October 8, 2009
Melea Burke/Valley Journal
Bison roundup workers fit a pregnant bison cow with a tracking collar as part of a new reproductive study at the National Bison Range.
Bison herd undergoes annual health check-up at roundup
By Melea Burke
Valley Journal
MOIESE — Bison may look peaceful grazing on a distant hillside, but corral them and separate one from its friends, and the giant is gentle no longer. The National Bison Range’s annual fall roundup offers plenty of excitement, and that’s why hundreds of visitors, from out-of-state tourists to buses full of local students, turned out to see the show on Monday and Tuesday.
The roundup is the Range’s annual herd health checkup and allows surplus bison to be separated from the herd. After the Range staff and volunteers gather the bison in a pasture near the corral, the animals are herded into the pen in small groups.
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Polson commissioners pass resort tax ordinance draft
Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal
Polson City Commisioner Mike Lies looks over the resort tax ordinance draft.
By Berl Tiskus
Valley Journal
POLSON — Polson City Commissioners passed a resort tax ordinance draft at the Oct. 5 meeting by a vote of five to one. The draft contained a list of goods and services subject to the resort tax and exempt from the resort tax. Also included were specifics on use of the tax monies, formation and duties of an oversight committee and payment of the resort tax.
(This information is available on the city’s website at www.cityofpolson.com click on Resort Tax Ordinance Draft 10/5/2009 or at City Hall, 106 1st Street E.)
City Manager Todd Crosset said, “I took a shot at the list of goods and services ... based on other ordinances, based on the work session, based on discussion with this body and based on numerous discussions with the public and with businesses.”
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Mack Days gets off to blustery beginning
Aaric Bryan
Valley Journal
Wind kept anglers off the water and lake trout safe in the opening weekend of Mack Days.
The seven-week event got of to a good start Friday with good and calm fishing weather in the morning, 384 mackinaw were entered before the winds rolled in forcing anglers off of the water.
Saturday began calm, but by early afternoon the lake was covered by rolling waves and treacherous winds. Only 232 lake trout were entered Saturday.
On Sunday, only 18 lake trout were entered, which was the lowest number of entries in the event’s seven-year history. Anglers reported never seeing currents out on Flathead Lake like Sunday. They reported it was like sitting in the river and their lines just couldn’t reach the bottom.
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Woman’s remains found in burned trailer
Jim Blow/Valley Journal
Law enforcement officials look over the remains of a trailer house that was destroyed by an early-morning fire on Sept. 30.
Valley Journal
PABLO — The Lake County Sheriff's Department confirmed the remains of a 22-year-old woman, Trisha Plant, were found in the remnants of a trailer that burned to the ground on the morning of Sept. 30. Although the investigation continues, authorities have ruled out arson.
A fire investigation leads authorities to believe the residence at 42132 2nd Ave. E. in Pablo caught on fire from lit candles, according to Lake County Sheriff's Department detective Mike Sargeant who headed up the investigation.
Sargeant said the trailer was used as a flophouse for people passing through the area. The owner of the residence, Judy Harlow, had turned the power off in order to discourage this type of transient activities.
Sargeant believes Plant entered the trailer with another individual, whose name has yet to be released. He said that the man left the trailer when it was already on fire.
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Wal-Mart plans to reassess Supercenter project in Polson
Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal
Wal-Mart officials are in the process of deciding whether to continue with plans to build a Supercenter in Polson.
By Berl Tiskus
Valley Journal
POLSON — Wal-Mart is a step closer to building a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Polson since the Montana Supreme Court upheld the district court ruling that the project did not violate the Polson Growth Policy, zoning or development regulations.
Lake County First, the citizen group that brought the suit against the city of Polson and Wal-Mart, has 15 days to appeal the decision. Greg Hertz from Lake County First said he had no comment at this time.
In a phone interview Josh Phair, Senior Manager for Public Affairs and Government Relations for Wal-Mart, said that Wal-Mart planned to wait for the appeal period and from there “we will begin to reassess the project.”
Phair said a lot has happened since land for the Wal-Mart Supercenter was purchased in 2005.
“If and when we’ll see how the new store in Polson fits into our broader growth plan,” Phair said. “We will probably reassess the whole project top to bottom, to make sure the plan is right for our city, our customers and right for us (Wal-Mart.)”
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Arlee School to redo floor in new gym
By Melea Burke
Valley Journal
ARLEE — After a long wait, Arlee students have just three more weeks before they can hit the floor running in the school’s new gymnasium. School administration had high hopes that the court would be ready in time for volleyball season, but when the gym floor was completed it was obvious that more work was needed.
“There’s a lot of problems with (the floor),” Arlee Superintendent John Miller said.
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Coalition for Kids grant recipients meet at SKC
Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal
Balloons reflecting the many goals of various programs that received grant funding from Coalition for Kids were released as part of a teamwork demonstration last week.
By Berl Tiskus
Valley Journal
PABLO — Representatives of groups who received Coalition for Kids grants gathered on Sept. 24 at the Late Louis Caye Sr. Memorial Building on the Salish Kootenai College (SKC) campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Before a lunch of Indian tacos, Harry Goldman, Kellogg Leadership Coach at SKC, asked each participant to write what they felt was the strongest issue facing their group on an inflated balloon. Then Goldman tried to keep all the balloons in the air by himself.
“Obviously, no one person can do this,” Julie Berry, Executive Director for Coalition for Kids said, “But a community can.”
Then Goldman had the whole group keep the balloons aloft.
This spirit of cooperation tied into Berry’s goal of resource sharing, which stretches each dollar as far as possible. Berry wanted the group to network, assess needs and decide what they needed and what they could share.
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More news ...
Proposed resort tax ordinance background
Samoan chief’s village hit hard by quake and tsunami
Human Rights complaint resolved in favor of city
Pablo Elementary School vandalized
Dog put down after brutal beating
SKC Writing Lab
Arlee adds playground equipment
Former banker Bonner sentenced
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