Three Stevensville Public School students were recipients of energy awards at the 2006 State Science Fair held in Missoula. High School students Kerry Roebke and Brianna Beller shared the NorthWestern Energy Conservation Cash Award for their project entitled "Energy Conservation: Domestic and Commercial Situations." Joe White won the second place cash award in the Eighth Grade Division for his project entitled "Burnout."

Each year the Montana Energy Education Council sponsors the energy category of competition at the Montana State Science Fair by providing awards for those outstanding science fair projects that demonstrate an energy or energy conservation concept. The cash prizes awarded by the Council are underwritten by NorthWestern Energy Corporation. According to Norm Jacobson, MEEC's science fair coordinator, "we usually think of a science project as learning just science. However, participation in the science fair also provides the students with opportunities to improve their leadership, public speaking, and communication skills."

Students interested in entering a project in next year's competition may request a free copy of the booklet "Your Guide To Science Fair Projects: From Idea to Exhibit" by writing to the Montana Energy Education Council, 17 Hitching Post Road, Bozeman MT 59715.

The Montana Energy Education Council, a non-profit educational organization, has been involved in the fair for the past 21 years. The Council also provides energy workshops and curriculum materials for teachers and sponsors the Montana Energy Calendar poster contest each year.

DEQ seeks comments on Water Quality Report

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking public comment on Montana's 2006 Draft Integrated 303(d)/305(b) Water Quality Report. The 2006 draft list update is now available for review and comments will be accepted during a 60-day public comment period extending from 5 p.m. on September 8, to 5 p.m. on November 7, 2006.

This report, containing the 303(d) list, includes a list of Montana water bodies that are impaired and in need of water quality restoration as well as a summary of state water quality information, known as the 305(b) report.

The draft 2006 report contains changes to the list of impaired waters, updates to assessment information for waters already on the list, and the current schedule for preparing total maximum daily loads or TMDLs. A TMDL is the total amount of a pollutant that a water body may receive from all sources without exceeding water quality standards.

The draft 2006 report also identifies 790 waters impaired by pollution and pollutants in various categories. The DEQ will use comments submitted to prepare a Final 2006 Montana Integrated Report for submittal to EPA in December 2006.

The complete report that the DEQ will submit to the EPA consists of a relational database and computer map files, so the Department has made a more accessible and easier to use version of the draft list available at: www.cwaic.mt.gov. Anyone experiencing problems using this site should contact the Montana Integrated Report Coordinator by phone at (406) 444-3409.

Comments on the list should be submitted electronically using the Public Comment page on the 'Clean Water Act Information Center' (CWAIC) web application at the website noted above or they can be mailed to: Integrated Report Coordinator, Department of Environmental Quality, and P.O. Box 200901, Helena, MT 59620-0901. The DEQ cannot guarantee that comments received after the November 7 closing date will be considered in developing the final list.

DEQ bans outdoor burning

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has announced that all outdoor burning is prohibited until further notice, pending a change in weather conditions. Outdoor burning includes burning wood waste and other non-prohibited material outside. Outdoor burning does not include small recreational fires or barbeque grills.

An accelerating pattern of earlier spring snowmelt, long-term drought, and increased summer and fall temperatures is increasing the regularity and intensity of wildfire. Smoke from wildfires currently lingers in many Montana communities as warm, dry weather continues to dominate the state. The DEQ may revise its outdoor burning restriction as weather conditions change.

The Department regulates outdoor burning and issues daily burning restriction statements beginning September 1 of each year. The Department allows planned outdoor burning only when smoke disperses well. Many counties also regulate local outdoor burning to protect air quality and/or reduce fire hazards. Those planning to conduct outdoor burning are reminded to check with the DEQ and their county health and fire departments prior to burning.

The DEQ updates burning restriction information daily and posts the information on its hotline at 1-800-225-6779. For more information about open burning restrictions and burning permits in general visit the DEQ website at www.deq.mt.gov or contact the DEQ's Air Resource Management Bureau at 406-444-3490.

Dodge earns Top-10 finish at championship show

Rebecca Dodge of Stevensville and Mr. Be Dazzled, a 2002 PALOMINO American Quarter Horse stallion, placed in the Top-10 in Aged Stallions at the 2006 Bayer Select World Championship Show, August 29-September 3 in Amarillo, Texas.

"Qualifying and competing in the Bayer Select World Championship Show is a great honor," said Bill Brewer, AQHA Executive Vice President. "Congratulations to Rebecca and Mr. Be Dazzled for earning a top-10 finish in this prestigious event."

The Bayer Select World Championship Show is an invitational event specifically for amateur exhibitors age 50 and older. To qualify, exhibitors along with their horses must have earned a certain number of points in AQHA-approved shows between June 1, 2005, and July 30, 2006. This is the fourth year for the show, with numbers increasing each year as exhibitors from around the world compete for 37 World Championship titles.

For more information and full coverage of the Bayer Select World Championship Show, contact AQHA at (806) 376-4811 or visit www.AQHA.com.

Travel restrictions near Gash Creek Fire lifted

Citing significantly decreased fire activity on the Gash Creek Fire, Bitterroot National Forest officials have announced that all travel restrictions associated with the Gash Creek Fire have been lifted.

The temporary restrictions prohibiting public entry into Gash Creek, Sweathouse Creek, Smith Creek and the lower reaches of Big Creek due to public safety concerns related to the wildfire were rescinded by Forest Supervisor Dave Bull. Both Forest Supervisor Bull and Stevensville District Ranger Dan Ritter appreciate the public's cooperation with the closures, and are pleased that the area is once again open for public use.

Forest users are reminded to use extra caution when traveling through burned areas. Burned snags fall with little provocation or warning. Recreationists, wood cutters and other forest visitors are reminded that despite the cooler temperatures and spotty moisture, forests remain relatively dry and caution must still be exercised on forested lands.

Stage 1 fire restrictions are now in effect. Campfires and use of charcoal briquettes are allowed only in developed recreation sites or campgrounds, and only in the metal or concrete fire rings provided at the site. Fires within rock fire rings are not permitted. The public can continue to use gas stoves fueled solely by liquid fuel or LPG fuels outside of developed recreation sites during Stage 1 restrictions. In addition to the campfire restrictions, smoking is prohibited except within buildings, vehicles, developed recreation sites, or while stopped in an area that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials for at least three feet in diameter.

Victor School needs volunteers

Volunteers are a welcome addition at Victor School. The Family Resource Center is designed to meet the needs in education, public safety, health issues and our environment. The goal is to provide families opportunities to have quality time with children through education by recruiting volunteers to help with this process. For more information contact Margaret Reardon, Family Resource Center, 642-3221, ext. 231.

Hamilton High School students honored for exemplary writing

Hamilton High School has two students who received Letters of Recognition from the Montana Board of Regents for earning top marks on the Montana System Writing Assessment. Statewide, 84 students earned scores of 6.0 and 141 students earned scores of 5.5. Students recognized for their perfoIrnances are Amelia Claxton and Nate Bender.

These students produced outstanding essays under the constraints of a 40-minute test setting. According to Kevin Conwell, Principal at Hamilton High School, "this is an outstanding achievement and both students along with their teachers and parents are to be commended."

To gain full admission to the four-year degree programs of the Montana University System in 2007 students must eam a minimum score of 2.5 on the MUSWA or the equivalent score (5.0) on the ACT or SAT essays. Of the 3,503 students who indicated that they plan to enroll in a MUS four-year degree program, 93.3% scored above this threshold. Students whose scores are below this threshold can take the MIJSWA, the ACT or the SAT again as seniors.

In February and March of 2006, 102 high schools voluntarily tested 6,943 students. These high schools were honored with Certificates of Appreciation for their partnership activities from the Board of Regents and the Board of Public Education. Next year's juniors will be able to write this test, either by hand or using a computer, in January or February of 2007.

Surplus A7 antlerless elk licenses available

Surplus A7 licenses, valid for antlerless elk primarily on private land, are now available on a first-come, first served basis for seven west central Montana hunting districts. Hunters must exchange their general elk license at the Missoula Fish, Wildlife and Parks office to receive one of the licenses. There is no fee for the exchange.

The A7 licenses are valid for all or portions of elk archery only and general rifle seasons, depending on the hunting districts. Access may be difficult in some areas, and hunters are encouraged to secure landowner permission before purchasing an A7.

Surplus A7 elk licenses are available for the following hunting districts: Hunting District 204-70, 240-70, 250-70, 261-70, 270-70, 270-71 and 282-70.

In some cases, licenses may only be used in specified areas in each hunting district, and hunters are encouraged to refer to the 2006 Deer, Elk and Antelope Hunting Regulations for more A7 license information and regulations.

Nursery professional receives certification

Sharon Browder of Stone House Landscape Design in Victor has passed the difficult Montana Nursery & Landscape Association Certified Plant Professional (CPP) examination held earlier this month.

The exam tests participants' knowledge and recognition of plants and includes two parts an actual plant identification exam and a written exam that tests participantsknowledge of general horticultural practices. While most of the plant material used in the exam is relatively common to our state, the test includes a terrific variety of plants, as well as some materials less common to our region. Since the CPP examination was introduced in our state by the Montana Nursery & Landscape Association nearly ten years ago, it has gained a reputation among nursery professionals for being tough and achievement of the coveted "CPP" initials after one's name carries a great deal of prestige.

The most recent exam was given in Plains on September 7 as part of the MNLAs Fall Tour.

The Montana Nursery & Landscape Association is a trade association of approximately 330 members from the United States and Canada. Its goal is to provide education, information, and opportunities for professional development to its members.

Rocky Mountain Bank introduces electronic remote deposit service

Rocky Mountain Bank has announced the availability of "eDeposit," a new desktop service for businesses that converts checks to electronic images and transmits the images directly to the bank's clearing systems while depositing funds to a deposit account. Known in the banking industry as "Remote Deposit" or "Merchant Capture," a small number of innovative banks including Rocky Mountain Bank are making this technology affordable and easy to operate.

Using eDeposit, business customers can deposit checks directly to a business checking account without leaving their office. The service uses a desktop scanner that reads the amount of checks and converts them to digital images. Using a personal computer, the images are transmitted via a high-speed Internet connection to the bank for credit to the business deposit account.

Tom Wolfe, RMB president, said, "eDeposit offers our business customers a more efficient banking process by reducing the time to prepare the daily deposit, minimizing trips to the bank and improving check collection speed. Companies with multiple sales locations will benefit by consolidating the number of accounts at various banks and improved funds availability."

Legislation enacted in 2004, known as "Check 21," allows for an electronic image of a check to be accepted as the legal equivalent of the original paper check. Recent advances in technology have made possible the highly-secured electronic movement of digital checks, resulting in faster clearing, reduced loss due to fraud and more efficient check storage for bank customers.

"This is a perfect example of how technology can be employed to improve efficiency while reducing costs for our customers," said Wolfe. "One of our clients has estimated savings of $7,500 annually based on a 40-mile round trip to the bank."

Businesses implementing Rocky Mountain Bank's eDeposit service will find several benefits of the technology, including:

• Time savings in preparation of deposits. The eDeposit scanner accurately captures all the necessary information, including the amount and payee on each check and verifies that the transaction is in balance. Employees will not have to spend time making copies of checks and filing them away. The software automatically identifies checks with errors and even corrects images of items that are scanned backwards and/or upside down.
• Time and cost savings in delivering checks to the bank. Since the images of all checks in the deposit are instantly transmitted to the bank, deposits can be made from any location at any time, reducing travel time and mileage expense while freeing up staff and managers to do what they do best - run the business.
• Later deposit deadlines and faster funds availability. Checks get into the clearing process sooner. With eDeposit, transactions are accepted until 6 p.m. local time, allowing you to receive credit for payments received later in the day.
• Businesses with multiple locations will no longer need to maintain multiple bank accounts. Since eDeposit eliminates the need to make physical deposits, businesses can consolidate accounts from several banks into Rocky Mountain Bank, reducing the cost of maintaining multiple accounts, balance monitoring and account transfers.

For more information contact Rocky Mountain Bank at 777-5553.

Spotlight on Victor, By Louise Langton

Wendy Hauser's son, Bell Becker of Baldwin, Wisconsin, spent a week on the Hauser ranch with his mother Wendy Hauser and her husband Ed. Clancy Evans, Hamilton, won the handmade sunflower quilt at the Victor Garden Club drawing at the Victor Park at Breakfast in the Park in August. Andrea Helling, the new student body president at the University of Montana in Missoula, is a graduate of Victor High School class of 2002. She is the daughter of Mike and Purva Helling, Victor.

Births

Births at Marcus Daly Hospital, Hamilton

9-6-06
Boy, 6 lbs., 8 oz., 19 inches, to Fred and Donna Davis, Lolo

9-8-06
Girl, 4 lbs., 8 oz., 18 inches, to Colleen Tucker of Corvallis

9-12-06
Girl, 8 lbs., 2 oz., 21 inches, to John and Christen MacGillivray, Victor.

Logan Martyn Garrison

Wain and Amber Garrison of Hamilton are the parents of baby boy Logan Martyn Garrison born on Wednesday, August 23 at Daly Hospital in Hamilton. Logan joins a little brother, Ethan. Logan weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces. Proud grandparents are Martyn and Jake Weitzel, Stevensville, and Dave and Kathy Palin, Hamilton.

Obituaries

David P. Cook
1932-2006

David P. Cook, 73, of Stevensville, died at his home on Wednesday, September 13, 2006.

He was born on October 19, 1932 in Centerville, Utah to Delbert J. and F. Beulah (Parrish) Cook. David grew up and worked on the family farm and graduated from Stevensville High School.

David married Carol Elaine Anderson on August 24, 1951. From this union they had two sons, David C. Cook and Kenneth B. Cook. The couple were later divorced. In August, 1968, he married Sharon Steen. Sharon had three children from a previous marriage who David adopted and raised: Mikey Keven, Randy Keith, and Terri Lynn. David and Sharon were later divorced. On December 19, 1996, he and Connie L. Baustadt were married and have made their home in Stevensville for the past few years.

David was an entrepreneur; he owned and operated several trucking businesses and also worked as a tour bus driver while in California. He loved to hunt and fish, and to garden and travel with his wife Connie. He volunteered at the Missoula Senior Citizens Center, preparing lunches for many years. He also volunteered at the Lolo School, helping teach children to read. David had a giving heart and was always ready to help others.

David is survived by his wife Connie of Stevensville; sons David C. (Pamela) Cook and Kenneth B. Cook; four grandchildren: Konrad, Raychel, Tiffany and David; three brothers: Joel, Melvin, and Glenn; and four sisters: Ireta, Barbara , Della and Emma.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, Sept 19, 2006 at the Whitesitt Funeral Home with Bishop Garth Stevens officiating. Burial followed at the Riverview Cemetery in Hamilton.

Page One •	Valley News •	Op/Ed •	Sports •	Calendar •	Classifieds •	Links •	About Us •	Back Issues •	Email Us •	Home
©2006 Bitterroot Star This site was Done By Dooney