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Wednesday, 02 July 2008 |
 GOOD DEFENSE – American Legion Cardinal catcher Mike Shea of Cut Bank blocks the plate and puts the tag on a Great Falls Sparkie runner attempting to score from third base during last Tuesday’s game in Conrad. The nice defense kept the score at 1-0, at the time, in favor of the Cards who came on to win the game, 6-4. I-O Photo by Buck Traxler
Last Tuesday the Great Falls Sparkies came to town and left on the losing end of a twinbill, 8-7 and 6-4.
The Cards held a 3-1 lead going in to the third inning of the first game when the Sparkies pushed across a pair of runs to tie the contest. But in the bottom of the inning, the home boys answered right back with two runs of their own to go back up 5-3.
It stayed that way until the sixth when the Sparkies knocked in three runs to pull ahead 7-5.
Once again in the bottom of the inning the Cardinals rallied to match that and move back in to the lead, 8-7 and that was the way the contest ended.
Jake Robison started and won the game. Orin Johnson came in relief in the seventh and picked up a save.
The Cardinals picked up their eight runs on 10 hits and they committed no errors.
Brett Bandow led the way at the plate going 3-4 with a triple and a double and four RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base. O. Johnson also belted out a three-bagger, Mike Shea was 2-4, 2 RBIs, Colby Johnson 2-3, and Matt Alford went 2-3.
The nightcap was a pitcher’s duel between C. Johnson and the Sparkies Scott Held.
Through four innings the Cards held on to a slim 1-0 lead, the run scored by O. Johnson, coming home from third when Alford hit into a double play.
Some head’s up defense stopped the Sparkies from getting the tying run in, when a Great Falls player was out the plate.
With runners at first and third, a Sparkie runner left first a little too early and got picked off by Johnson. In a run down, the runner at third tried to come home but a nice toss and a good block at the plate by catcher Shea kept the score at 1-0.
However the Sparkies rallied for four runs in the top of the fifth. Once again, helped by three errors, the Cards answered the bell and came up with five runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Two of those runs came off a Robison bunt, that because of a big throwing error by the Sparkies, allowed two runs to score and let Robinson scoot all the way to third base.
O. Johnson came on to pitch the top of the seventh in relief and struck out the side for the save. The Cards got their six runs on just three hits and they had no errors.
C. Johnson and Alex Macias each went 1-3 with a double and Alford was 1-2.
In another twinbill with the Sparkies, the Cards blasted by them 18-3. The contest was called after five innings. Bandow won the game, giving up four hits, three runs, four walks and striking out four.
John Johannsen let the hitting attack, going 4-5 with three RBIs, two runs and a double. Bandow, C. Johnson, Swanson, and Robison all knocked in three runs and Styren had two RBIs.
In the nightcap, the Cards flew by the Sparkies, 13-8.
At the tourney in Lewistown over the weekend, the team’s win streak came to end with a 5-9 loss to the Bitterroot Bucs.
Dave Ratzburg suffered the loss, pitching 1 1/3 innings. The Johnson boys, Alford and Styren all had two hits.
Playing the Great Falls Stallions, the Cards lost 7-2. Shea, Robison and O. Johnson all had one hit. Styren pitched four innings and suffered the loss.
Facing the Gallatin Valley Outlaws, the Cardinals dropped another 7-2 decision.
Robison pitched five innings and suffered the loss. Johannsen, O. Johnson and Robison all had two hits and C. Johnson one.
The team got back on the winning track with a big 9-1 victory over Gillette, Wyo.
Bandow won the contest, pitching a complete game, the first for the Cards this season. He gave up six hits, one run, walked no one and had four strikes outs.
C. Johnson went 2-4, scored three runs, poked a pair of doubles and stole two bases. Hallenburg was 2-5, Bandow 2-3 with two RBIs, and Macias was 2-4 with two RBIs and a double.
Thursday the team is in Great Falls to play the Black Sox and Saturday Vauxhall visits Conrad for a twinbill, starting at 3 p.m. |
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Thursday, 26 June 2008 |
By Buck Traxler, I-O Editor
Council members held a discussion on the recurring problem of overly high grass, weeds in alleyways, and at businesses and residents at the last regular meeting.
Public Works Director Rich Anderson told the council that some 45 to 50 letters had already been written explaining to people they had to mow their areas. “It seems to be getting progressively worse year to year,” he said, going on to add, “We get about a dozen calls a week.”
If the city, after sufficient warning, comes in and cuts the weeds or grass, there is a charge of $100 an hour which is put on an individual’s tax bill.
Individuals that have to perform community service are not allowed to operate power tools, so they can’t be used.
It was noted by the mayor that there hadn’t been much luck in contracting with kids who mow lawns in the summer.
Mayor John Shevlin said he would look into the city contracting with other adults and report back to the council.
There were six building permits approved by the council, to which the mayor commented, “It’s nice to see so many people making improvements in their homes.”
Permits were approved for 505 S. Iowa, fence; 509 S. Iowa house improvements; 506 S. Illinois and 324 1st Ave. windows (both); 306 S. Maryland, storage shed; and 300 S. Iowa, a deck.
In a housekeeping piece of business, Fire Chief Kevin Moritz and Treasurer John Calahan were appointed to their positions.
The Conrad Public Library put in a request to use Norley Hall on Oct. 7-8. The Vigilante Players will be putting on a stage performance over those days. The request was passed on a 4-0 vote.
The city received a bill from Horizon Lodge for $722 for some siding and electrical work at a unit in Blue Sky Villa. After some discussion, council members passed a motion to pay the bill.
In another housekeeping piece of business, a resolution was passed in regards to bonds.
In a report to the council, Cheryl Curry from the Regional Port Authority said that presently things were quiet. The PA is focusing on the Depot. She noted a lot of people showed up during their open house at Whoop-Up.
She and the board are also working on the budget and she is working with Valier on improvements on a park.
The mayor noted that fixing up Front St. was the number one priority for the city and as soon as it got warmer, crews would again be out working there.
On June 20 crews blocked of three blocks of Front St. and began the process of fix the street surface.
The next regular meeting of the city council is set for July 7 and it will start 90 minutes early at 6 p.m.
As usual it will be in city hall at 411-1/2 S. Main and the public is encouraged to attend. |
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Thursday, 26 June 2008 |
The Service Employees International Union managed to convince two more Pondera Medical Center employees to vote “yes” to a union than vote “no” in an election held last Thursday at the hospital, announced Rick Palagi, Interim CEO on Monday.
Palagi informed the I-O, “The voting unit of non-professional employees as the SEIU refers to the hospital staff members who are in jobs that will now be represented by the union make up about 60 full-time and part-time employees.
Fifty-four employees cast their ballot, with 26 voting no to a union and 28 voting yes for union representation.
“Thursday was not a happy day at the hospital. We are truly saddened that a few of our well meaning employees were led to believe that being represented by this international, outside presence was necessary,” said Palagi.
He went on to add, “We were hoping that our newly energized management team and a committed board of trustees would get the chance to do our jobs without the overlay of this kind of organization.”
The hospital has recently turned over several key management positions including the CEO.
This always unsettles everybody and makes employees anxious, according to Palagi, a Kalispell Regional Medical Center senior administrator, who was asked by the PMC board of trustees to serve as interim administrator and help recruit a new, long term administrator for the facility.
The CEO search process is well underway.
“One thing I can say for sure, he said, “is that all of our employees from top to bottom care deeply about providing the best patient care we can to our community. Regardless of an individual’s position about unions, it will not affect our team from this goal.”
At some time in the future, negotiations between the union and the hospital will begin. According to experts, this negotiation can take quite a long time, in some cases up to a year.
Palagi said he doesn’t anticipate that these negotiations will change hospital’s commitment to reviewing the policies and practices that cover all the hospital staff including those now in the union.
According to federal law, employees can choose to de-certify union representation by the same process the union was certified. This process is one that is initiated by employees covered by the union, not management.
“The work that we had begun and were forced to put on hold during this election campaign will begin again. Our goal is to provide the best work environment we are able to that keeps and recruits quality employees,” he said.
Palagi noted that the hospital has some financial and operational challenges.
A complete assessment is being conducted to review and improve every aspect of the hospital.
“The advent of this union will present another level of complication to deal with, but will not change our direction,” Palagi said. |
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