Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Valley News at a Glance

Elk archery hunting still open in some areas

Permits required for stocking private ponds

eBooks available at North Valley Public Library

Marcus Daly employees give back

Relay for Life call for volunteers

Index of consumer sentiment slips to 15-year low

Glumac wins Stevensville geography, advances

Births

Hunters are reminded that elk archery hunting remains open for a few more weeks in some Hunting Districts (HDs) in west-central Montana.

In the Missoula and Bitterroot river bottoms, HD 260 remains open to the hunting of brow-tined bull and antlerless elk, using archery equipment only through Jan. 15, 2009.  In the Blackfoot, HD 290 is open to brow-tined bull or antlerless elk with archery equipment through Jan. 1.

These archery opportunities were authorized earlier this year by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) Commission.  However, a misprint in the 2008 Montana Hunting Regulations indicates an earlier closing date for two of the HDs.  FWP will honor the authority granted by the Commission for archers to continue hunting elk in HD 260 through Jan. 15, and HDs 290 and a portion of HD 212 through January 1.

Hunters should contact FWP's Region 2 office at 542-5500 with any questions.

Private pond owners with fish-stocking permits that are 10 years old have until Feb. 28, 2009 to renew the permit under a law passed by the 2005 Legislature.

The law requires fish-stocking permits to be renewed every 10 years and provides for permit applications and renewals.

Permits that are not renewed by the deadline will become inactive on March 1, 2009. To legally stock these ponds with fish in the future, pond owners will need to reapply for a permit. Private fish hatcheries that sell fish to pond owners may not legally sell fish to pond owners who do not have a valid permit.

If you have a pond stocking permit that was issued in 1999 and do not receive a renewal form from FWP by mid-January, contact Nancy Podolinsky at 406-444-7319, or by email at: HYPERLINK "mailto:npodolinsky@mt.gov" npodolinsky@mt.gov.

Completed fish-stocking permit renewal forms and the $10 application fee should be returned to your local FWP regional office.

Did you know that eBooks are available at the North Valley Public Library? Residents of Stevensville and the surrounding areas now have anytime, anywhere access to 9110 different eBook titles through OCLC NetLibrary.

New eBook users can call or stop by the library to create an online account with NetLibrary. Then eBooks can be accessed and downloaded via the library's Web site, www.northvalleylibrary.org

eBooks are full-text, electronic versions of published books that library users can search, borrow, read and return via the Internet.  There are more than 9100 titles available, on a variety of topics.

"We are excited to offer eBooks as a resource for Bitterroot residents," said Renee McGrath, Director of the North Valley Public Library.  "Because eBooks are accessible anytime of the day or night from the Internet, people who can't visit the library during open hours will still be able to gain access to these resources."

eBooks can be checked out from the library or from a personal computer via the library's Web site, 24/7, and they are automatically returned to the library at the end of the checkout period.

Call the library at 777-5061 with any questions.  The North Valley Public Library is located at 208 Main Street in Stevensville and is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-8, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10-6, and Saturdays from 9-4.

Is it better to give than to receive? Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital (MDMH) employees unanimously say, give!

With local food banks reporting that requests for services are at an all time high, it is hard to ignore that many Ravalli County families are finding getting by to be harder than ever. The employee teams at MDMH are glad to be in a position to lend a helping hand.

For the third year in a row hospital employees shopped, lifted and loaded to fill a huge Donaldson’s Brothers dump truck with many wonderful Christmas toys, clothes and other necessities for fourteen Ravalli County families and in addition collected 862 lbs. of food and $400 cash for Haven House Food Bank.

Working with Ark Ministry’s Adopt-A-Family program Marcus Daly employees help parents fulfill some of their children’s Christmas expectations and needs, as well as providing for some of the families’ other necessities. As part of the program each family receives a gift certificate worth a minimum of $50 to a local grocery store. The cost of adopting a family ranges from $250 to $500 depending on the size of the family.

Together hospital employees donated some $6000 worth of gifts, food and grocery certificates to needy Ravalli County families through the Adopt-A-Family program and the MDMH employee holiday food drive.

Participating employees know that these programs really make a difference in the lives of needy families during the holiday season. Mary Thoeny, MDMH Administrative Assistant, commented, “It was really great to see all those packages going out of the hospital. Giving is the real magic of Christmas.”

The Adopt-A-Family program is coordinated by Janie Rinta in conjunction with Ark Ministries and is a non-denominational program. Haven House Food Bank accepts donations anytime and is located at 316 N. Third St. in Hamilton. These projects not only give to families in need but add to our local economy by contributing thousands of dollars to local retailers.

This year, more than 3 million Americans will volunteer for the American Cancer Society. But nowhere will those volunteers be more important than at next summer's American Cancer Society Ravalli County Relay For Life. Call today and volunteer your time and talents by serving on the Relay's planning committee. It will only take a few hours each month up through the June 2009 Relay - but what you accomplish will make a world of difference in the fight to find a cure. To learn more about volunteering for the 2009 American Cancer Society Ravalli County Relay For Life, contact Bonnie Wickham at 360-4373, or Jessica Murphy at (406) 381-0247.

Montanans are feeling much gloomier about the economy these days, resulting in the Montana Index of Consumer Sentiment dipping nearly 20 points from a year ago.

The University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research reports the most recent index from November/December 2008 is 91, down from 113 a year ago. The index peaked at 131 in fall 2007.

The Montana Index of Consumer Sentiment is based on a BBER telephone survey. It is comparable to the University of Michigan’s U.S. index and is calculated from five questions concerning individual aspects and perceptions about the state and national economy.

“Like the rest of the nation, Montanan’s are feeling worried about the economy,” BBER Director Patrick Barkey said. “However, the numbers suggest they are more optimistic than people throughout the country.”

The U.S consumer sentiment index was 59.1 in December 2008, down from 75.5 in December 2007, revealing a near all-time low for the nation in their feelings toward the economy.

Barkey attributes Montana’s low consumer sentiment to a slower state economy, coupled with national economic concerns regarding the recession, the steep stock market decline and the credit crunch.  He notes that the index is one of many pieces of data the bureau uses to measure and understand Montana’s economy.

“We use the index to cross-check other state statistics,” Barkey said. “The decline in consumer sentiment supports the lagging numbers we are seeing in other current indicators, primarily in the labor market.”

Information regarding the Montana Index of Consumer Sentiment and other measures of Montana’s economy will be presented at the 34th annual Montana Economic Outlook Seminar, which will be held in nine cities across the state in coming weeks. For more information visit the BBER Web site at http://www.bber.umt.edu.

The index is benchmarked to a baseline of 100 assigned at its introduction in March 1982. The most recent findings are based on a representative Montana sample of 424 adults polled from Nov. 16 to Dec. 10 by BBER’s survey-based research department.

Matthew Glumac, a 7th grade student at Stevensville Jr. High, won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee on December 15, 2008 and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship. The school-level Bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography, was the first round in the 21st annual National Geographic Bee. The Bee is sponsored by the National Geographic Society.

Canyon Miwa, a 7th grade student at Stevensville Jr. High, was the runner-up at the school-level competition of the National geographic Bee. In addition, the Final Competition consisted of the following 7th/8th graders who competed for the Championship Round:

Andrew Kelly, Kyla Paulsen, Matthew Glumac, Mickenzie Roberts, Luke Kendall, Joshua Flynn, Lakyn Connors, Kyle Workman, Sean Watt, Lars Larson, Jared Leg, Canyon Miwa, Oliver Kultgen, Chance Coleman, Dylan Reed, Travis Riley, Spencer Grooms, and Tanner Williams.

Births at Marcus Daly Hospital, Hamilton

12-7-08

Boy, 8 lbs., 11 oz., 21-1/2 inches, to Roann and Darrell Williams, Hamilton

12-9-08

Boy (twin), 4 lbs., 7.7 oz., 18 inches, to Lindsay Olson and Kenny Buhler, Corvallis

Girl (twin), 4 lbs., 2 oz., 18 inches, to Lindsay Olson and Kenny Buhler, Corvallis

12-15-08

Boy (twin), 7 lbs., 7 oz., 20 inches, to Wendy and Chris Martin

Boy (twin), 8 lbs., 6 oz., 20 inches, to Wendy and Chris Martin

12-19-08

Girl, 6 lbs., 1 oz., 19 inches, to Ginger and Eric Connelly, Hamilton

12-23-08

Girl, 7 lbs., 1 oz., 20 inches, to Diane and Jeff Mital, Hamilton.