News Briefs
April 9
School district’s libraries receive 17 new books
RONAN — United States Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester announced this week that K. William Harvey Elementary, Pablo Elementary, Ronan Middle School and Ronan High School are among 25 Montana schools whose libraries will each receive 17 new “American Classic” books.
The new allotment of books comes from a program in the National Endowment for the Humanities called the “We the People Bookshelf,” an initiative that has delivered new books to more than 13,000 schools and libraries since 2003.
Both senators believe the books included in this program tell important tales of American history, culture, and heritage.
The following books make up the list: “Walt Whitman: Words for America” by Barbara Kerley; “Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez” by Kathleen Krull; “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; “Sweet Music in Harlem” by Debbie Taylor; “The Birchbark House” by Louise Erdrich; “American Tall Tales” by Mary Pope Osborne; “On the Wings of Heroes” by Richard Peck; “Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule” by Harriette Gillem Robinet; “The Captain’s Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe” by Roland Smith.; “The Life and Death of Crazy Horse” by Russell Freedman; “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving; “Across America on an Emigrant Train” by Jim Murphy; “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain; “Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation” by Joseph J. Ellis; “Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange” by Elizabeth Partridge; “Travels with Charley in Search of America” by John Steinbeck; “Democracy in America” by Alexis de Tocqueville.
— Reporter Ty Hampton
Sirucek graduates Army from training
Army Pvt. Daina M. Sirucek has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C.
During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches and field training exercises.
She is the daughter of Lisa King of Buffalo Lane in Ronan.
The private is a 1999 graduate of the Two Eagle River School in Pablo.
-Courtesy of the U.S. Army
Ronan/Pablo trustee candidates
Filing for one, three year position from District 30-1 is Robert Jason Starkel. Jason Adams, incumbent, has decided not to seek re-election.
Filing for one, three year position from District 30-2 are Jim Blow, Bob Cornwell, Stacy Sherwin, John Shane Shima and Roger Romero, incumbent.
The deadline for write-in candidates to file a declaration of intent for a trustee position on the school board is April 9 by 5 p.m..
The School Election will be held on May 5, 2009 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ronan Community Center.
- Courtesy of Ronan/Pablo School District
Stimulus bill moves to Senate
The House bill allotting more than $800 million of federal stimulus money was passed by the Montana House two weeks ago. Now, House Bill 645, the Implement receipt of and appropriate federal stimulus and recovery funds bill, is waiting for hearing in the Senate Finance and Claims Committee.
Earlier in March, the cities and towns of Lake County submitted a list of “shovel ready” projects qualifying for the millions of dollars of discretionary funds House representatives decided to make available in their version of the bill.
Included in the 93-page bill are three Lake County projects that could be awarded up to $226,694 in the county discretionary funds section, if HB 645 passes. Three individual town projects also made the list as shovel-ready projects.
Lake County’s South Valley Creek Bridge replacement ($160,000) the Skyline Bridge repair ($40,000) and the Courthouse weatherazation ($26,694) projects were all included section 27 of the bill, which allocates funds only to be used for the specifically indicated purposes.
The next section of the bill allocates discretionary funds to incorporated towns and cities. St. Ignatuis’ street paving and pedestrian path and other park repairs project ($21,269) is listed in this section, as well as Ronan’s Third Avenue repair and overlay project ($41,463).
Polson was awarded the most money out of Lake County’s towns. The towns’ Riverside water main replacement would receive $94,816 if HB 645 is passed.
The close to $20 million dollars in discretionary funds was added by legislators several weeks ago. Qualifying projects must be ready for contract bidding by mid-June.
To track bills in the Montana Legislature, visit www.leg.mt.gov.
-Reporter Jenna Cederberg
NLW kicks off
Polson City Library will commemorate National Library Week (April 11-18) with a special evening program featuring Polebridge author Sharon Midkiff Randolph. Randolph’s presentation will be Wednesday, April 15th from 7-9 p.m. in the Library Meeting Room and will highlight the last two volumes of her four-book series, Connecting Us to the Sun. She will include a 60-minute slide presentation called “Neighbors of My Past” which provides an historical tour of the small communities in and around Glacier National Park up until 1945.
During National Library Week, the library will also observe its traditional forgiveness of fines. Patrons are encouraged to bring one item of canned or packaged food to the circulation desk for each item they are returning late. Fines will then be waived, and all food contributions will be donated to the Polson Loaves and Fish Food Pantry. Forgiveness of fines does not include lost or damaged items.
National Volunteer Week is April 19-25, and Polson City Library will honor its volunteers with a special breakfast gathering. This is an annual way of thanking these hard workers, who spend many hours during the year helping the staff with tasks like arranging displays, mending and jacketing books, writing notes, hosting book sales, sending overdue notices, caring for plants and gardens, shelf reading, and other critical jobs.
Also featured in April will be the annual Pennies for Peace fundraiser. This statewide effort, which has been adopted by the Montana Library Association, raises money for the Central Asia Institute, an organization headquartered in Bozeman that builds schools and raises literacy in the remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Over the course of several years, the Montana Library Association raised funds to build a school in the Neelam Valley of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, and now works each year to raise its $5000 annual operating costs. The school, which has 150 students, was built in the 2005 earthquake zone. A collection jar for this year’s donations will be placed at the library circulation desk.
Preparations are underway for the annual Family Summer Reading Program, which will begin on June 15th. This year’s theme is “Be Creative @ Your Library.” Children, teens, and adults are invited to take part in the fun and earn incentives and prizes for reading – or being read to. Weekly programs for school-aged children will also be featured.
The Library District Steering Committee continues to meet on a regular basis for the purpose of furthering the possibility of a North Lake County Public Library District. Volunteers are needed to help with this important work.
One position is vacant on the Polson City Library Board of Trustees. City residency and a desire to be involved are required for this volunteer, non-paying position. Anyone interested can pick up an application at the library. For more information, please call the circulation desk at 883-8225.
-Courtesy of Mary O’Brien