falls as the non-profit organization unveiled a plan to operate several feeding stations around the area this summer.
Tennis teams ready to host divisionals
The Columbia Falls High School tennis teams had a busy week as they prepare to host the divisional tournament at FCVV this weekend.
Softball wins 4 of 5 heading into important final week
The Wildkat softball team continued to roll last week, winning four of five games, including downing Browning to maintain their hold on the top spot in the Northwest A Conference.
Track team hoping for strong showing at divisional meet
Street breaks school
Park warns about avalanches on Sun Road
Glacier National Park reminds hikers and cyclists to be aware of possible avalanche conditions along the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Smalley is busy ... catching fish that is
“If you’re too busy to go fishing, you are too busy!”
City eyes fixes for several city streets
The worst spots in several Columbia Falls city streets should see some work this summer. The city has been doing an inventory of the worst spots of its streets, with plans to fix them using its share of state gas tax dollars.
Board OK's new school for Gateway, remodel for Ruder
A new school at Glacier Gateway. A remodel of Ruder Elementary.
At junior high, taco time espouses healthy eating
Cauliflower and chick peas. An ancient variety of field corn. Walnuts and lentils. And, oh yeah, some good old chicken.
Lions Club says thanks
The Columbia Falls Lions Club would like to thank the community of Columbia Falls for their support for our recent pancake breakfast. This fund raiser will help us continue to assist our youth with their vision needs. We would also like to thank The Coop and O’Brien Byrd for the facility, Noise Box Productions for the music, Glacier Bank for their continued support, and Pursuit for providing support staff and guidance in preparing for this event.
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Wilson, Mumby win
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Doris “Dolly” M. (Walton) Lee
Arne Moen
Arne Moen
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70 years ago
A story of struggle and community pride
Almost 15 years ago, Melanie Byrd and I were trying to buy Jack’s Liquor located up on the old Downtown District of Nucleus Ave in Columbia Falls. We were pregnant with our oldest child, Zoey and very excited at the opportunity to open our very own business in my hometown.
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May 6
Sheriff open to putting satellite office in Canyon
Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino and undersheriff Wayne DuBois said people can expect a greater law enforcement presence in the Canyon and the department is open to putting a satellite office in the area as well.
Monday, May 13
School board to make bond decision Monday
Citizens will have their last chance to voice their opinion on School District Six’s future elementary building plans as the Long Range Planning Committee is set to make its final recommendation to the school board at Monday evening’s regular meeting.
Thursday, May 9
Man drives through two fences, hits building and then strikes a car and bicycle
Columbia Falls Police charged a Columbia Falls man with DUI and several other offenses after he drove a Ford F-150 pickup through two fences at the Centurylink facility in Columbia Falls, hit the side of the building, struck a parked rig and a bicycle before finally stopping on the edge of 6th Street West.
Wednesday, May 8
As weather turns warmer, Park opens more roads
Glacier National Park has opened the Going-to-the-Sun Road to Avalanche Creek to motor vehicles. The Many Glacier Road, Two Medicine Road, Bowman Lake Road and Chief Mountain Road are open as to vehicles as well.
Highway 93 proving to be a tough crossing for grizzly bears
Grizzly bears sometimes leave the Mission Mountains and cross U.S. 93 along a roughly 13-mile stretch of the highway north of St. Ignatius.
Wilson, Mumby win SD6 seats
Longtime incumbent Larry Wilson and newcomer Heather Mumby won seats on the School District 6 Board of Trustees in Tuesday’s election.
Person killed in collision with dump truck
A Tuesday morning crash involving a passenger vehicle and a dump truck on U.S. 2 East has left one person dead and another severely injured.
For 30 years, Expo has been getting folks into the woods
When the Family Forestry Expo first started, some of the trees in the Ronald Buentemeier Educational Forest off Trumbull Creek Road were just saplings.
Columbia Falls is now a resort community
The Department of Commerce earlier this month has determined that Columbia Falls qualifies as a resort community under state law, meaning the city could ask voters for a resort tax in the future.
Numerous shots fired into Columbia Falls home
Police continue to follow leads on an early morning incident where numerous shots were fired into a home on 10th Street in Columbia Falls April 22.
The War of the Republicans
A half century ago the power in Montana politics was the Montana Power Company. Created to provide electricity for the operations of the Anaconda Copper Company, “the terrible twins” dominated Montana both economically and politically for most of the last century.
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Birding trips
Tester not happy with DOI decision on Badger-Two Medicine
Montana Sen. Jon Tester said last week that he’s not happy that the Department of Interior decided to partially withdrawal its appeal of a case that could allow oil and gas drilling in the Badger Two Medicine area just south of Glacier National Park.
Lawmakers diverge on session
There were two diverging opinions on the success of this year’s state legislative session from local lawmakers.
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Charles F. Thiel
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James Baiar
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Marjorie Gordon
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April 30
Elinor (Elin) Gudger Parks
Elinor (Elin) Gudger Parks
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70 years ago
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Garden Gallop
Kats softball maintains hold on first place with pair of wins
The Wildkats softball team used a pair of wins to solidify its hold on the top spot in the Northwest A Conference last week, taking down Flathead 20-4 in a non-conference Tuesday game before besting Ronan 10-7 Thursday.
Tennis squads play host to Libby, Ronan
The Columbia Falls boys tennis team made a strong stand at home at Columbus Park Saturday, taking 11 of 14 matches against Libby and Ronan.
League of her own: Street blowing away competition
Angellica Street is leaving the competition behind.
Williams caps off college career with a host of accomplishments
Former Wildcat running star Derrick Williams recently finished his college running career with a number of achievements, both on and off the field.
About hippies and high places
This week G. George Ostrom selected a column from September, 1970.
State warns folks about the threat of hantavirus
The Department of Public Health and Human Services and local public health agencies are reminding Montanans and visitors to the state to be aware of the risk of hantavirus and to take precautions to avoid exposures to rodents, their droppings and nests.
Record-setting week for C-Falls track teams
It was another record-setting week for the Wildcat track teams as Angellica Street set a new school record in the javelin while many other Columbia Falls athletes set new personal records to qualify for the state meet.
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Clark Walter “Smitty” Smith
Drugs on the playground illustrates local drug problem
Police estimate 90 percent of local crime can be traced back to drugs and in one disturbing case, an elementary student tried to sell dope to another student at the school playground.
Sunday, May 5
Christopher Showen, a man with long criminal history here, is apparently dead
A man with a long criminal history in Flathead County has apparently died.
Friday, May 3
Moho brings good memories
I sold the moho!
Thursday, May 2
Free Glacier hiker-biker shuttle starts Saturday
This weekend Glacier National Park will offer its free shuttle service for hiker and bikers to and from Apgar to the closure gate on the west side.
Wednesday, May 1
Outfitter offering free trip in Bob Marshall to a special mom and a companion
A Bob Marshall Wilderness outfitter is offering a free excursion to a mother and friend or family member for Mother’s Day.
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70 years ago
Judge: Wronged BNSF employee can recoup about $1 million in fees
A federal judge last month ruled that Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway is not entitled to a new trial in the case of an Columbia Falls employee who won a significant judgment against the railroad last year. Also, Montana federal district court judge Dana Christensen ruled Zachary Wooten, a former conductor with the company, also be awarded attorney fees, interest and other expenses related to the case that total $1.015 million in addition to $2.1 million he was awarded last year after a jury trial in November.
Art club mural spruces up downtown wall
Members of the Columbia Falls High School art club graciously spruced up the concrete wall in front of the Hungry Horse News last week.
Track teams win in Eureka, compete in Whitefish
The Columbia Falls High School track team was split in two Tuesday as part of the team competed at the Eureka meet while the top finishers so far this season were in Missoula for the Top-10 meet.
C-Falls netters fall to Pirates
The Columbia Falls High School tennis teams were on the road last week as they took on the Pirates in Polson.
Park plows about three miles from Logan Pass
Glacier National Park plow crews had reached Big Bend on the Going-to-the-Sun Road as of presstime, which is about three miles from Logan Pass on the west side.
Softball team goes 3-2 in busy week of action
The Wildkats softball team maintained its tie with Polson for the top spot in the Northwest A Conference last week, picking up a 22-0 win over conference foe Browning and going 2-2 in non-conference matchups.
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Paul Sherman
Glacier completes prescribed burn up the North Fork
Glacier National Park did a prescribed burn in an ecologically important meadow last week and could do another one this month in a meadow further south.
Ode to the Carhartt
I saw a guy yesterday walking into Smith’s with a crumpled wide-brimmed hat on and a jacket with what looked liked dried mud all over it. I can’t say for sure it was mud — it was whitish stuff, maybe asbestos, or plaster.
Bald eagle died from lead poisoning, Glacier Park finds
Glacier National Park officials say an immature bald eagle found at Lower McDonald Creek in February died from lead poisoning, but did appear to have been shot.
'Ostrom's Rules' for taking risks
This week G. George Ostrom picked out a column from August, 1969.
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Ruth Laugen
An apology, and other news
It is sometimes hard to imagine that I have been writing this column for over 30 years. Mostly, it has been fun writing about North Fork Events, commenting on issues and sprinkling in a little history when things are slow. There are a couple of things that aren’t fun.
High School hosts first community health fair
The first-ever Columbia Falls High School Health Fair was a success Thursday, according to organizers.
At 80, Columbia Falls artist is still going strong
Columbia Falls jewelry maker Carol Franco is not slowing down, even though she will be celebrating her 80th birthday with her two daughters next week.
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Community meeting
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April 22
Wilderness Foundation welcomes new director
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation has a new leader in Bill Hodge. Hodge, 54, is no stranger to wilderness stewardship — he founded the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards in 2010 and it’s been going strong ever since.
Legals May 1, 2019
No. 1659 Notice is hereby given by the undersigned Clerk of Columbia Falls School District No. Six, Flathead County, State of Montana that Absentee Ballots for the School Election held on the 7th, day of May, 2019, will be counted at the following location on election day (May 7, 2019): Administration Office Conference Room 501 6th Avenue West Columbia Falls MT 59912 And these Absentee Ballots will be counted using the following method: Three (3) Election Judges will begin counting ballots at 9 AM. One judge will recite the results marked on each ballot while the other two judges record the results into a spreadsheet. The judges records will be reconciled after every 25 ballots to ensure the results are the same. This procedure is anticipated to endure the duration of the election day. DATED this 23 day of April, 2019 /s/ Dustin Zuffelato District Clerk May 1, 2019 MNAXLP _________________________
