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Wednesday, 13 August 2008 |
 ROCK JUMPER – Brad Perkins, son of Cindy and Jon Perkins of Conrad, attended the Little Critter Day Camp at the Boone and Crockett-E. Rasmussen Wildlife Conservation Center near Dupuyer recently. He is on a hike to beaver ponds on the property to go fishing, but also found rock jumping to his liking. Photo courtesy of JoAnne Cobb The Boone and Crockett Club’s Lee and Penny Anderson Conservation Education Program hosted the first annual Little Critters Day Camp for local and regional youth, ages 4 – 9, on the Rocky Mountain Front in mid-July. Two shuttles ferried campers each day to and from Choteau and Conrad. The Choteau shuttle also stopped for youth in Bynum. The shuttle from Conrad made an additional stop at the Dupuyer Post Office. Both shuttles arrived at their destination, the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch and the Rasmuson Wildlife Conservation Center (RWCC), which is 11 miles west of Dupuyer. Exuberant young campers arrived with back packs and smiles ready, for two full days of outdoor adventures. The enthusiastic campers were greeted at the door by the Program staff, the impressive mounted “Falls Creek” grizzly bear and a mountain lion. The expansive great room floor was covered with various big game hides and smaller furbearing animals. On the tables, skulls, horns, and antlers were on display, along with many species of birds of prey and upland game birds for the wide-eyed youngsters to study. The first day the campers explored the out-of-doors on the Boone and Crockett Club Watchable Wildlife Trail south of the education center. They were led by Program staff in field explorations and accompanied by several parent chaperones. Binoculars and compasses were employed as the campers gained their bearings here on the Rocky Mountain Front. On the way to the trailhead, the Little Critter campers spotted a young coyote pup, and while hiking discovered a well defined mountain lion track. Campers learned how to make plaster casts of tracks in the field by casting this track as wells as a mule deer track. Returning to the RWCC, campers and adults were treated to the first of several excellent meals prepared by Leslie DeVries; grizzly bear shaped sandwiches, among other things. After a satisfying lunch, everyone relaxed on the hide-covered floor, listening as Lisa Flowers, Program director, read a wildlife story. A thunderstorm rumbled overhead as the 10 attentive campers decorated their own camp T-shirts with a variety of wildflowers and other animals. Cindy Perkins, mother of camper Bradley, assisted with the artwork as did many other volunteers. Mark Major, Teton County Extension agent from Choteau, father of camper Rebekah, helped demonstrate the wildlife identification game called “Who am I?” The kids gave him clues until he could identify what animal he was, and then they all took turns figuring out their own animal puzzles. The afternoon concluded with all the campers creating their own plaster casts of native wildlife tracks. The second day of camp was especially fun, as all 10 of the young campers spent the morning fine-tuning their casting and fish identification skills. After lunch, the entire camp hiked out to beaver ponds on Dupuyer Creek to test their fishing skills and explore the banks of the wetlands. One little camper, Zaveya Swenson, captured a frog, while Caulen Boehmler from Idaho, was the camper with a knack for catching fish. Another camper, Piper Schultz, came from the Missoula area with his mother Casey to study wild animals in the outdoors, and hone Piper’s tracking skills. They spent the day learning how to fish. Camper Johnny Rappold and his mom Becky said, “It was a wonderful way to spend two summer days and the kids really enjoyed it”. Due to the success of this program it will again be offered in the summer of 2009. If interested please call 406-472-3311 for dates and more information. Editor’s note: This article was submitted by the Boone and Crockett Club staff. |
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Wednesday, 13 August 2008 |
 GOOD TEAM – Jade Rodriguez and her quarter horse, Oh So Zippo, pose at the Marias Fair with just a few of the many awards they earned together this summer. Photo courtesy of MSU-Extension, Pondera County Jade Rodriguez was one of three Montana 4-H youth to be awarded a scholarship to her first AQHA approved show this year. Applicants were required to submit their name, county, 4-H club, years in 4-H and years in horsemanship. They also provided essay responses to questions explaining why they wanted to attend such a show and how attending would help them reach their goals with their 4-H horse project. Qualifications were that the recipient be an enrolled 4-H member, be showing in their first AQHA show, be able to attend the Western Montana Quarter Horse Association Show at the Sapphire Event Center in Corvallis, own a registered quarter horse and purchase a Montana Quarter Horse Youth Association (MQHYA) membership. Each scholarship package included the following: registration and show fees for the Novice Youth Division, drug fees and show office fees, and stalls Thursday through Saturday of the WMQHA Show totaling an approximate value of $275. Scholarships were made possible through donations from an anonymous benefactor, the Sapphire Event Center, the Western Montana Quarter Horse Association. If a 4-H member is interested in applying for this scholarship next year, contact Pondera County Extension for more information. Rodriguez is 14 years old, and member of the 4 Leaf Clovers 4-H Club. |
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Wednesday, 06 August 2008 |
By Buck Traxler, I-O Editor
Police Chief Gary Dent announced Monday evening that two juveniles have been arrested for criminal mischief for the spray painting of playground equipment and bathrooms at Legion Park. It was determined where the paint used for the offense was purchased. The spray cans were located and seized as evidence. Chief Dent said the investigation is continuing and more charges may be forthcoming. The youth offense reports were turned over to Juvenile Probation on Monday for prosecution in youth court. In other news from the council, a rise in sewer rates may be looming down the road. After some discussion, the council passed, on a 4-0 vote, R-970. This is a resolution of intent to increase sewer rates in order to pay for the upgrading and bringing into compliance the aging wastewater facility. The rates, if they are enacted, will be based on water line size. “We’re making a tremendous change on the larger line size, going from a reasonable rate to 10 times. That is a little tough,” said councilman Gary Brown. Mayor John Shevlin noted, “We don’t have parity here. Some hook-ups aren’t paying anything. Hook-ups that are not active will have to start paying debt service.” The proposed rate increases look like this: $22.50 for those with a ¾-inch line, $31.50 for a one inch line; $88 for 1-1/2 inch line; $136 for a 2-inch line; $210 for 3-inch line; and $421 for a 4-inch line. The council only passed a resolution of intent. Before rates may be increased they need to be advertised in the paper and a public meeting also needs to be held. Such a meeting is being scheduled in September at Norley Hall. Watch the I-O for details. Aldermen also passed R-969, forgiving the Port Authority for $6,000 on a loan from the CDBG revolving loan fund. Two building permits were approved by the council, one at 2 S. Kansas for a garage and another at 405 S. Wisconsin to tear down a garage. There was to be discussion and action taken on a dispatching agreement with the county, however, a counter offer to one made by the city for dispatching services has not yet been received, which prompted the mayor to comment, “I don’t know what’s going on here.” |
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