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Wednesday, 15 July 2009 06:27 |
By Adele Stenson for the I-O
 GROOMING THE STEER Gabrielle Drishinski clips her 4-H steer to prepare him for the Fed Beef Show at the Marias Fair on July 16. Photo courtesy of Dan Picard
The fun (and the work) have already begun for 4-Hers preparing for the big event. They have been working all year for the opportunity to exhibit and compete at the Marias Fair.
This summer they have been busy attending clinics to hone their skills in everything from sewing to livestock fitting and handling, to horsemanship. Some of their Marias Fair events are even completed. The Fashion Revue judging and shooting sports tournaments are completed in advance of the Fair. They will receive their awards at the Fair though.Events for the 4-H youth kick off Wednesday morning, July 15, with the Rabbit Show at 8:30 a.m. The Cat Show will be at 11 .am., the Poultry show at 1:00 p.m., and the Sheep Show at 6:30 p.m. These shows are all open to the public, and there is no gate admission on Wednesday.
In addition to shows, 4-Hers will start working the Food Booth, which will be open with a variety of dining options throughout the Fair. The food booth has breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, including a daily special. This booth is a major fundraiser for the 4-H premium fund, and is staffed almost entirely by 4-H families.
Amidst all the other activity, 4-H members will be interviewed and their projects judged on Wednesday. This process is not open to the public, but Thursday morning the Exhibit building will open at 10, and the public is invited to stop in anytime throughout the week to check out the projects on display. At the Exhibit Building, visitors will also find a wide selection of Silent Auction items available for bid, to benefit improvements at the Exhibit Building.
Thursday is a big day for the youth with market livestock animals. The swine show begins at 7:30 a.m. and will run most of the morning. The fed beef show begins at 2:00 in the afternoon. The youth in these shows and the sheep show are judged on their showmanship, and their animals are judged on market conformation.
Demonstrations and speeches begin on Thursday at 10 in the Senior Center. Watch for the schedule to be posted at the Exhibit Building and the Senior Center, if you’d like to stop in for a few minutes to hear 4-Hers share their knowledge about a wide variety of topics. This event is always informative and interesting, and the building is air conditioned!
Friday features the horse show, which begins at 7:30 a.m., and will run until mid to late afternoon. Events range from western to English, trail, barrels and poles, ranch horse, colt to maturity, and green horse. Bring your lawn chair, so you can find a shady spot to enjoy the young horsemen and women.
Saturday is Tough Enough to Wear Pink day. All day, the Fair Board will donate $1 of your gate entry to the Hi-Line Women Against Breast Cancer, if you wear pink. Everyone is encouraged to wear pink to show their support of this generous organization, and breast cancer victims everywhere. |
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Read more... [Marias Fair kicks off this week]
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Wednesday, 15 July 2009 06:23 |
 IRRIGATION WATER The commissioners and county attorney met this week to discuss problems with irrigation water being sprayed onto county roads and the hazards and liabilities it poses. No action was taken at the Wednesday meeting; however, an ordinance and further discussion may take place later in the year. I-O Photo by Buck Traxler
Unfortunately, this practice is very wasteful and potentially dangerous, and could be a violation of Montana law.
The right to water use is a very important and controversial topic for any Montana farmer.
Disputes over who has the best right to water are the subject of constant argument and adjudication between neighbors. Montana Water Courts are steadily busy deciding who has the best right to use the very limited available sources of water, and farmers spend considerable amounts of money protecting their interest in this valuable resource.
For these reasons, it is difficult to explain why so many farmers are content to waste thousands of gallons of water every year, spraying public roads with water that could mean the difference in this year’s successful crop.
Another aspect of irrigating public roads that is often overlooked is the safety view.
Spraying water on roadways speeds erosion, making frequent maintenance or construction necessary, which may mean increases in transportation taxes. Eroded or damaged roads may also cause damage to vehicles and more frequent accidents.
In addition, an unexpected blast of water on a vehicle windshield may cause a driver to momentarily lose sight of the road or control of their vehicle and cause serious accidents.
Montana Code Annotated § (MCA) 45-5-208 provides up to a $1,000 fine or up to one year in a county jail for negligently engaging in conduct that creates a substantial risk of death or serious injury to another.
Due to the high speed of motor vehicle traffic on roads and highways, it is clear that negligently allowing an irrigation system to spray oncoming traffic may constitute this offense.
This practice may also constitute Criminal Mischief, under MCA §45-6-101 for tampering with public property, so as to endanger or interfere with persons or property or its use.
Montana Code Title 7 also provides local governments with the power to regulate and prevent any obstructions (including water spray) to public roadways.
In addition to these laws, Montana Code(s) also sets out very specific guidelines for encroachments like this upon county roads and highways and procedures for removal.
MCA §7-14-2134 authorizes the county to order any obstructions such as standing water removed from the roads, and §7-14-2141 very specifically puts the owner of any ditch or other source of water or water user, who allows it to overflow from their property onto the road, at liability to remove the water and repair the damage caused.
It can be very easy for irrigators to prevent these infractions, by monitoring more closely where their lines are watering, and changing the hand or wheel line locations or programming the pivots to keep the water on their fields and not on public roadways.
“By taking precautions to keep your water on your crops rather than the road, you can not only save water, money, and ensure better health for your crops, you can also help make Montana roads and highways a safer place to drive for everyone,” says Paul Carroll, and intern for County Attorney Mary Ann Ries.
Editor’s note: Paul Carroll, an intern with the county attorney prepared and submitted this article to the I-O. |
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