Home of: Ron Buzzard

POLSON - Move over John Wayne, there's another cowboy in town.

Ron Buzzard has been looking after the bad guys since Mr. Wayne left the area.

Whether as a police officer, community service officer or transition room monitor, Buzzard has been the good guy all his life, a characteristic similar to his movie star idol.

The Polson resident, and Wayne enthusiast, used to be the Polson Police Chief and after his retirement in 2002, Buzzard continued to keep delinquents in check.

Buzzard, originally from California, moved to Polson in 1981 with his wife of 48 years, Diane. He was a cop in the western state with his dad and uncle.

"It was fun, very interesting," he said. "It was in my blood."

Buzzard even spent a year as a highway patrolman on the Golden Gate Bridge.

"That was entertaining in and of itself," he said.

After moving out to Polson, the couple had two sons in a family that has expanded to include five grandchildren. His family also took in many foster children along with two nephews.

"We always seemed to take in boys," he said of his foster children. "There's nothing wrong with girls, but we always seemed to get boys."

After retiring from 20 years of service, Buzzard needed a job that had insurance, so he started working at Wal-Mart. After reading about an opening for a transition room monitor at Polson Middle School, he applied, but wasn't quite sure what he was getting himself into.

"Well, I didn't know what [a transition room monitor] was," he said.

After learning it was in the detention room, he decided he could handle that and started his ninth year this year in the transition room.

"I think I'm the only employee that's done it more than one year in a row," he said. "I deal with the kids that get in trouble. This is kind of like an isolation room."

But juveniles aren't free from Buzzard during the summer when school isn't in session. During that time, he is a community service officer.

"I just needed a summer job," he said.

And it just happened to be with offenders.

Buzzard takes juveniles that get in trouble with the police and monitors them during community service projects. Those juveniles can get a ticket, go to court and possibly get assigned community service. Buzzard's job is to monitor them as well as find service projects for them to perform.

The most common project Buzzard supervises is to pick up trash along Main Street in Polson on Mondays.

"We mostly go out after busy weekends, just to keep it looking good," he said.

At that time, one will see Buzzard strolling along with a few juveniles, carrying a mug of coffee and enjoying the weather. Other times, the group will clean up the parks or pick up rocks.

"We do a lot of rock picking, like at the rodeo grounds," he said. "We've been down at the animal shelter picking weeds. When I say we, I really mean the kids. I just make sure they do it."

Some kids cooperate and some don't.

"There are times when I have the kids that I can just say ‘go do it,'" he said. "There are times I get the kids, if I don't follow them, they don't do it. One time I had a kid who couldn't find trash at a dump."

Going from working with adult offenders to juvenile ones, Buzzard has welcomed the change. He said when he was a police officer, he started to get a negative feeling towards youth.

"I was working with the ones that were breaking the law," he said. "It was on the negative side most of the time. When I switched over to actually working with the kids, it changed. I really like working with them."

Sometimes he feels like he is getting through to them and when he is able to spend time with just one or two kids, he is able to have "some really good talks," he said.

When he gets a spare chance, Buzzard likes to read or watch old movies.

"I love John Wayne," he said. "I like cowboy movies, but John Wayne is my favorite. I'm not sure how that started, but as I grew up I jumped at any chance to see a cowboy movie. I love the old movies. Good guy versus the bad guy."

When the detention room is quiet, you can find Buzzard enjoying a historical book as well. On the quiet weekends, Buzzard relishes the chance to get on his horse and ride along Jette Meadows. His two horses, Rusty and Buck, are his passion.

"I would love to just retire and give trail rides," he said. "I would love to do that."