Ellington

Inside those lines

Nick Crawford

If Robert Louis Stevenson were writing today, the Mission Valley Mariners could be easily convinced that the plot from the “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” came straight from one of their own.

Fire scorches Polson Hill

POLSON - A fast-moving wildfire torched 5.5 acres of a residential Polson neighborhood Wednesday night, requiring the efforts of multiple area fire departments to bring under control.

Takin' it to the streets

Photos from the Flathead Lake 3-on-3 tournament

Jane L. Vannoy Fry

Jane L. Vannoy Fry, 89, passed away at St. Luke’s Extended Care in Ronan on July 27 with family by her side. Born in Sheridan, Wyo. on August 17, 1923 to Alice & Ben Vannoy, she was raised on the family farm and received her grade school education in a one room country school until seventh grade. She then graduated from eighth grade and high school in Clearmont, Wyo. in 1940. Jane married Merle Tackitt in Kellogg, Idaho in 1942 and to this union five children were born.  In 1950, the family moved to Buffalo, Wyo. then in 1960 they moved to Charlo.  Eventually she and Merle divorced and she moved to Missoula remarrying to Norman Fry in 1964.  He passed away in 1993 and since that time she has lived in Evaro and Ronan. She was also preceded in death by a son Jay Dee Tackitt, her first husband Merle Tackitt, seven sisters and three brothers. She is survived by three sons: Merle (Amy) Tackitt of Wheatland, Wyo., Jerry (Joyce) Tackitt of Stevensville and Mahlon (Jerill) Tackitt of Polson and her daughter Mavis (Ken) Caffrey of Polson; sister Mae Louckett of California; several grandchildren and great grandchildren. In accordance with her wishes no services are planned.  Condolences may be left at fosterfhandcrematory.com.

Jack Dunn

A too-early farewell to Jack Dunn, “Pops”, beloved Husband to Sue, Father to Ellen, Laura and Miriam, Grandfather to four little girls, and two little boys still on the way, Uncle to Mike, Paul and Julia, and Brother to Jim Dunn. Teacher to countless children, both young and old, imparting a love of the sciences and all of God’s creation, outdoor survival, disaster preparedness and most of all, the Scriptures.  A careful and attentive RN for 25 years, he was a pillar of knowledge and calm in emergency rooms across the States. Never one to conform, Pops was always looking for new and better ways to do – well, everything.  He was an avid stargazer and bird watcher and lover of his chosen home state of Montana. December 16, 1950 - July 12, 2013: A life full of adventure, service to God, country, and above all, his family. We love you and will greatly miss your generous wisdom, wit and ready prayers.

Sentence deferred for death threats

POLSON — In Lake County District Court last week, a man charged with issuing death threats to Polson city officials was given a two-year deferred sentence.

Fire danger at 'extreme'

Reservation set to adopt Stage I fire restrictions effective Aug. 1

POLSON — Already perched precariously at an “extreme” level of fire danger, unabating hot and dry conditions are causing officials in the area to prepare for an even greater threat of wildfires in the near future.

Among Other Things: Bannack will be back

Time and age dealt more kindly with the historic Montana ghost town of Bannack than did weather a couple weeks ago. Devastating downpours of rain and hail sent a flash flood into and through Montana’s only state park ghost town, destroying one old building, damaging other restored structures and depositing mud and debris throughout the area.

Letters to the editor

Senior News

Local kids impact Shrine Game

BUTTE — Four area football stars helped lead the Treasure State’s western half to its fifth victory in six years in the 67th Annual Montana Shrine Game, played Saturday night at Butte High School.

Law enforcement and court records

Births

Community Calendar

Live History Days face uncertain future

POLSON — Fiddlers, basket weavers, a blacksmith and train operators all worked around each other last weekend as inquiring families participated in this year’s live history days at the Miracle of America Museum in Polson.

Three cheers for cherries

So far, so good: "Perfect" conditions usher in start of local cherry harvest

POLSON — While most Lake County residents are sick of the continued heat, cherry growers wouldn’t ask for anything else.

Crawford hits power surge

You can tell quite a lot about a baseball player by his walk-out song—the music he chooses to walk to the plate with.

Ronan camp teaches basics

Tennis

RONAN — Thanks to two grants from the United States Tennis Association, Lake County children enjoyed a free four-day tennis camp in Ronan last week.

Knight places in rodeo nationals

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. — Not many high school students get the chance to compete on a national stage in their sports.

What are your thoughts on the non-native bunny population on Finley Point in Polson?

Two sisters, One crown

What started on a whim has turned into a journey for two sisters who graduated from St. Ignatius High School.

St Ignatius Good Old Days Celebration - 2013

Mariners ready for district

POLSON — Not many top seeds know that they have already played their final home game of the season, but that is the case for the Mission Valley Mariners.

Polson ready for 3-on-3 tourney

POLSON — For the 21st consecutive year, downtown Polson will be overrun by hoops, headbands, and the unmistakable sound of basketballs being dribbled this coming weekend.

Dragon boats buoy Cherry Festival

POLSON — Dragon boats took the water in Flathead Lake yet again on Sunday, this time as an exposition at the annual Flathead Cherry Festival.

Racing back in time

Good Old Days

ST. IGNATIUS — Temperatures rose to scorching levels later in the day, but at 7 a.m. Saturday it was still chilly in the shade, perfect weather for the annual Buffalo Run.

Relay makes over $44,000

RONAN — Over $44,000 was raised to fund cancer research at this year’s Lake County Relay for Life, held at Ronan High School last Friday night. The robust show of monetary support from the event was generated by 113 participants from 15 different teams and their various sponsors. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society and support their efforts to find a cure for the disease.

Wayne and Helen Gryde

On July 9th, Heaven received two angels.  Wayne and Helen Gryde were called to be with the Lord.  

Willard Steinkraus

Willard Steinkraus of Polson, Montana passed away on July 3. Willard was born November 19, 1922 in Verndale, Minn., where he was raised on the family farm. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Anna Werth Steinkraus; brothers Robert, Henry, Alfred, Alvin, and Wilbert; and sisters Minnie Warm and Gertrude Ritari. His surviving siblings are brother Edmond and sister Mildred Olson, both in Minnesota. In 1952, he married Virginia Harwood Hendry and they settled in Waterloo, Iowa. They were blessed with two children, Robin and David. Willard worked as a carpenter building custom homes for many years, and he passed on his knowledge to numerous apprentices. He enjoyed woodworking as a hobby and made many fine gifts for friends and family. Ginny and Willard retired to Polson in 1985 where they enjoyed many years of volunteering, golfing and grandchildren together. Ginny passed away in 2011. Willard retained his sense of humor and his patient good nature until the end of his life. Willard is also survived by his daughter Robin, and her husband Mark Potter, of Polson; his son, David, of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and  grandchildren Teal Potter, Luke Potter, and Nicholas Steinkraus. A family memorial service will be held at a later date.

Helen Freshour Smith

On June 29, Helen Freshour Smith passed away in her sleep at St. Luke Hospital in Ronan, thus ended a life of service to her family, country, and community. Born on Dec. 23, 1921 in the old Holy Family Hospital in St. Ignatius, to George and Zulema Freshour, she grew up on family ranches along Pistol Creek Road moving slowly down from the top of the ridge. After completing St. Ignatius High School in l940 she attended Great Falls Commercial College, then worked for Montana Power Co. Helen, always wanted to travel, so as soon as she turned 21 and with WW ll going  she  enlisted in the Women’s Army Corp, “Because I wanted to see a lot and have  someone take care of me”.  She was in a troop which handled Top Secret coded combat field reports for Allied Command which kept her in the thick of the European Theater “action” going from London, before the Germans were routed from France, to Paris, only days after its liberation, where she stayed until the end of the war in Europe. Returning to St. Ignatius after the war, Helen worked for Beckwith‘s store as a bookkeeper.  She married Lyndon Smith on June 1, 1948. From Beckwith’s, she moved to the power office of the BIA until her retirement in 1979.  Years later as a widow she moved to Clark Fork Riverside in Missoula. Community service was always important to Helen. Whether it was a project like renovating the old High School Gym, building up the St. Ignatius Senior Center to a stable enterprise, or a service project like the Montana Elderly Nutrition Program and doing audits for the Senior Center or her church the thing she enjoyed doing was helping others.  That’s why her work with St. Patrick’s Volunteers in Missoula was such a special joy. Her last residence was St. Luke Extended Care in Ronan.  She enjoyed all those who were so caring there, and spent many hours reading and doing crossword  puzzles. She is preceded in death by her husband, Lyndon; her brothers, Elmer and Walter; and her daughter, Kathy. She is survived by two living children; Clifford (Barbara), from Polson and Greg, from Pasco, Wash.: sister Lois (Red) Delaney, from St. Ignatius; brothers Gene (Jeannie) Freshour, from Canyon City, Ore., and Don (Mona) Freshour from Helena; three grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Between friends, family, service and travel at every opportunity Helen Smith had a life well lived and will be greatly missed by many. A celebration of her life will be held Friday, July 19 at 11 a.m., at the Mission Valley United Methodist Church. (top of Post Creek Hill) If desired, memorials may be directed to any Veterans group, St. Ignatius Senior Citizens, Mission Valley UMC, or a charity of your choice.

Dogs have their day

POLSON — There were dogs as far as the eye could see Sunday at the Southshore Veterinary Service Sunday for Pet Fest, a community event for pets, their owners and hopeful animals looking for a good home.  

Running wild

From the floppy ears right down to their fluffy little tails, its is hard to deny how cute bunnies are.

Family Tradition

Montana Shrine Game

The Montana Shrine Game is becoming a rite of passage into manhood for two Polson families.

Campers hit mats at St. Ignatius HS

ST. IGNATIUS — Promoting a winter sport in mid-July is harder than you may think, according to St. Ignatius-Charlo wrestling coach Lyle Cronk.

Area teams compete in travel softball state

ASA Softball

HELENA — Softball players from around the region traveled to the state’s capital to compete in the Amateur Softball Association of America’s state tournament over the weekend.

Letters

Rethinking health:

Whole-health and wellness through chiropractic

The word chiropractic raises eyebrows.  In fact, the American Medical Association tried to abolish chiropractic practice calling it “unscientific medicine.”

This is a test:

SKC hosts mock shooting in countywide emergency drill

PABLO — A lone gunman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he shot several victims in the Michelle Building at Salish Kootenai College.  When Leader staff arrived on scene, the number of victims was not yet known and Life Flight had just touched down.  Lake County Sheriff Jay Doyle said the injured were being transported to local hospitals.  Officials were not releasing the names of victims or the suspect.

$2,600 raised for Boys and Girls Clubs

RONAN — The sweet sound of the fiddle mixed with the twang of the banjo in the Ronan City Park last week, raising more than $2,600 for charity.  

Taming dragons on Flathead Lake

Synchronicity: an apparently meaningful coincidence in time of two or more similar or identical events.

COLUMN: The baseball gods do exist!

Whatever you choose to call it—the baseball gods, karma, reciprocity—it exists.

Bri's Run a way to honor fallen friend

POLSON — It is often hard to find the best way to help a friend in need.

Where the wild things are

It may be hard to get to (especially with a broken paddle), but Wild Horse Island is worth the trip

It seemed to be an ill omen when, not even ten strokes into our two-person kayak voyage to Wild Horse Island, one end of my companion’s paddle broke off and sank into the shallows. From that point on, my friend Pete had to paddle “canoe style” for the remainder of our almost two-mile journey from the public boat launch to the shores of Wild Horse Island. Despite the hardship, the sunny day was still bright with the promise of adventure by the time we came ashore on the rocky shoal.

Arlee 3-on-3 adds some flair to annual powwow

ARLEE — While the rest of us were just battling the heat last Wednesday, athletes took to the courts to battle each other for the title of champion.

Polson softball prepared for state

ASA SOFTBALL

POLSON — Nine players is all a softball team needs, and for the 16U Polson Purple Rain, that couldn’t be better news.

The beat goes on...

Rich tradition on display at 115th annual Arlee Celebration

ARLEE — Tradition. Pride. Culture. History.

CKST: Netting needed for macks

Tribes defend gillnetting proposed in draft EIS

POLSON — Last week, fisheries experts for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes defended their proposal to net lake trout in Flathead Lake, saying that a new management approach is necessary to help curb the proliferation of the invasive fish and to boost the  critically low numbers of native species such as bull trout and cutthroat trout. The proposed measure, which is detailed in a draft environmental impact statement released last month, would supplement the efforts of anglers, who pull approximately 70,000 lake trout from the lake annually.

Mariners light up Firecracker

American Legion Baseball

POLSON — Coach Jami Hanson can’t exactly remember the last time the Mission Valley Mariners lost their annual Firecracker Tournament.

From your Representative

The Legislative session is over but the work continues. During the last couple of months I have had the pleasure of speaking to several groups, and I’ve had many conversations with individual citizens. As I continue to review what was and was not accomplished in the 2013 legislative session I am already working on bills for the 2015 session. I am also serving on the Economic Affairs Interim Committee for the next 18 months. On June 25th our committee met and we prepared our work schedule. Our primary focus will be a continuation of reviewing state licensing boards and studying our worker’s compensation system. We will also be looking at many other items that affect the economic performance of our state.

Jim Pearston

Jim Pearston, 60, passed away on May 21. He spent his last week on Earth surrounded by the people he loved most.  Born in 1952, he spent most of his childhood living in various places along the eastern seaboard. He would tell stories of fishing with his uncle, dropping things off his bed so the cockroaches would scatter and of the mischief he and his friends would get into. He met Nancy around 1968 in NJ. They eventually hitchhiked, with their daughter, to California to meet up with his family around 1974.  They helped his mother move to Polson in 1975 and Jim fell in love with Montana. They relocated to Polson in 1976, eventually settling into the home they resided in for almost 30 years, on 6th Avenue West.  (He and Nancy divorced in 2008.) He took up fishing and hunting almost immediately after moving to Polson; enjoying the early morning peacefulness and beauty Montana offers. He relished sharing those gifts with his family, present with each of us for our first catch and first kill.  A hard worker, he traveled a great deal to support his family. He worked on various highway, dam and construction jobs all over the Pacific Northwest. Despite never having finished the 8th grade, he was gifted at visualizing projects and utilizing the mathematics necessary to figure out how to bring them to fruition. He was a highly skilled, and sought after, driller and blaster.  These same skills aided him when he took on the task of expanding the family home.  It is difficult to sum up who my dad was to us in the constraints of an obituary.  Actually…it’s difficult period. I have typed and erased and walked away to wipe my tears repeatedly while trying to write this out; hoping to find a way that would clearly reflect how important he was to us.  The void his passing has left in our lives is tremendous and deep.  We love him. His life is carried on through his children Jessica (Matt) Watrous, James (Alysa) Pearston and Benjamin Pearston; his strong will lives on through his grandchildren Izabeau, Gabriel, Aidan, Howie, Amelia and Maxximus each of whom brought unique and abundant joy to his life. “Let no one weep for me, or celebrate my funeral with mourning; for I still live, as I pass too and fro through the mouths of men.” – Quintus Ennius. Please come share a story about our dad with us on July 20, 11 a.m. at the eastern pavilion at Boettcher Park.

Bernard Kent Mahler

Bernard Kent Mahler, 67, passed away at his home in Missoula on July 3. Kent passed in his sleep following a short battle with cancer. He was born on January 15, 1946 in New York City to June (McLeod) and Walter Mahler, both Montana natives. Following service in the US Army, he attended Montana State University, where he met his wife-to-be Sandra Punke of Missoula. Following their marriage, they lived in Missoula, near her parents (in Missoula) and his grandparents (in Arlee).  Kent, who would later become known locally as “The Tool Guy,” began his career at Coast-to-Coast stores and later purchased Montana Tool Company, which he owned and operated for 30 years before selling the company in October 2010 and retiring in February of this year. He was known not only for his expertise, but also his willingness to go the extra mile for his customers, most of whom he also counted as friends.

Junior Applas

Junior Applas, 90, passed away on October 25, 2012 at St. Joseph Hospital in Polson.  A memorial Service will be held at Grogan Funeral Home on Wednesday, July 17 at 2 p.m.  Grogan Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Among other things: Historic Flathead Lake flight

July 23, 1913, is a significant date in Flathead Lake’s aviation history. It was the date of what was billed as the “first flight ever made from water in the Pacific Northwest.” And it almost didn’t come about, but pilot Terah T. Maroney’s patience and persistence prevailed.

Rodeo ropes Polson in

Arlee roper Otoupalis one of several local stars at Mission Mountain Rodeo

POLSON — Cally Otoupalik was the local star of this past weekend’s Mission Mountain Rodeo, held Friday and Saturday evening at the Polson Fairgrounds.

Letters to the editor - July 11

Community Calendar - July 11

St. Ignatius Class of ‘56 Reunion/75th Birthday Party

Births - July 11

Jayden Hendricks

Card shark

Ronan 10-year-old's photography makes splash against professional competition

Dalen Siech wears many hats.  In the course of a week he is an artist, a philanthropist, a photographer, and a middle school student.

Woman stuck in vehicle after crash near Betty's Diner

A car crash near Betty's Diner in Polson trapped one driver in the vehicle Tuesday afternoon.  The Jaws of Life were brought to the scene but not used. The driver was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center.  All passengers of the other car suffered minor scrapes and bruises.

The dairy debate

In April, raw milk stirred up a commotion in the Montana Legislature. The debate didn't die with the bill, but is in a stalemate. The future of raw milk could hold big things for small farmers in Mo

Want to buy something illegal but don’t know where to find it? Check Craigslist.

Flower power

Aneena Antiste and Forrest Niemeyer work behind the scenes to keep Polson pretty

POLSON — Downtown Polson wouldn’t be the same without the hanging flower baskets that add an eye-catching pop of color as you head down Main Street.

Ponzi scheme victims paid

Get $242,000 in restitution

HELENA — Restitution payments totaling over $242,000 will be made to victims of Cornerstone Financial, Inc. from Montana’s new Securities Restitution Assistance Fund.

Mission girl plays under big league lights

Porter, 11, was one of two Montanans in competition

Autumn Porter had never been to a Major League Baseball game before June 23, but her experience at one that day was one she will never forget.

Camp Bighorn training provides a rush

PLAINS – From kayaking, to rock climbing, and a high element ropes course, Camp Bighorn has it all. With the adrenaline churning activities available, training becomes an important part of the process, ensuring everyone’s safety.

Letters to the editor - July 4

Fall candidates announced

POLSON — The filing deadline for candidates to enter this fall’s municipal elections on Nov. 5 has passed. The Lake County Election Office, which is helping to organize the elections across the county, released an official list of candidates who have filed in their respective races, which is included below:

Ready for anything:

Emergency officials review safety procedure for "imminent failure" of Kerr Dam

POLSON — Local citizens keeping a casual ear on the police scanner might have done a double-take last week when an urgent message crackled over the radio describing a situation of “imminent failure” at Kerr Dam. Despite the dire news, any sense of alarm was short-lived, as another radio call shortly thereafter established that the drill was simply a routine procedural test that the dam is required to perform each year.

Law enforcement and court records - July 4

Community Calendar - July 4

Herb Meeting

SKC hosts native games

Traditional games conference comes to Pablo

PABLO — Craig Falcon has been researching traditional native games for almost 23 years.

Body found

Believed to be missing St. Ignatius woman

ST. IGNATIUS — Last Thursday, a St. Ignatius landowner found a body that is believed to be that of Mary Jean Decker, a 52-year-old Mission woman who was last seen on June 16.

Local Sports Briefs, 7-4

Local sports briefs from July 4

BASEBALL

Births - July 4

Annabell Donna Toelke