"Asante sana"—it means "thank you very much" in Swahili. Mary Mills and Tim Nielsen are learning some important, often used phrases so that they can understand their future patients. Both Mary and Tim are health care professionals who have businesses in Stevensville and they are taking their talents to Africa in May. Tim and Mary will be working in a small, three-room clinic in Sakila, Tanzania, along with eighteen other volunteers from Montana, Washington and Oregon, for three weeks. They are providing much needed medical assessments for the people in this area.

Since 1990, under the guidance of the International Health and Science Academy (IHSA), founded by Lolo resident Ben Miller, non-denominational mission teams have been visiting the Sakila clinic to work. Ben is the Director of the Medical Mission Team that Tim and Mary are a part of. He says that between 100 and 200 people a day will be treated or assessed at Sakila. "Local people will travel up to ten miles to be seen," according to the organization’s brochure.

Mary adds, "I understand that people walk great distances to get there." And then they camp at the clinic until they can be seen. She explains that as they arrive, they are given a colored card denoting what day they arrived. The people are then seen according to the order in which they arrived, unless, of course, it is an emergency. The team is responsible for transporting the more dire cases to the nearest hospital, four hours away. The team also pays for their patients’ hospital treatments.

"We have been told that it only costs a dollar a day to stay at the hospital," Tim states. Ben confirms this, "We are able to do a lot with a little money… cataract surgery is twenty dollars. An eye exam and glasses costs less than ten dollars." Tim tells me there is one case in particular that they hope to help out with. "There is a young man with four children who needs heart surgery… he has to go to India." All his expenses, including the procedure, will be $2,000.

Ben speaks excitedly about the construction of the New Hope International Hospital, which will be about eight miles away from Sakila and will serve roughly a half a million people from the area. It will have surgery rooms, a burn ward, a maternity ward, an ICU, and a helicopter landing pad. Ben’s organization would like to see locals staffing this facility and is creating a nursing program that will help locals earn a living wage in the region as well as providing much needed medical services.

The IHSA is one branch of a larger organization founded by Bishop Eliudi Issangya, the International Evangelical Center (IEC), which is involved in several other projects at Sakila. They run a K-6 education program, they have a water well drilling team, they opened an orphanage in 2008, and they run a "productive 100-acre farm." The Medical Mission Team will have some time to explore the IEC during their stay though the bulk of their time will be spent in the clinic or visiting nearby villages.

As a thank you to the medical team for their hard work, they will be treated to a three-day and four-night trip to the Serengeti National Park. Mary foresees that the team will be offering medical help to villages along the way.

Mary, who practices massage therapy in Stevensville when she is not globetrotting, is no stranger to missionary travel. She has been to Butan, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, China, and Thailand. Mary’s desire to visit Africa was fueled by literature, the writings of Alexander McCall Smith and Isak Dinesen. Stories and pictures from a friend who had been to Angola also influenced Mary. She is doubly excited about this trip because she will be sharing it with her sister Susan. Another sister is helping them both out with some of the finances. Each team member must pay about $4,000 for airfare, food, and lodging.

Tim, too, has traveled before. He went to Huelta, Mexico, a few years back, where he helped to build a church. He is looking forward to this trip to Africa because he gets to put his thirty-one years of physical therapy knowledge to work. He enjoys teaching people "how to help themselves" with regard to their bodies. He adds, "But I am sure I’ll bring back a lot more than I’ll be giving," as he imagines the deep impact this trip may have on him. Both he and Mary have been studying a book called "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. There is a quote that Mary feels encapsulates their reasons for wanting to do missionary work abroad:

"There is simply no substitute for hands-on, real life experience in another culture… It will enlarge your heart, expand your vision, stretch your faith, deepen your compassion, and fill you with a kind of joy you have never experienced. It could be the turning point of your life."

Ben Miller says that monetary donations are appreciated and can be sent to: IHSA, 2120 South Reserve #133, Missoula MT 59801. But the team also needs supplies such as Tylenol, Motrin, topical creams, and anti-fungals. "We can really use lubricating eye drops," because cataracts are often caused by dry eyes there. "We can uses sunglasses and shoes (all sizes—kids and adult)," due to the parasites that can go through the soles of the people’s feet, "causing a variety of problems such as elephantiasis," according to Ben. He says every year his organization puts together entire shipping containers bound for Sakila and "the kids at the school always need pencils." If you wish to donate items, contact Ben at (406) 552-0488.

Hamilton sewer lift station nears completion - By Michael Howell

The Hamilton City Council approved a flurry of motions recently that have brought the construction of a new sewer lift station to the verge of completion. The lift station will serve the northern part of Area 3, from Fairgrounds Road north to Glasko-Smith-Kline. The new lift station will provide sewer service to the Council on Aging, the Senior Living Cooperative, and the newly proposed Entrepreneurial Center.

At its March 13 meeting, the Hamilton City Council approved a contract between the Montana Department of Commerce and the City for funding for equipment purchase, a Sub-Recipient Agreement between the City and the Ravalli County Economic Development Authority for labor costs, a Grant Management Plan, a Grant Assistance Agreement between the City and the Ravalli County Economic Development Authority, the Ravalli County Council on Aging, and the Senior Housing Cooperative, and a resolution designating Mayor Jerry Steele as the Environmental Certifying Officer for the construction.

According to Special Projects Director Dennis Stranger, the work on the new lift station is almost complete.

The City Council also approved a resolution authorizing submittal of a Treasure State Endowment Program Grant to prepare a Water Facilities Master Plan.

County road project expenditures

Following is a summary of capital budget expenditures for materials and contract services for 2008 improvement projects by the Ravalli County Road and Bridge Department.

• Eight Mile Creek Road; +/- 0.08' ACP overlay, BST oil, equipment rental, shoulder aggregate; $161,594.00; 4.0 miles; $40,399.00 per mile.

• Middle Kootenai Road; pavement reclamation, BST oil, equipment rental; BST aggregate; $16,725.00; 1.0 miles; $16,725.00 per mile.

• Old Corvallis Road; 0.17" ACP overlay, pavement reclamation, reclaimed asphalt base, equipment rental; $188,728.00; 2.35 miles; $80,310.00 per mile.

• Riverside Cut-Off; asphalt overlay, minor grading, aggregate shoulders; $36,003.00; 0.15 miles; by contract; $240,000.00 per mile.

• Lost Horse Road; pavement reclamation, BST oil, BST aggregate; $35,954.00; 1.43 miles; $25,143.00 per mile.

• Meridian Road; reclaimed asphalt base (partial), BST oil, equipment rental; $52,896.00; 3.26 miles; $16,226.00 per mile.

• Saint Joseph Lane; BST oil, equipment rental; $6218.00; 0.60 miles; $10,363.00 per mile.

• Wildfowl Lane; reclaimed asphalt base, BST oil, equipment rental; $10,191.00; 0.66 miles; $15,441.00 per mile.

Donations sought for Community Resource Fair

The Stevensville Community Resource Fair, a project of the Horizons Program, is seeking donations of professional clothing. Clothing should be in good condition. The clothing received will be used to provide people in the Stevensville community appropriate clothing for job interviews and once hired, to wear to work. Donations may be dropped off at Super One, Missoula Federal Credit Union or Farmers State Bank in Stevensville. For more information call Beth Perkins at 207-5748.

Winston named candidate in Presidential Scholars Program

Laura M. Winston, a graduating senior at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan where she majors in violin, has been named one of more than 3000 candidates in the 2009 Presidential Scholars Program. The candidates were selected from nearly 2.8 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in the year 2009. Inclusion in the Presidential Scholars Progam is one of the highest honors bestowed upon gradating high school seniors. Scholars are elected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character and involvement in community and school activities. Laura is the daughter of John and Toba Winston of Stevensville.

McFadgen to exhibit cattle

Melissa McFadgen of Stevensville will exhibit Angus cattle at the 2009 Western Regional Junior Angus Show in Reno, Nevada, April 25-27, reports Robin Ruff, director of junior programs of the American Angus Association.

Melissa, a junior member of the American Angus Association with headquarters in Saint Joseph, Missouri, is one of 76 young Angus breeders who have entered a total of 176 head to compete for championship honors.

Kyle Colyer, Bruneau, Idaho, will judge divisions for bred-and-owned heifers, bred-and-owned bulls, owned heifers, steers and cow-calf pairs.

The Western Regional Junior Angus Show is sponsored by the American Angus Association and the Western States Angus Association. It is one of eight junior Angus shows the National Junior Angus Association recognizes this year for its nearly 7,000 active junior Angus members in the United States.

Shriners screening clinic

A free screening clinic will be held to identify children who may benefit from the expert pediatric specialty care provided by Shriners Hospitals for Children on Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at Valley Physical Therapy, 3802 Eastside Highway Stevensville. Shriners Hospitals for Children is the nation's largest pediatric specialty care hospital system providing expert care, innovative research and teaching programs in the treatment of children ages 0 to 18 years with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injury and cleft lip and palate. The clinic and all hospital care are provided at no charge, regardless of financial need and generously provided through the donations of Shriners and other public donations. If you know of a child that might need help, bring them to the free screening clinic. Appointments are preferred but drop-ins are welcome. To make an appointment or for more information, contact Bob Anderson at 777-2270 or Wayne Jones at 363-5192.

Donations sought for art and jewelry sale

The Stevensville Historical Museum will be holding its annual Used Art & Jewelry sale on May 1 and 2 at the Community Room next door to the North Valley Public Library, 208 Main St., Stevensville. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. On Thursday, April 30 from 7 to 9 p.m., the museum will acknowledge donors of sale items with a "Donors Only Party." Refreshments will be served. Items to be donated can be dropped off at the Bitterroot Star, 215 Main in Stevensville, or call Dora Dilts at 777-3239, Bill Lyon at 777-2269 or Ronn Alexander at 777-7408.

Firewood permits available

Personal use firewood permits for the 2009 cutting season are now on sale at all Bitterroot National Forest offices.

The permits are good for one year, April 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010, and allow wood cutters to take up to 12 cords of firewood. The permits cost $7.00 per cord, and there is a $28 or four-cord minimum purchase. New this year is the use of load tickets that will be issued with each permit. The bright pink tickets, required to be stapled on all loads of firewood coming off the Bitterroot National Forest, will be issued at the time the firewood permits are purchased.

Forest managers estimate that the economic conditions provide an incentive for more people to turn to wood for heat and noted a nearly 50% increase in the number of firewood permits that were sold last year. In 2007, 985 permits for 4083 cords were sold while in 2008, 1449 permits for 6119 cords of wood were purchased.

A cord measures 4’ wide by 4’ high in an 8’ long stack. The personal use wood permit allows you to remove downed timber or to cut standing dead trees under most conditions on National Forests and Grasslands, and Bureau of Land Management lands within Montana.

It is important to check with the local ranger station to see if there are any specific local restrictions or requirements. In addition, firewood obtained under these permits may not be used for commercial resale. Wood cutters must have their firewood permit and load ticket with them while harvesting wood, and they must also have an approved spark arrester on chainsaws and splitters, a shovel and fire extinguisher. No fuel wood can be cut within 150 feet of streams, creeks or waterways nor can trees or logs be felled or skidded across live streams.

Call any one of the Bitterroot National Forest offices for additional information. The Forest’s headquarters phone number is 363-7100.

SNAP Benefits to Increase April 1

Federal Economic Stimulus Money Provides Boost to SNAP

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will increase for Montanans effective April 1, 2009 due to the recently passed federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

For many people, this increase will be extremely timely. “We know Montanans all across our state are struggling to make ends meet in these difficult economic times,” Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Anna Whiting Sorrell said.

Currently, 88,548 Montanans are receiving SNAP benefits, the highest in at least the last 25 years. “The need for this program continues to grow,” Whiting Sorrell said. “In addition, this might be an opportune time for those who haven’t looked into the program before to consider it now.”

The program, administered in Montana by DPHHS, was previously known as the Food Stamp Program until the name was changed in October 1, 2008, partly to more accurately reflect the program’s mission to provide food assistance and nutrition education to assist participants as they move to a healthier lifestyle.

According to Linda Snedigar, Human and Community Services Division manager for DPHHS, people already receiving SNAP benefits will soon notice the extra benefits on their Electronic Benefit Transfer card. “This will happen automatically,” Snedigar said.

The SNAP benefit increases vary depending on the number of people in the household. For example, a family of three who currently receive $250 per month in SNAP benefits will see their benefit increase by $63 to $313 per month. (A complete table below shows a breakdown of various household size increases.)

Income, resources, household size and allowable expenses determine the amount of benefits a household can receive.

To confirm eligibility, people are encouraged to contact their local Office of Public Assistance.

In addition, there’s also good news for people eligible for benefits in the classification called ‘able-bodied adults without children.’ Normally, those recipients are only eligible for benefits for three months during a 36-month period. Until further notice, the time limits have been suspended. “Even people who have exhausted this benefit are now eligible again and are encouraged to apply,” Snedigar said.

To be eligible for SNAP benefits as an able-bodied adult, recipients are age 16 through 59 and must register for work. In addition, the individual may be required to participate in a SNAP Employment and Training Program unless a specified exemption is met.

As part of the ARRA, Montana is expected to receive an overall total of $57 million in SNAP benefits over the next four years. The Montana Legislature is currently working how best to allocate other pieces of the stimulus money. However, the SNAP allocation goes directly into the program and is effective in April due to federal requirements.

In February 2009, a total of 88,548 Montanans benefited from SNAP and $9.9 million was paid out. By comparison, in February 2008 there were 80,525 people who utilized the program and $7.9 million was paid out that month.

In state fiscal year 2007, DPHHS issued nearly $100 million dollars in benefits.

SNAP is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s largest domestic nutrition assistance program serving more than 28 million individuals across the nation each month.

The table below indicates the benefit increases for each household.

People in Household Increase

1 + $24

2 + $44

3 + $63

4 + $80

5 + $95

6 + $114

7 + $126

8 + $144

Each extra person + $18

For example: If there are 3 people in your household and right now you get $250 each month, starting in April you will get $313 each month. ($250 + $63 = $313).

For more information call Snedigar at 406-444-6676 or visit the DPHHS Web site at www.dphhs.mt.gov.

Or, to track how other ARRA funds are being allocated in Montana go to www.recovery.mt.gov.

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