| January 14, 2010
Ranching roots run deep for young bull rider Payton Fitzpatrick
Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal
Bull rider Payton Fitzpatrick straightens the forelock on a paint horse at his parents’ place in Valley View.
By Berl Tiskus
Valley Journal
VALLEY VIEW — A ranch kid, Payton Fitzpatrick cleans stalls at his parents’ barn, deftly forking horse manure into a wheelbarrow while simultaneously talking about his interest in bull riding.
He’s a talented bull rider, too. In November, Fitzpatrick placed second in the third annual Northwestern Miniature Bull Riding Finals in Helena after winning the Montana State Miniature Bull Riding in Ronan.
A freshman at Polson High School, Fitzpatrick, 14, said he grew up watching the famous bucking bull Bodacious on TV. The cream-colored, Charolais/ Brahma cross bull terrorized cowboys during the early ’90s, either flinging them into the arena dirt and/or smashing facial bones or giving them the score of their lives. Bodacious was ridden by only .........
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Valley runners raise $2,000 to benefit local boy
Kate Haake/Valley Journal
Karolyna OldPerson and Autumn Hettick race each other during Saturday’s Jingle Jog. The two girls were just two of 123 participants in the five kilometer race that benefited Layne Lozeau.
By Kate Haake
Valley Journal
POLSON — On Saturday morning, 123 valley residents faced frigid temperatures at the Second Annual Jingle Jog, raising $2,000 for Layne Lozeau. Layne Lozeau has a rare disease called adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD).
Participants in the event ran or walked the five kilometers from Century 21 to Hack Road, following U.S. Highway 35 in Polson.
The runners didn’t seem to mind the freshly fallen snow or the ice beneath it as they ran through the town and along Flathead Lake. And the 15 degree weather didn’t bother some of the younger participants either, sporting shorts and thin tee-shirts. Despite not expecting any children, volunteers were happy to have several youngsters out, running energetically through the icy morning. .........
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More census workers needed on Flathead Reservation
Melea Burke/Valley Journal
Applicants for census jobs must pass a written test of basic clerical, math and organizational skills. Practice tests can be found online at www2010censusjobs.gov.
Valley Journal
Beginning in mid-March, census takers will be visiting every home on the Flathead Reservation. More than 300 area residents have already tested and qualified for census jobs, but there are still plenty of the temporary positions available, U.S. Census Bureau recruiting assistant Etta Moore said.
Flathead Reservation residents have the opportunity to join what the Census Bureau calls the “largest domestic mobilization our nation undertakes,” with jobs as census takers/enumerators, crew leaders, crew leader assistants, census clerks and couriers. The positions are all paid at an hourly rate, and workers receive mileage compensation at 55 cents per mile. To qualify for a census job, an applicant must be a U.S. citizen 18 or older; have a valid Social Security number and driver’s license; pass a written test of basic skills and a background check; and be able to attend four days of paid training ...........
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Ronan to fill vacant city council positions
By Kate Haake
Valley Journal
RONAN — On Monday at the first Ronan City Council meeting of 2010, the council addressed the vacancy of two city council member positions. Recently elected Keoki Lopez Devictoria sent a letter of resignation, and council member Richard Jungers passed away last week.
“We’ve lost a good friend and council member, and we have to address this,” Mayor Kim Apperspach said of Jungers.
The council decided to advertise the vacancies in the local papers. Applicants must be residents of ward one or ward three.
In other business, members of the Ronan Police Department were present to discuss the transfer of general funds to establish a Drug Fund Account. In October of 2006 the police department sold a confiscated Ford Mustang and deposited $1,826 into the city’s general fund. Originally, the money from the ........
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School board meeting packs Linderman library
Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal
Last week's Polson School Board meeting was well attended.
Valley Journal
POLSON — The library at Linderman Elementary School was jam packed on Jan. 11 for the Polson School Board meeting. School district employees, administrators, parents and community members gathered at the meeting for a chance to speak their piece on proposed administrative changes for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year.
The temporary plan was to move Polson Middle School (PMS) Assistant Principal Tom DiGiallonardo to Linderman. Cherry Valley Principal Elaine Meeks would have been the K-4 principal. Cherie Stobie, who was York’s recommendation to replace him, would have gone to PMS.
At the beginning of the 5 p.m. meeting, Superintendent David Whitesell read a statement.
“ … The new challenge (to the district) involves.......
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Ronan-Pablo School Board approves five-year teachers’ contract
By Kate Haake
Valley Journal
RONAN — In a Ronan-Pablo School Board Meeting on Monday, the board approved the MTEC (Master Teacher Employment Contract) for the next five years. The contract states that the Ronan-Pablo School District must give a 15 percent raise to the Ronan and Pablo teaching staff spread across the next five years. The teaching staff will receive a two percent raise in the first year, three percent in the second, third and fourth years, and a four percent raise in the fifth year.
The school board won’t have to renegotiate salaries with the teacher’s union until 2015.
In other news, Jim Gillhouse notified the school board of his intent to retire at the end of the 2010-2011 school year. Gillhouse is the principal of Ronan Middle School and has been .......
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Fugleberg to sign new book, “Among Other Things,” at Polson Library
Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal
Paul Fugleberg sits at his desk where he wrote his latest book, “Among Other Things.” Fugleberg will be honored at a book signing at the Polson City Library on Jan. 19 from noon until 3 p.m.
By Berl Tiskus
Valley Journal
Paul Fugleberg started pounding out stories for newspapers on an old manual typewriter 57 years ago, although now he writes on his computer. Fugleberg selected columns and stories he’d written on either his typewriter or his computer over his long career, selected photographs to accompany them and published them in a new book called “Among Other Things.”
Fugleberg will be honored at a book signing of “Among Other Things” at the Polson City Library on Jan. 19, noon to 3 p.m. The public is invited to attend the book signing, and refreshments will be served.
“Among Other Things” is a slim volume 99 pages long and divided into sections — Shadows of Yesteryear, Personal Reflections, More Historic Happenings, Unusual Incidents, Colorful Personalities, Among Other Things: Some Really Dumb Stories, Special People, and Short Stories.
“Among Other Things” is also the name of Fugleberg’s ........
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More news ...
‣ Crimestoppers seek help in locating damaged vehicle
‣ Mike Rayson to perform free concerts Jan. 17
‣ Crimestoppers caution citizens to be vigilant
‣ Adult Probation and Parole office to stay put
‣ Jingle Jog to benefit Lozeau
‣ Ronan library suffers losses after citywide budget cut
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