by Betty Oleson

What are our needs locally for parks and pedestrian or bike trails in the future? How should the county prioritize new projects and sustain existing park and trail resources?

The West Valley Community Council is pleased to host a community workshop related to a Missoula County planning process for parks and trails. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 18, 7:00 p.m., at Frenchtown Fire Station #1.

by Rose Davis

Continuing to encourage folks to visit the great outdoors, Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell is offering his agency’s second fee waiver weekend this summer on August 14-15.

“The Forest Service is working to ensure as many visitors as possible have the opportunity to experience the great outdoors and take advantage of the many recreational activities national forests have to offer,” said Tidwell. “By waiving fees, everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy the wonder and rejuvenation of recreation on national forests.”

by Boyd Hartwig

The Superior Ranger District will host a Fires of 1910 Commemoration Event August 21, 2 p.m., at the Savenac Historic Tree Nursery to mark an important milestone in local community and Ranger District history.

by Tom Schultz

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Montana) announced he will seek to remove the gray wolf from consideration under the Endangered Species Act. Rehberg will support legislation asking Congress to amend the 1973 act "to prohibit treatment of the Gray Wolf as an endangered species or threatened species." The move comes in response to a recent court ruling effectively reinstating endangered status for the wolf.

by Boyd Hartwig

The Missoula County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) is reminding those interested in submitting project proposals that the submission deadline for the first round of decisions is September 1, 2010. The RAC will allocate approximately $156,000 in project funding in the first round of decisions, which is the funding available for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009. Project proposals must be received at the Missoula Ranger District by the September, 1 deadline to be considered in this first round of decisions. A second round of decisions and allocation of remaining RAC funds is planned for spring, 2011.

For the first round of decisions, RAC project proposals must be submitted online no later than 4:30 p.m. September, 1 through the Missoula RAC web page, located at, https://wwwnotes.fs.fed.us/wo/secure_...enDocument

by Beth Burman Frazee

All kids deserve the chance to succeed in school. STUFF THE BUS, a community-wide, mobile school supply drive, is collecting school supplies for local kids in need.

by Bob Norbie

Great Falls – Every movement has a heart and a story. Ours began because one woman, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, deeply loved her sister. She became furious about the neglect and indifference she saw toward her sister and others with intellectual disabilities. She had a deep faith that everyone counts. And she loved sports. In a moment that literally changed the world, she saw how sport could transform the lives of those who shared the challenges of her sister. Special Olympics was born of this compassion, fury and action.



As Special Olympics Montana celebrates its 40th anniversary with a Gala Celebration on September 25, 2010, we are pleased to honor the legacy of Eunice Kennedy Shriver for her tireless effort to change attitudes and thus change the world for those with intellectual disabilities.

Air Force Airman Jacob E. Cummins graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

by Chief John Woodland

On Thursday August 5 at approximately 6:30 p.m., a fire was reported at the Mountain West Bark Plant owned by Johnson Brothers. Multiple 40 foot high, tightly packed piles of shredded cedar were on fire. The total area of the burning piles was over 3 acres. Exposures included a large structure, numerous other piles of raw materials as well as several acres of palletized product wrapped in plastic. Public and private timberlands were also potentially at risk. There were also miscellaneous piles of discarded equipment including tires close by.

by Barbara Neilan

Jennifer Straughan, the race director for the Frenchtown-to-Missoula Marathon, was honored for her dedication this year by Destination Missoula, the official Convention & Visitors Bureau for Missoula.



Jennifer’s dedication and fierce pride in the Missoula Community has taken the Missoula Marathon from a local/regional event when it was established four short years ago to an international event drawing 4,577 participants from all 50 States, Canada and as far away as Hong Kong, Chile, Columbia, Australia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Singapore.