County wants public view on funding libraries
By Buck Traxler, I-O Editor
From libraries to law enforcement, funding is critical and everyone wants a bigger piece of the pie.
Department heads are finding themselves having to become creative with budgets and the funding they do receive.
Funding levies that were once as automatic as the sun coming up are now turned away by the public. You only have to witness the law and fire levies in Great Falls that overwhelmingly failed at the ballot box recently.
Readers will recall that the county levies funds for the Library Fund which is distributed to the libraries in Conrad and Valier.
Conrad receives 57 percent and Valier receives 43 percent. There is also a voted levy which goes to the two libraries at the same rate and money received, pro-rated, through the State Entitlement funding, oil and gas revenue and interest on the daily cash balance in the fund.
County Attorney Mary Ann Ries has been looking into the history of this funding split and will present a brief report of her findings.
A recent story in the I-O has drawn some attention to the funding dilemma between the two libraries and the commissioners have decided to hold a public meeting on Aug. 26, 7 p.m. in the courtroom at the courthouse so the public can voice an opinion and ask questions.
Of area libraries, Conrad has one of the lowest book budgets around at $9,010 while the Valier book budget is $12,000 and Cut Bank tops the list of neighboring libraries with a book budget of $27,500.
From libraries to law enforcement, funding is critical and everyone wants a bigger piece of the pie.
Department heads are finding themselves having to become creative with budgets and the funding they do receive.
Funding levies that were once as automatic as the sun coming up are now turned away by the public. You only have to witness the law and fire levies in Great Falls that overwhelmingly failed at the ballot box recently.
Readers will recall that the county levies funds for the Library Fund which is distributed to the libraries in Conrad and Valier.
Conrad receives 57 percent and Valier receives 43 percent. There is also a voted levy which goes to the two libraries at the same rate and money received, pro-rated, through the State Entitlement funding, oil and gas revenue and interest on the daily cash balance in the fund.
County Attorney Mary Ann Ries has been looking into the history of this funding split and will present a brief report of her findings.
A recent story in the I-O has drawn some attention to the funding dilemma between the two libraries and the commissioners have decided to hold a public meeting on Aug. 26, 7 p.m. in the courtroom at the courthouse so the public can voice an opinion and ask questions.
Of area libraries, Conrad has one of the lowest book budgets around at $9,010 while the Valier book budget is $12,000 and Cut Bank tops the list of neighboring libraries with a book budget of $27,500.
Fall is in the air, Cowboys hit the practice field
By Buck Traxler, I-O Editor
The sun is setting a little earlier, the evenings are becoming a little bit more crisp and the schools are about to open their doors.
That can mean only one thing, football season is right around the corner.
On Monday about 40 players began two-a-day drills under the watchful eyes of Head Coach Joe Moerkerke, beginning his third year at the helm.
His assistant coaches include MHP Sergeant Robert Bender, Brain Fladstol and new to the team, Jeremie LaBarre. Rich Murack is the team trainer.
Coach Moerkerke is optimistic about the season but notes, “We are not as big across the line as we were last year.”
Right he is. The tallest player is sophomore Ben Moerkerke at 6’-4”. Overall the Cowboys probably average about 6’-0’. There are just a handful of players weighing in at over 200 pounds with junior Caleb Goyette leading the pack at 220 pounds.
The Cowboys will have to be sneaky fast on both sides of the line this season.
Proving good leadership will be nine seniors.
They include Mike Adams, Chase Cork, Nathan Gage, Boyd Matheson, Josiah Moerkerke, Paul O’Brien, Rhett Orcutt, Brandon Philipps and Nick Pruttis.
Juniors out for the team are Brett Bishop, Kyle Ellis, C. Goyette, Grant Grubb, Colter Knox, and Bryce Watterud.
The bulk of the squad comes from the Class of 2012 with 16 players out. A lot of young players will be seeing time on the playing field this season.
Sophomores coming out are Jamison Byrnes, Sam Carroll, Alex Finlayson, Sam Larson, Kyle Linn, B. Moerkerke, Tyler Nelson, Ryan Orcutt, Joe Ries, Charles Roderick, Luke Schlosser, Lucas Schultz, Will Shirley, Blayne Underdahl, Dallas VanLuchene, and Clay Winters.
Freshman players consist of Seth Diedrich, Drew Drishinski, Kyle Dyrud, Justin Fritz, Daniel O’Brien, Trent Pearson, Justin Ratzburg, Tyler Sasek Ryan Townsend, Devin VandenBos, and Wesley Varnum.
The Cowboy team manager is Raymond Palmer. Kellen Murack will be doing duty at the video recorder.
Team statisticians include Courtney Anderson, Megan Breding, Kasey Brownell and Kendra Pearson.
New this year will be information about the team on their newly created website. Check out www.conradcowboyfootball.org .
Conrad begins the season with a road game and a real test right out of the chute when they travel to Malta to take on the Mustangs on Sept. 4.
The Cowboys are at home on Sept. 11 with Big Fork coming in for a visit. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
We’ll see you on the field some exciting games this season.
BE QUICK NOW Will Shirley, timed at 5.2 seconds by Coach Joe Moerkerke, makes a turn in the 20-yard agility drill Monday morning on the first day of Cowboy football practice. Forty players are out for the squad this season which opens in Malta on Sept. 4. The first home game is with Big Fork on Sept. 11. I-O Photo by Buck Traxler
That can mean only one thing, football season is right around the corner.
On Monday about 40 players began two-a-day drills under the watchful eyes of Head Coach Joe Moerkerke, beginning his third year at the helm.
His assistant coaches include MHP Sergeant Robert Bender, Brain Fladstol and new to the team, Jeremie LaBarre. Rich Murack is the team trainer.
Coach Moerkerke is optimistic about the season but notes, “We are not as big across the line as we were last year.”
Right he is. The tallest player is sophomore Ben Moerkerke at 6’-4”. Overall the Cowboys probably average about 6’-0’. There are just a handful of players weighing in at over 200 pounds with junior Caleb Goyette leading the pack at 220 pounds.
The Cowboys will have to be sneaky fast on both sides of the line this season.
Proving good leadership will be nine seniors.
They include Mike Adams, Chase Cork, Nathan Gage, Boyd Matheson, Josiah Moerkerke, Paul O’Brien, Rhett Orcutt, Brandon Philipps and Nick Pruttis.
Juniors out for the team are Brett Bishop, Kyle Ellis, C. Goyette, Grant Grubb, Colter Knox, and Bryce Watterud.
The bulk of the squad comes from the Class of 2012 with 16 players out. A lot of young players will be seeing time on the playing field this season.
Sophomores coming out are Jamison Byrnes, Sam Carroll, Alex Finlayson, Sam Larson, Kyle Linn, B. Moerkerke, Tyler Nelson, Ryan Orcutt, Joe Ries, Charles Roderick, Luke Schlosser, Lucas Schultz, Will Shirley, Blayne Underdahl, Dallas VanLuchene, and Clay Winters.
Freshman players consist of Seth Diedrich, Drew Drishinski, Kyle Dyrud, Justin Fritz, Daniel O’Brien, Trent Pearson, Justin Ratzburg, Tyler Sasek Ryan Townsend, Devin VandenBos, and Wesley Varnum.
The Cowboy team manager is Raymond Palmer. Kellen Murack will be doing duty at the video recorder.
Team statisticians include Courtney Anderson, Megan Breding, Kasey Brownell and Kendra Pearson.
New this year will be information about the team on their newly created website. Check out www.conradcowboyfootball.org .
Conrad begins the season with a road game and a real test right out of the chute when they travel to Malta to take on the Mustangs on Sept. 4.
The Cowboys are at home on Sept. 11 with Big Fork coming in for a visit. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
We’ll see you on the field some exciting games this season.
Memories of going into and out of Stalag 17B
By Adam Jerome, I-O Reporter
As Frank Paliga sits in his favorite recliner at the Pondera Medical Center Extended Care unit he reads a book on World War II. With his wife Joan sitting comfortably at his side he has the look of a man at peace with the world. At 88 years old he has a lifetime of memories to look back on and be proud of.
What makes Paliga’s reading material all the more interesting to him is the fact that he shares a common bond with the people and places he reads about. Paliga is by all accounts a war hero, even if you would never hear it from him.
Like many other young men who grew up during the depression and the Second World War, Paliga joined the armed forces as soon as he could. As Paliga pointed out, “I just felt like it was my duty to sign up and go over there.”
After attending Aerial Gunnery School in Texas he joined the Army Air Force 44th Bomber Group. He became an engineer and top-turret gunner on a B-24. He eventually rose to the position of Staff Sergeant and in September of 1942 was stationed to overseas duty in England.
His service was dangerous from the get go as he and 23 other bomber groups got set to fly to England from St. Johns, Newfoundland. Before take off the cockpit crew noticed sparks coming from all four engines. Upon inspection it seemed that someone had loosened the sparkplugs on the planes.
It was determined later that some crews did not make it across the Atlantic, due to the sabotage at St. Johns. From that point on no American bomber was left on an apron in England without a guard around each bomber day and night for the rest of the war.
Paliga’s first bombing raid was over the French coast. After encountering enemy fire on the way to their target his plane finally made it and did the job. Paliga adds, “I think we lost a total of six planes from the group of 24 that went on the raid. There were a lot of B-24s shot up with wounded and killed soldiers in the planes that made it back to our base. We usually got back to our base, empty of ammunition and bombs, with lots of casualties.”
After his first 15 raids, Paliga was sent on a low-level bombing raid to the oil fields of Ploesti. For their bravery and valor during the mission the whole air crew received the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the highest honors an airman could receive.
Air Raids were so tough in 1942-43 that an airman who completed 25 raids was sent back to the United States to sell bonds or teach for the rest of their service. All airmen just counted down until that special number when they could go home.
Paliga had finally made it. He completed his 24th raid and had one left. He packed his bags in anticipation of making that last raid. What happened next sounds like a script for a movie, but in Paliga’s case it was the truth.
SERVICE MEDALS These are some of the Service Medals that Frank Paliga earned during his service as a Staff Sergeant Engineer and top-turret gunner. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the POW medals to name a few. I-O Photo by Buck Traxler
What makes Paliga’s reading material all the more interesting to him is the fact that he shares a common bond with the people and places he reads about. Paliga is by all accounts a war hero, even if you would never hear it from him.
Like many other young men who grew up during the depression and the Second World War, Paliga joined the armed forces as soon as he could. As Paliga pointed out, “I just felt like it was my duty to sign up and go over there.”
After attending Aerial Gunnery School in Texas he joined the Army Air Force 44th Bomber Group. He became an engineer and top-turret gunner on a B-24. He eventually rose to the position of Staff Sergeant and in September of 1942 was stationed to overseas duty in England.
His service was dangerous from the get go as he and 23 other bomber groups got set to fly to England from St. Johns, Newfoundland. Before take off the cockpit crew noticed sparks coming from all four engines. Upon inspection it seemed that someone had loosened the sparkplugs on the planes.
It was determined later that some crews did not make it across the Atlantic, due to the sabotage at St. Johns. From that point on no American bomber was left on an apron in England without a guard around each bomber day and night for the rest of the war.
Paliga’s first bombing raid was over the French coast. After encountering enemy fire on the way to their target his plane finally made it and did the job. Paliga adds, “I think we lost a total of six planes from the group of 24 that went on the raid. There were a lot of B-24s shot up with wounded and killed soldiers in the planes that made it back to our base. We usually got back to our base, empty of ammunition and bombs, with lots of casualties.”
After his first 15 raids, Paliga was sent on a low-level bombing raid to the oil fields of Ploesti. For their bravery and valor during the mission the whole air crew received the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the highest honors an airman could receive.
Air Raids were so tough in 1942-43 that an airman who completed 25 raids was sent back to the United States to sell bonds or teach for the rest of their service. All airmen just counted down until that special number when they could go home.
Paliga had finally made it. He completed his 24th raid and had one left. He packed his bags in anticipation of making that last raid. What happened next sounds like a script for a movie, but in Paliga’s case it was the truth.