A flock of duckinlings stays in careful formation behind its mother, honing their swimming skills and playing follow the leader.   Photo by Steve Allison

Thursday, July 3

Sites, times set to light your own fireworks
By Autumn Toennis
Fireworks for this year’s Fourth of July are restricted in city limits, according to city Ordinance No. 1164, unless they are discharged within Bender Park, Riverside Park, Tedesco Park and Jaycee Field at certain times:
The approved times are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 3, from 10 a.m. to midnight on July 4, and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on July 5. These rules are effective immediately.
This is possible because Ordinance No. 1164 also allows the City Council to permit the discharge of fireworks within Miles City at those chosen areas and times as long as they are in accordance with the state law.

Parade, activities, fireworks set for Fourth
By Denise Hartse
The Fourth of July is a time for celebrating our nation’s independence, and Miles City will be joining in the festivities with a parade and various events throughout the day.
This year, Fourth of July activities in Miles City begin Friday morning with the fifth annual Independence Day Parade. Entries in the parade start lining up at 9 a.m. at the Ursuline Convent on Leighton Boulevard. At 10 a.m., the parade begins. It will travel down North Montana Avenue to Main Street, then on to Riverside Park.
Drivers are asked not to park on Main Street from 9 a.m. until after the parade.
According to Scott Elder, one of the co-coordinators of the Fourth of July activities, as of Thursday morning, there were 35 entries of all types in the parade, including vehicles, floats, pets, horses and riders, marching units and organizations. He added that there is room for more entries, which will be taken up until the time the parade starts lining up Friday.
“This started as a people’s parade, and we want to keep it that way,” said Tucker Bolton, another co-coordinator of the parade. “It’s free – there are no entry fees.”
Gene Larson, Miles City artist, is the grand marshal of this year’s parade.
Larson was proclaimed Honorary Cultural Ambassador of the City of Miles City on Aug. 14, 2007. A pointillist, Larson preserves the memories of many of Miles City’s old buildings, some of which are still standing and many that have been destroyed, in his artworks.
Born in Salina, Kan., Larson received an associate degree in commercial art from Utah Tech in Salt Lake City. He moved to Miles City in 1985 with his wife, who was a psychiatrist. The couple divorced in 1993 and she moved away. Larson said he left Miles City for a couple of months and then returned “to stay forever.”
Before moving to Miles City, Larson did odd jobs, was employed at Boeing for eight years and was in radio broadcasting for 11 years.
For two and a half of those years, he worked for radio station KAYO in Seattle. The station played country music and while there, Larson interviewed stars such as Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow and Charley Pride.
Larson enjoyed drawing and after moving to Miles City, he decided to do art full time, spending from 100 to 200 hours on each artwork. He started experimenting with pointillism, taught himself how to do it and has been preserving Miles City’s historic buildings and some newer ones in his artworks since then.

Activities in the park
Following the parade, festivities will begin in Riverside Park. There will be live music at the gazebo throughout the day.
“We want people to know that that park is available to clubs, organizations, churches and anyone who wants to do a fundraiser after the parade,” explained Bolton.
A lunch, sponsored by the First Baptist Church, with hamburgers, hot dogs and polish dogs, will be served. There is no charge for this lunch, but donations will be welcome and will go to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Fireworks Fund and Relay For Life.
Food also will be provided by several organizations including the Council on Aging, Relay For Life, and a group called Nurses and Friends selling slices of apple pie with the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. The ABATE and Spirit Riders motorcycle clubs will be serving cake and ice cream with donations going to TVs for VETS.
According to Mary Elizabeth Irion, coordinator for activities in the park, members of the High Plains Classics Car Club and Fifth Infantry will participate in the parade and will park their vehicles north of the water towers in Riverside Park so the public can enjoy viewing them.
A hot air balloon basket will be set up in the park with Bob Raper demonstrating how the burners work, and Dawn Ann Tramp will demonstrate wool spinning.
Mark Browning, director of the Custer County Art and Heritage Center, said he will have a patchwork quilt mural painting project for children. The young artists will be able to draw or paint what the Fourth of July means to them.
There also will be numerous other events all afternoon in the park, including relays and fun games for people of all ages. Valley Drive Baptist Church and the Miles City Kiwanis Club will have activities for children with donations going to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Fireworks Fund.
Irion said there also will be groups with informational booths including the Cub Scouts, Community Emergency Response Teams, Fun2U, Crime Stoppers and several others.
The events in the park will wrap up around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, depending on how long people want to stay for this hometown celebration.
Community clubs, organizations or churches that wish to set up booths or activities in the park after the parade may contact Irion at 234-1900 or 853-1952.
“We truly hope that all of Miles City comes to the festivities in the park tomorrow,” said Irion.

Military activities
Randy King of the Veterans of Foreign Wars James T. Flinn Post No. 1579 said local VFW members will put out American flags around Miles City on Friday morning and will collect them Friday evening. VFW members will be participating in the Fourth of July Parade, and a steak barbecue with all the trimmings, is planned Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, 119 N. Sixth St. The barbecue is open to the public and tickets are available at the door.

Community fireworks
Friday at dusk, about 9:30 p.m., the fireworks display, sponsored by the VFW and Miles City merchants, will begin at the Miles City Swimming Pool by Riverside Park, ending the day’s activities with a spectacular finale. Viewers are asked to watch the fireworks from the Riverside Park side of the pool.
Wayne Lathrop and Wayne Mulkey are in charge of the speaker system and music throughout the evening.
Donations for the fireworks display are usually collected starting right after the Bucking Horse Sale each year, but are accepted all year long and are tax deductible. Anyone wishing to make a donation should contact Tom Reynolds at 232-7662 or the VFW Hall at 234-1154.

Wednesday, July 2

Light project progresses
By Joseph Boushee
Century Lighting of Lewiston is about three weeks into a project to install a traffic signal at Strevell Avenue and Main Street.
The state project, which is being undertaken on behalf of the city, is being paid for with urban funds.
The traffic signal is expected to be operational by the end of July, said Jay Fleming with the Montana Department of Transportation’s District 4 office in Glendive on Wednesday.
The light contains an optical sensor, technology that is a growing standard in traffic signals. Older lights use underground wiring, which produce a magnetic field that triggers the light when it detects the metal in an approaching vehicle, Fleming said.
Along with the light, some ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) improvements are being made on the corners of the sidewalks around the traffic signal.
Subcontractors are taking care of other work at the construction site, such as cement.
So far, construction has gone smoothly, Fleming said.

New high school soon overcrowded
By Amorette Allison
On March 13, 1908, which, coincidentally, was a Friday, the new Custer County High School building was opened, “the event being celebrated with a program and housewarming,” according to the Miles City Independent.
The high school had been anticipated for a long time. Classes had been held on the second floors of either the First or Second Ward Schoolhouse, depending on space. It was probably annoying for high school students to share schools with children as young as first grade.
The first attempt at building a separate high school had occurred in 1906. The lot was procured, on Leighton Boulevard, next to the new Ursuline Convent, and construction started, only to be abandoned a month later. There was a problem with the bond issue.
A new bond issue was passed and work started again in 1907. This was an important year for Miles City, as it was the year the long-anticipated Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad arrived to make Miles City a two-railroad town.
The new high school was designed by C.S. Haire, who was responsible for many prominent buildings in Miles City. While the building was attractive, it had what turned out to be a considerable design flaw. The “large room in the third story. . .will be used as a gymnasium.”
This put the gym above the assembly room, library and several class rooms. Basketball was a popular new sport, and the sound of the ball being dribbled across the gym floor echoed in the rooms below.
The second problem with the school was not due to any design errors on the part of the architect but the unexpected growth of the community. The building was big enough, with some room to spare, for all the high school students of 1906, when the school was first designed.
When the Milwaukee arrived, it brought with it divisional yards that would employ up to 1,000 people. These people arrived, with their families, doubling the town’s population in 10 years.
The brand new high school was adequate the day it opened but was quickly too small for the rapidly increasing number of students.
The high school, of which the town was so proud, had to be replaced only a dozen years after it was constructed. However, since it was conveniently located next to the Ursuline Convent, which contained a boarding school, the parish purchased it and it became Sacred Heart School.
The building was torn down after the current Sacred Heart high school building was completed, and it has mostly been forgotten, except for among the older alumni of Sacred Heart.
It was a handsome Victorian building, the oak woodwork being described as “the grain showing in a most beautiful way.”
The width of the hallways was also praised, not just for looks but because there had been several disastrous school fires in the previous years and the wide hallways were seen as a modern safety feature.
The Independent thought that on opening night, “the rooms looked like the interior of some handsome palace.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Amorette Allison is Miles City’s preservation officer. Many of her columns are featured in her books, “The Way We Were,” volumes 1 through 4, which are available at Star Office Supply and other local retailers. The Miles City Historic Preservation Office is located at 907B Main Street, next to Montana Theater. It can be reached by phone at 234-3090 or by e-mail at preserve@milescity.org.

Tuesday, July 1

Rotary donates funds to city
By Joseph Boushee
The Rotary Club of Miles City has donated one-third of the proceeds earned during the Rubber Ducky Roundup to the City of Miles City to go toward resurfacing the Froggy Pond in Wibaux Park.
The presentation of an oversized check representing the amount of $5,639 took place at last Tuesday’s meeting of the Miles City Council, with about one-third of local Rotary Club members in attendance.
The Rubber Ducky Roundup took place in June at the Natural Oasis swimming area. It was originally planned to take place on the Tongue River but was moved due to high water and a swift current on the river.
The public could “adopt” a duck for a small fee. The adopted ducks were placed in the water and raced down the pool with the help of running jet skis that churned the water. The first three ducks to cross the finish line earned a cash prize for the adoptee, with $2,000 the grand prize. Several other donated prizes were awarded to duck holders, and sponsors also competed for prizes.
The inaugural event generated $16,000, and saw good attendance and weather.
“What we wanted to do was use that money towards restrooms (in Riverside Park) but, realistically, we need CTEP grant money to make this happen,” said Rotarian Barrie Matthews at the meeting.
CTEP stands for Community Transportation Enhancement Program.
Several months ago, the city council voted to reopen and revisit a Master Plan for Riverside Park, Matthews recalled.
“We were excited as Rotarians to see that, and we have put forth the steadfast effort to raise funds.”
The city has since hired a grant writer and administrator, whom Matthews said will be vital to attaining CTEP funding for the restrooms project.
CTEP has been suggested as the primary source of funds for new restrooms, but there has been some question of whether funding will come through, given the nature of the project.
“Our overall goal as Rotarians is still new bathrooms at Riverside Park,” Matthews said, urging the city to continue to aggressively seek CTEP funds.
“Know that our efforts are behind you, as your efforts have been behind us,” said Mayor Joe Whalen.
The mayor praised the efforts of the local Rotary Club.
“Barrie, on behalf of the City of Miles City, the Rotary has set an excellent example as a civic group within our community,” Whalen said. “We’ll graciously accept this check, the money it represents and apply it to the resurfacing of the pool, which is slated for this summer in any event.”
Council President Mark Ahner commented, “This is what makes Miles City a special place to live, when we have people like Rotarians who are willing to donate this. You’ll see that there’s going to be quite a benefit as a result of this donation to the community.
“It’s really gratifying to see the community involvement and the volunteer efforts.”

Monday, June 13

MCC won't raise tuition, fees
By Joseph Boushee
Tuition and fees will not rise at Miles Community College next year.
That bit of news came from the June 23 meeting of the Miles Community College Board of Trustees, where board members held a first reading of the Fiscal Year 2009 budget.
The decision to keep the costs the same is so that MCC can remain competitive in the college market, trustees have said.
In other budget highlights, as reported by Dean of Administration Tad Torgerson, the budget is suited for a Full-Time-Eqivalent of 410 students, the same as was budgeted for the current year.
The total budget is about a 6 percent increase over the last, and total revenue is $4.7 million. State appropriations are up from last year about $163,000. Furthermore, about $1.1 million has been budgeted for tuition. Net tuitions are significantly higher than what was budgeted for the current year.
Total personnel services funding increased about 10 percent, or $305,000, over the current budget.
In the utilities fund, about $140,000 had been budgeted for the current year, but, due to mild winters, energy usage has been down. As a result, the utilities fund has a conservative estimate of $80,000.
Trustees said that, hopefully, the new boilers that are to be installed will lead to some savings on utlility costs, due to their greater efficiency, but any savings will be ultimately dependent upon utilities rates.
The Student Services budget is currently at 100 percent of what was budgeted because a new financial aid position was added that was not budgeted for earlier. However, spending is down in the Institutional Support program, helping to balance overall spending.
Trustees and other college officials have been working with Governor Brian Schweitzer’s budget office to prepare the college’s budget proposal before the next legislative session begins.
Trustees are hoping that promptness will pay.
“Whether that translates into increased funding later, who knows,” Torgerson said.
In old business, the board approved the 600 to 600.7 section of policy, which deals with personnel. The policy will now read that the president has the option to waive job requirements for other qualified applicants applying for a job at MCC.
In most cases, however, applicants who are hired need to become qualified within an agreed upon amount of time.
The MCC policy manual is being cleaned up to update it and match the language with other policy.
Over an extended period, the board has been working to remove all procedural items from policy. MCC officials are planning on creating a separate procedures manual. The revision process is expected to take several more months.
In other business concerning policy, Chapter 200 of the code of ethics policy needs revised. President Stefani Hicswa asked board members to implement that part of policy after it is reviewed.
Further:
— The board went into executive session regarding the president’s contract and evaluation.
— In a Student Sevices report from Dean Darren Pitcher, applications and FTE are higher than they were at this time last year, Pitcher said.
— In an Academic Affairs report from Dean of Academics Shelly Weight, the Building Trades program has been placed on temporary moratorium. Weight plans on revising the curriculum as a one-year certificate, as opposed to an associate of applied science degree.
— In a finance committee report, MCC officials have met with the governor’s budget office personnel as part of MCC’s involvement in the state’s budget process as it readies for the legislative session.
— From the president’s report, Torgerson and Hicswa attended a post-secondary education policy and budget legislative subcommittee meeting on June 12. At the meeting, the Montana University System was presented with MCC’s budget proposal, the community college initiative and the Bitterroot Valley Community College proposal.
— On June 16 and 17, Hicswa served with 10 other community college presidents as a panelist for the Rural Policy Research Institute’s initiative on rural health care.

Stray vehicle damages ABC Glass
By Elaine Forman
An elderly man drove into the ABC Glass storefront on Main Street after his accelerator got stuck at about 9 a.m. Sunday morning, said ABC owner Brad Certain.
Certain said there was a possibility of a medical cause contributing to the crash.
The Miles City Police accident report was not available Monday morning, therefore the driver’s name was not released.
Certain said the man had turned onto Main Street from North Montana Avenue and hit the curb, where there were no cars parked, went through the exterior wall, and into Certain’s office.
If it had been 24 hours later, Certain said, he would have been sitting at his desk when it happened.
Certain said the driver hit straight on, into a weight-bearing wall that stopped the pick-up from going into Fred Wacker Insurance Agency office.
Wacker owns the building.
The impact moved the building one and a half inches and caused a lot of damage, Certain said.
No damage estimate was available Monday morning.
Certain said he didn’t know if the driver was insured.
“Obviously Fred and I are insured to the hilt,” Certain said. “That’s why we have insurance, is for accidents. I am not going after (the driver) for one red cent.”
Certain is amazed that no one was parked in front of the building where the driver went over the curb, and no one was walking by at that time to get to church services. The building is next to the First Presbyterian Church, and he said there are always cars parked and people walking in front of the building at that time.
The pickup and the building were damaged, but no bystanders were hurt, Certain said.
“Everything that got hurt is fixable,” he said.
According to Certain, the driver did not suffer any major injuries.
On Sunday 15 people came out to help clean up the mess for about six hours, including the Wackers, friends and employees. Certain said Monday morning his business was still cleaning up.
Miles City Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director John Laney drove by, saw the scene, and stopped to help Sunday.
“What a wonderful chamber director we have. ... He was an unbelievable amount of help, and he was not even asked,” Certain said, adding that he doesn’t remember a chamber director ever helping out in that way. “What a guy. It’s a terrible mess.”
On Monday sheets of particle board covered the storefront where the damage was caused.

Friday, June 27

Military airspace expansion explored
By Denise Hartse
Representatives of the United States Air Force were in Miles City on Wednesday conducting a scoping meeting to analyze potential effects of a proposed airspace expansion of the existing Powder River Complex into a Powder River Training Complex.
The meeting was held to explain the proposal and gather information for an Environmental Impact Statement.
According to a brochure distributed by the Air Force at the meeting, the training complex would “allow for more effective use of limited resources and finite flying hours by providing, locally, the realistic training needed by B-1 and B-52 aircrews flying from Ellsworth and Minot AFBs (Air Force Bases).
Options that are being analyzed could:
n Restructure and reconfigure PRC Military Operations Areas and associated Air Traffic Control Assigned Airspace and add new airspace with a floor of 500 feet above ground level.
n Increase aircraft training in this new and modified airspace.
n Support more ground-based simulated threat emitters under the MOAs.
n Authorize the use of training chaff and flares throughout the airspace.
n Permit supersonic flight above 10,000 feet AGL (above ground level).
According to George Stone, Ellsworth Air Force Base airspace manager, chaff is emitted by an aircraft to confuse enemy radar by producing two images on the screen, when in fact there is only one airplane.
He explained that during the training sessions, chaff cartridges and flare cartridges loaded in airplanes would be used. The chaff fibers disperse in the air, based on altitude and wind, settle to earth and break down into naturally occurring materials such as silica, aluminum, and other minute trace elements. The aluminum-coated wrapping, small plastic pieces and felt spacers also fall to the ground. Flares would be emitted by planes flying at about 2,000 feet AGL, and more than 99 percent of them burn out within 500 feet, leaving an extremely small chance of fire. If a fire did start because of a flare, staff at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota and local agencies would respond.
The Powder River Training Complex is a proposal to enhance training realism for the 28 Bomb Wing and 5th BW in local airspace. This initiative would provide an environment for training that has properly configured airspace in which pilots will be able to practice rapid response to simulated threats.
Stone said that now, if more than one plane and crew trains in the existing Powder River Complex, the planes and crews must fly an hour or more away to sites in Nevada, Utah, southern Idaho or Kansas, greatly limiting training time.
According to Linda DeVine, EIS project manager from Langley AFB in Virginia, the scoping meetings like the one in Miles City are being held at 14 other sites in Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming and North Dakota. During the meetings, attendees may view a video presentation, visit information booths, discuss the proposal with Air Force personnel and submit written comments.
DeVine said the entire EIS process could take up to two years to complete. The scoping meetings are being held following a Notice of Intent that was published in the federal register and are the second step in the process. The final scoping meeting will be in Elgin, N.D., on Thursday, July 10, and public comments will be taken in written form until Monday, Aug. 4.
After that, DeVine said, a draft EIS will be prepared and notice of its availability will be given. There will be a 60-day comment period with formal public hearings when the public may again make comments. A final EIS will then be prepared and notice of its availability will be given. There will be a 30-day waiting period, and the EIS will be sent to the Air Force for signing a Record of Decision. After that, the EIS will be sent to the Federal Aviation Administration to sign the Record of Decision.
“This is not a quick process,” said DeVine.
Additional information about the Powder River Training Complex EIS is available from the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth AFB, Public Affairs, phone 1-605-385-5056 or the Web site at: www.accplanning.org. Written comments may be sent by Aug. 4 to: Linda DeVine, EIS Project Manager, HQ ACC/A7PP, 129 Andrews St., Room 317, Langley AFB, VA 23665-2769.

County to begin fencing old Pine Hills land
By Joseph Boushee
The first phase of a fencing project to eventually encompass just over 17 acres of county land, formerly the old Pine Hills School campus, is set to begin sometime this summer, Custer County Commissioners said earlier in June.
The Pine Hills land was formerly owned by the Montana Department of Corrections (DOC), but after two bidding attempts failed to produce serious bids, the land was deeded to the county in a land transfer deal in January.
The first section of fence to be built this summer will begin at Haynes Avenue and stretch to the edge of the old Pine Hills administration building — an estimated length of 100 yards, according to Commission Chairman Jack Nesbit.
The fence, which is not meant for security, will be 10 feet high and made of chain link. The Department of Corrections required the county to build the fence as a stipulation to owning the land, but did not specify what kind of material needed to be used to build it.
The land can only be developed by city, county, state, federal or non-profit agencies.
The commissioners estimated the cost at the first phase at about $2,000.
The project will be done by the county maintenance crew, Commissioner Gary Matthews said.

Thursday, June 26

Veteran Stoltz presented with French Legion of Honor medal
By Joseph Boushee
In remembrance and thanks for his service, bravery and sacrifice as a turret gunner and backup pilot in WWII, SSgt Frank Stoltz of Miles City was awarded France’s highest honor Wednesday for his acclaimed military record in that country.
Stoltz, 84, was presented the National Order of the Legion of Honor at a packed Veterans of Foreign Wars hall Wednesday in Miles City, where family, friends, members of veterans organizations, the mayor, the governor and the Consul General of France gathered to celebrate.
“It was France that helped us through some very dark times,” said retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Johnson, who was master of ceremonies.
Johnson drove to Miles City from the town of Garryowen, where earlier in the day he attended a ceremony for Joe Medicine Crow, who received the same honor.
In recognition of the 60th anniversary of the landing of Allied Forces at Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, about 100 Legion of Honor medals are being awarded every year to American WWII veterans with distinguished records of service in France. They are given to foreign nationals and citizens.
“This has been a long tradition of mutual assistance,” Johnson said. “One of the most important gifts that France has given to us is the Statue of Liberty.”
France and America have enjoyed a lasting alliance throughout history, beginning with the American Revolution, when France gave supplies, weaponry and sent troops. During the Napoleonic wars, America, declaring neutrality, was able to provide supplies for France.”
Representing France during the ceremony was Pierre-Francois Mourier, Consul General of France, based in San Francisco.
The European country continued to stand by America throughout WW I and WW II, and the alliance continues today.
“My soldiers are fighting right now in Afghanistan with yours,” Mourier said.
Mayor Joe Whalen also spoke to the lasting partnership between France and America.
“Your being here means a great deal, not only to Mr. Stoltz and his family, but this community,” Whalen said to Mourier. “Were it not for the French, we would not be here today. We have had a long-standing friendly alliance with this country.”
Gov. Brian Schweitzer noted that, at the onset of WW II, after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, “there was no one left to stand up to the tyrants in Europe and Asia — only the Greatest Generation. One of the greatest not only survived, but he prospered and lived.”
Stoltz served with the 44th Bomb Group, 506th Bomb Squadron attached to the 8th Air Force. In April, 1943 he had completed flight training and aerial gunner school. In May, 1944, he began missions in England over France and Germany aboard a B-24 Liberator Bomber.
On June 21, 1944, Stoltz’s plane was shot down.
“Well, Frank, we did a little math,” Schweitzer said. “And we think you were shot down 64 years ago, and four days.”
Stoltz was captured and spent time in a Prisoner of War camp northwest of Auschwitz, until the Russian army overran the camp in early 1945.
The prisoners were forcibly marched for over 80 days across Germany and Poland in what was called the Black March, because many of the prisoners’ limbs turned black from the cold and frostbite.
Several days after the war ended on May 8, 1945, Stoltz’s group reached safety on American Lines.
His significant decorations include the Purple Heart, Air Medal and the Prisoner of War Medal.
“We will never forget your sacrifice. God Bless you, Frank Stoltz,” Schweitzer said.
Stoltz shared some words after receiving the medal, thanking everyone there and accepting the award on behalf of fallen comrades.
“I’m very much touched to receive this medal,” Stoltz said. He began to talk about his fellow soldiers, but trailed off when emotion overcame him.
Stoltz thanked the VFW for its volunteer work. He also recognized his family members, who were in attendance.
Before leaving the podium, he said, “God bless America and Viva la France.”
Stoltz opened Frank’s Body Shop in 1955, retiring from active involvement in 2002. That year, he was inducted into the Montana Tow Truck Association Hall of Fame, and remains active in state and local POW organizations and the Montana Pilots Association.
Frank and his wife, Patricia, have been married for 60 years. They have five children — Melissa, Deborah, Tim, Dan and Patrick.

Wednesday, June 25

Citizens feel left out on fire charges
By John Halbert
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third story in a series on changes in the county’s fire services. Today’s story deals with public reaction and budgeting issues.
Lack of openness
Opponents of the county’s move to cut ties with Miles City Fire & Rescue for wildland fire protection and form a new county fire department – among other changes – charge that the commissioners have not been candid with their landowning constituents, despite pleas for them to do so.
“We got wind that they were going to change things last summer,” McNamee said. “We visited with them, and were promised that they were not going to change the way they fight fire.”
“We were told a year ago nothing would change except that Jim Zabrocki would be writing the grants,” Donnelly said. “Now everything has changed.”
At a meeting at the SH school, Donnelly said it was suggested that an auxiliary board attend negotiations between the city and county, to be able to report what went on to their neighbors. He said Nesbit and Commissioner Milo Huber agreed.
Donnelly, following up two weeks later, was told the Miles City Fire Department did not like that idea. Calling friends among the city firefighters, he was told that observers would be fine.
After that, several meetings were set and postponed. In the meantime, Donnelly said five of the nine ranchers who had hosted outlying grassfire rigs decided not to host them anymore due to the changes.
According to Donnelly, in a heated phone conversation Nesbit accused him of persuading those people to turn in their rigs. The rancher replied that he was only the go-between, a reporter. “I was doing the commissioners’ job for them,” he said.
Donnelly expressed the opinion, “If the commissioners worked as hard at trying to correct problems with Miles City Fire as they have on destroying it, this system would be perfected. We had a good, effective system.”
Both McNamee and Donnelly said that after the commissioners told them they were in negotiations with the Miles City Fire Department, people in the department said they knew nothing of it.
Procedural difficulties
Another burr under the opponents’ saddle is a vote to cover the county volunteers with workers compensation insurance rather than firefighters’ medical insurance. They said they were told at a Jan. 31 meeting at SH school that Commissioner Gary Matthews, a board member of Victory Insurance, seconded the motion to award Victory the no-bid work comp contract, voting where the law said he should abstain.
For Matthews’ part, he has since called the vote an administrative procedure rather than a legislative action. Matthews also said that the commissioners’ reforms have brought Custer County into line with the other Montana counties and the law.
“The way we were doing business in the past hadn’t met the statute for counties,” Matthews said. He said he’d asked a Department of Natural Resources and Conservation official in the agency’s County Co-op Program how other counties organized their wildfire response. “‘The response is the same in the other 55 counties,’ he told me. ‘First response by a municipal fire department was only Custer County.’”
The new system’s opponents said the commissioners have been lax about prior notifications of meetings where these important decisions are made — or deliberately evasive, such as scheduling one such meeting at 10 a.m. Dec. 27, when most ranchers are feeding cows and holiday activities abound.
“It’s not sound reasoning; it’s alibis — that’s all it is,” Donnelly said. “They hold meetings only to appease, because they haven’t changed anything.”
McNamee noted a common problem with volunteers — demands of job and home intruding on their fighting long-burning fires, or multiple fires in short periods of time.
“How long before nobody can make it?” he asked, referring to the mostly volunteer roster. “There’s nobody to roll on a fire. Before, there was always somebody to roll on a fire.
“This is all stuff they (the commissioners) would know if they’d come and asked us. And we asked them to rescind this so we could talk about it, and they absolutely will not.”
Budget issues
While Mike Preller, chief of the rural volunteer fire company, is employed as a safety inspector by the state and receives no fire duty pay, Bud Peterson is now a full-time county employee with the title of wildland fire coordinator (up from part-time reserve deputy and bailiff), earning $18.73 per hour. That expense also concerns critics of the new organization, as did filling the position without open advertisement for it.
The dissenting landowners, in addition to fearing that their fire protection will be reduced, are irritated at what they perceive as unnecessary high costs and a shorting of other services, such as road maintenance. Rancher Scot Robinson said it is rumored that spending on fire services and other costs will short the Road Department by $150,000 in Payment In Lieu of Tax money next budget year.
“This is turning into a whirlwind money-spending spree,” Robinson said.
“I was in office 16 years, and we had none of that,” former commissioner Duane Mathison said, adding that the average cost for the city’s fire services was $60,000 per year.
Donnelly said that on average, the past three years have seen the county’s cost for the city’s firefighting contract at “just over $70,000 and change — which is what the contract called for.”
He estimated that Custer County is now spending about $160,000 on fire suppression. “They’re still spending $70,000 on the Custer County Rural Volunteer Fire Company for structural protection,” he said. “They’re spending close to $50,000 on Bud Peterson if you factor in benefits. They have a $40,000 budget for maintenance and fuel for the new Custer County Fire Department.”
“There’s no logic to what they’ve done — or the way they’ve defended it,” McNamee said. “We don’t know how much they’re spending on getting those buildings at Pine Hills ready.”
Need for new EOC
There McNamee touched on a point that generates some confusion — what is being spent for what on the northern part of the Pine Hills School campus, recently ceded to the county by the state. The Custer County Fire Department has its headquarters in a Quonset building there — but there are other plans, not necessarily fire related. The recent large-scale disaster drill confirmed that the emergency operating center under the Courthouse Annex and jail — a 1970s nuclear bomb shelter — is badly outdated.
“The current EOC is too small, it’s buried (prone to flooding), and it needs computers,” Zabrocki said. “We’re definitely going to get a better EOC that will serve both the city and the county.”
Sundance Lodge, formerly the reformatory’s medium security residence, has an abundance of space that could be multipurpose, and work has started on converting it, he said. However, between the needs of setting up the fire department’s Quonset and keeping the rigs sufficiently warm to allow them to operate, and the demands of Sundance, costs have risen.
Because there are currently no utilities, propane, an oil derivative, was needed to heat the garage and workspace. “You don’t want to buy propane these days,” Zabrocki commented. He added that the original cell phone plans to serve the site were unnecessarily deluxe — something he said has been corrected.
Both men say that spending at Pine Hills is now under control.
“Jim and I have been talking, trying to develop a strategy of attack. There’s only so much money. Grants are going to be key,” Nesbit said, noting just the preliminary needs to bring in water, sewer and power. “Once we get services, then we can look at the inside of buildings.
“We’re working on a plan. We can’t just start tearing into something without a sense of direction — and we’re all aware of that.”
Edging toward compromise
“We know that information and the lack of accurate information was a major friction,” Nesbit said of earlier negotiations with the city. “Personalities may sometimes get into it.
“We would hope we could get by some of that stuff; we are making good progress,” he said of continuing talks on the interlocal agreement. He noted that use of the jail and the city’s participation in the county health department are still issues. “We want to have it in place by July 1 — get it behind us and go on to other business.”
Dissatisfaction remains
Donnelly said June 11 that all his concerns from April remain, plus a few new ones. He said his brother had received a copy of wildland fire policies and procedures that contained some worrisome points of liability. Included in that is an instruction to reduce forces and get off a fire as soon as possible, leaving enough force — or a capable landowner — to make sure the fire does not escape containment.
The policy advises landowners to check their fires “once or twice a day until they are comfortable with what they see,” and urges that they be taught how to distinguish smoke from blowing ash. However, the policy acknowledges situations where an accidental fire may be continued for the benefit of the landowner, and suggests getting a signed burn permit to make that legal.
It also notes that the county can charge for suppression of controlled burning that gets out of hand.
The policies contain a landowner release form, which when filled out makes the landowner fully responsible for the fire, and relieves the Custer County Fire Department of any further responsibility.
“That’s not according to Montana law,” Donnelly said, which he believes makes a county responsible for any fires inside it.

Women pilots race cross country
By Steve Allison

Thirty three teams with two women pilots per plane took off from Bozeman Tuesday morning headed for Mansfield, Mass., beginning the 32nd Air Race Classic.
Miles City was the first of seven checkpoints the planes have to fly over during the four days of this annual race. Each plane is given a handicap depending on its horsepower and maximum air speed, giving each flight team a chance of winning the first-place prize.
The planes can stop or fly over the check points depending on fuel needs and personal desires. If the plane stops at a checkpoint, the time on the ground is subtracted from the time it takes to reach the finish line. The route for the race changes every year, with the distance being approximately 2,400 miles. This year is the fourth year the race has passed through Montana, and the second time through Miles City.
When 20 lady pilots took off from Santa Monica, Calif., headed for Cleveland, Ohio in 1929 for the First Women’s Air Derby, the history of women’s plane racing began. The derby continued until World War II. After the War, the derby was replaced by the All Women’s Transcontinental Air Race. This race fueled the racing spirit in women pilots until it was replaced by the Air Race Classic in 1979.
This year 33 teams of two women pilots took off from Bozeman Tuesday at one-minute intervals. Eleven of the planes made it to the third checkpoint in Mason, Iowa to spend the night there, 21 to Aberdeen, S,D., and one stayed here in Miles City. The teams have through Friday to make it to Mansfield, Mass., to have their times considered for prize contention. Saturday will be spent calculating the handicap results, giving straggling planes a chance to make it to the Sunday awards banquet.
Even though a winner is crowned, just finishing the race is a big achievement for these pilots as they keep women’s aviation flying full throttle ahead into the future.

Interlocal Agreement adopted
By Joseph Boushee
The Miles City Council Tuesday night adopted a resolution approving an Interlocal Agreement with Custer County for the provision of services.
In their courthouse office on Tuesday morning, the commissioners adopted a resolution in support of the agreement and all three commissioners — Chairman Jack Nesbit, Gary Matthews and Milo Huber signed the agreement.
The city followed suit Tuesday night. Voting in the affirmative were councilpersons Ahner, Doug Leidholt, Leif Ronning, John Uden Jerry Partridge, Tony Ackerman and Bill Melnik. Voting against was Leroy Meidinger.
Council President Mark Ahner said Wednesday that it was the first time in his five years that an Interlocal Agreement has been reached before the Fiscal Year is done. The Fiscal Year ends June 30.
“...There’s been a lot of effort and a lot of meetings that have taken place to try and ... reach an agreement with the county commissioners on these various issues,” Ahner said at Tuesday’s meeting. “There’s been compromise on both sides, and we actually came up with, I think, a reasonable agreement. Some may disagree with me, but I think it’s a good agreement.”
“It will be nice to spend a year in agreement as opposed to disagreement with our fellow agency,” said Mayor Joe Whalen.
Most notably, the county will continue to contract with the city for ambulance services for the next three years, beginning July 1.
Other details of the Interlocal Agreement will be included in a later edition.
Other goods and services were also finalized between the city and county Tuesday night.

Tuesday, June 24

No current plan to use county ambulance
By John Halbert
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is the second in a series that explores the changes in county fire services and details city-county interlocal negotiations. Today’s story picks up with the county’s purchase of an ambulance.
White elephant
Since early fall of 2007, the Custer County Commissioners had been negotiating with Roger Hespe’s private ambulance service in Newcastle, Wyo. Later, a deal to acquire a county ambulance was struck with Hespe, and in February 2008 the county paid for a newly equipped 1999 ambulance at a total cost of $45,875 — just under the $50,000 level that requires competitive bids.
“The vehicle was way less than $50,000,” Nesbit added. “We had him buy equipment for us, too.”
“It started with Resolution 3194,” he said of the reason for the commissioners’ swift commitment to buy an ambulance. “That threatened the health and safety of people outside the city.”
Even though talks on extending the city’s ambulance service contract seemed promising in January, he said, “We were committed when we had that guy buy it for us.”
In late April, Miles City and Custer County agreed to a three-year contract for the city to provide ambulance services in the rest of the county. The county’s new ambulance sits unused, covered with a tarp, in the back of the Custer County Fire Department’s garage on the county’s portion of the Pine Hills School grounds.
“I know it’s a sore spot with people, and we’re not happy about it either,” Nesbit said. “Some people still believe we’re trying to replace the city ambulance service, and we’re not.” He noted that the pact contains a clause that if a private service is explored, city and county officials will explore it together.
County officials are weighing options for the vehicle, which include selling off the internal medical equipment and using the vehicle as an emergency radio relay station during emergencies and searches. There has been talk of selling it to the city, but fire department officials have indicated they aren’t interested in a high-mileage vehicle.
New structural
fire protection
Another change in county services occurred Dec. 5, when commissioners contracted for structural fire protection with the Custer County Rural Volunteer Fire Company, a non-profit corporation that had been handling structural fires outside city limits on a private contract basis.
In return for up to $70,000 per year for operations, maintenance and administration, the Rural Volunteer Fire Company is to provide a countywide response to structural fires and limited wildland fires, according to a cooperative fire management plan.
Mike Preller, CCRVFC fire chief, was named as county fire warden, replacing the Mile City fire chief. Bud Peterson was named as assistant fire warden, and several other volunteer firefighters were named as hierarchical assistants under him.
Opponents of the changes stressed that they have nothing against the Rural Volunteer Fire Company. “We’re volunteers ourselves,” said county resident Tim Donnelly.
But former county commissioner Duane Mathison questioned the logic of county support for structural firefighting, a task normally left to the contract-supported Rural Volunteer Fire Company.
“I don’t know why they went this route,” Mathison said. “I don’t know why they went into structural fires.”
New wildland
fire protection
In January, the commissioners created the Custer County Fire Department to fight wildland fires in the county, effectively replacing the city contract.
Preller explained the division of duties for the Custer County Fire Department, based out of the Pine Hills campus. Because his experience is mostly structural fires, and Bud Peterson’s is in wildfire, Preller is handling the paperwork that goes with operating a fire department and fire company, and handling the company’s structural fire situations, while Peterson is handling the wildfire fighting operations of the Custer County Fire Department.
He added that there has lately been some overlap of Rural Volunteer Fire Company volunteers also joining the Custer County Fire Department. There are about 19 CCRVFC volunteers, and a mid-May list of Custer County Fire Department volunteers contains 49 names.
Since January, the new Custer County Fire Department has responded to at least 20 fires, Peterson said.
“They do a very good job; we have some seasoned firefighters out there,” Nesbit said. “As time goes on, they’re going to find that this works very well, and it’s less expensive.
“I know some people are still unsatisfied,” Nesbit said, adding, “I’ve had a lot of people call me, too, and say we’re going to make it work.”
Tougher tests ahead
But Tim Donnelly, a rancher and volunteer firefighter, said recently that the new system is still unproven.
“They’ve only dealt with 50 percent humidity, low temperatures and 15 mile-an-hour winds,” Donnelly said. “They haven’t seen a real wildfire, with 30 percent humidity, high temperatures and 30 mile-an-hour winds.”
He also expressed reservations about Peterson’s leadership abilities, despite the coordinator’s experience as a division superintendent on a Forest Service Northern Rockies Level 1 Team from 1999 to 2008.
Donnelly recalled a fire that revived on Peterson’s ranch while “he was having fun at Fort Peck when his fire got away and burned out the Murrays.”
Another foe of the changes, Jack McNamee, who ranches south of Miles City, praised the leadership of the Miles City Fire Department’s wildland crews, who attack a fire aggressively rather than let many acres or sections of needed forage burn.
“What we had — they were envious of how Miles City Fire put out fires. Other kinds of crews managed fires — people were livid. Now we’re going to have a system like all the others — at best,” McNamee said.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Tomorrow’s story will explore procedural and budget issues with the Custer County Fire Department.

Stoltz to receive highest French award
For the Star
Montana World War II Veteran SSgt Frank Stoltz of Miles City has been approved by the Government of France for the award of the National Order of the Legion of Honor. The award is the highest honor that France bestows on its citizens and foreign nationals.
In recognition of the 60th anniversary of the landing of the Allied Forces at Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, approximately 100 Legion of Honor medals are being awarded every year to American World War II veterans with very distinguished records in France.
The presentation ceremony will start at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars James T. Flinn Post No. 1579 Hall, 119 W. Sixth St.
Opening remarks will be by Master of Ceremonies Lt. Col. Robert Johnson, USAF (Ret). Dan Paul, Commander of VFW Post 1579 and Miles City Mayor Joe Whalen will give the welcome. The VFW Post 1579 Color Guard will post the colors. Sandy Speelmon of VFW Post 1579 will give the invocation and Paul will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Teresa Laakso will sing the “National Anthem.” Consul General of France in San Francisco, Pierre-Francois Mourier, will present the Legion of Honor. Stoltz will give some reflections and Johnson will give the closing and acknowledgements. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer also is expected to attend the presentation.
Refreshments will be served at the VFW Hall following the ceremony.
Stoltz, 84, served during World War II with the 44th Bomb Group, 506th Bomb Squadron attached to the 8th Air Force. Following U.S. Army Air Corps induction in April 1943 he completed Flight Training at Lowry Field, Colo.; Davis-Monthan Field, Ariz.; and Tyndall Field, Fla., followed by Aerial Gunner School.
He was deployed to England in May 1944, where his assignment was a turret gunner and back up pilot on a B-24 Liberator bomber. His duties also included the dangerous task of arming bombs once the aircraft reached enemy territory. His aircraft bombed enemy targets in France, in support of the Normandy invasion, and in Germany.
On June 21, 1944, during his 12th bombing mission, his plane was shot down over Germany. Stoltz bailed out, but suffered several broken ribs when he got caught in the slipstream of his parachute. He was immediately captured near Wetzler, Germany, and transferred to a new Prisoner of War (POW) camp northwest of Auschwitz, Poland, housing approximately 10,000 mostly American Army Air Force prisoners.
In late January 1945, the Russian Army overran the Auschwitz area and began bombing the POW camp in early February. The prisoners were then broken up into smaller groups and forcibly marched across Poland and Germany for more than 80 days in what was called the Black March because the bitter cold caused limbs to turn black from frostbite.
The prisoners took shelter wherever they could at night, often sleeping in the open and huddled together for warmth. In early May 1945 his POW group marched up to Allied lined but were fired upon by British soldiers who though they were enemy. It was not until several days after the war ended on May 8, 1945, that his group reached safety at American lines.
In June of 1945 he was shipped back to Santa Monica, Calif., on a hospital ship and spent several month recuperating.
Stoltz’s significant decorations include the Purple Heart, Air Medal, and the Prisoner of War Medal. He was discharged at the Sioux Falls Army Air Force Separation Center in South Dakota in October 1945.
Stoltz was born in Solen, N.D., in February 1924. He grew up on a farm and never made it past sixth grade, but later earned a GED during the early days of World War II.
As a teenager he left the family farm, went to welding school and landed a job at a Seattle shipyard before being drafted into the Air Corps. In 1946, after the war, Stoltz went to work as an apprentice in auto-body work.
In 1955, he opened Frank’s Body Shop in Miles City and retired from active involvement in 2002. Stoltz also is active in state and local POW organizations and in the Montana Pilots Association.
In 2002 he was inducted into the Montana Tow Truck Association Hall of Fame. He maintains a current pilot’s license and flies his own Bellanca airplane around the state, often to attend business meetings.
He and his wife, Patricia, have been married for 60 years and have five children: Dan, Debra, Melissa, Patrick and Tim.

Caledonians celebrate 100th anniversary
For the Star
The Miles City Caledonian Society is having its 100th Celebration in Miles City this weekend.
The event, which starts Friday and continues through Sunday, includes special concert guests, highland games, dancing performances and more at the Centra and grounds on the Miles Community College campus.
The society is bringing special guests to Miles City for the celebration, vocalist Isla St. Clair from Scotland and the Celtic rock band Highland Reign from Indiana.
The Miles City Caledonian Society is a nonprofit organization celebrating Celtic heritage, dance and music in Montana since 1908. This year the organization is observing 100 years of this tradition in eastern Montana. The Summer Celebration is open to the public.
The schedule of events for the Summer Celebration weekend is:
Friday, June 27
Registration, social gathering, dinner and music at the Miles Community College Centra and grounds:
6 p.m. — Registration begins
7 p.m. — Dinner
8 p.m. — Concert with Isla St. Clair and Highland Reign
Saturday, June 28
8:30-10:30 a.m. — Golf tournament tee times
10 a.m.-noon — Ghost Tour of Miles City starting at the First Presbyterian Church, 1401 Main St.
All day — Luncheon concessions available at MCC Centra grounds
2 p.m. — Highland Games for adults and children, MCC Centra grounds
6 p.m. — Highland Ceilidh (little party), MCC Centra
Miles City Highland Dancers, pipe band and guests, Highland Reign and Isla St. Clair. All former Highland Dancers and pipe band members are encouraged to participate.
Sunday, June 29
9:30 a.m. — Isla St. Clair will perform at the First Presbyterian Church service
9:30 a.m.-noon — Brunch cooked by the Caledonian men at the Range Riders Museum
Weekend passes are available for purchase, along with special hotel and RV park discounts. For tickets or more information about the Summer Celebration Event visit the Caledonian Web site: http://McCaledonians.blogspot.com.

Monday, June 23

County's fire services undergo big changes
By John Halbert
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is the first in a series that will outline events leading to the formation of the county’s new fire department, city-county interlocal negotiations, public reaction and ongoing concerns. Today’s story
Over the past eight months, arrangements for fire protection and ambulance service beyond Miles City’s limits have been roiled and rearranged. During the process, feelings have run high, factions have formed, and friendships have fractured.
Custer County’s new arrangements for fighting fires are more complex than when it relied almost entirely on Miles City’s fire department - an arrangement that lasted almost three decades.
That reliance on city personnel no longer exists — for fires. After much controversy and negotiation, city and county officials have signed a three-year agreement for the city to continue to provide ambulance service outside the city limits. But the county didn’t renew its contract with the city for fire protection, opting instead to form the Custer County Fire Department.
Some landowners — including at least two former Custer County commissioners — fearing their wildfire protection will be impaired, prefer the way things used to be, and would like to return to the city-operated arrangement. Thirty-six signed an April 29 letter to Gov. Brian Schweitzer outlining their take on the issues.
“Most of us have been getting fire training through the Miles City Fire Department for years,” said Tim Donnelly, a landowner who emphatically wants to go back to the old system, in mid-April.
On the other hand, the volunteer list for the new Custer County Fire Department has nearly topped 50, many of them also rural people.
Evolution of cooperation
The way things used to work started nearly 30 years ago, when then-Miles City Fire Chief Bob Lynam offered to help the county commissioners secure a surplus truck and some money to help convert it to a wildfire-fighting grass rig, if the commissioners could pitch in a little money as well.
Conversion, winter storage and upkeep would be handled by the Miles City Fire Department. Training would also be offered to the ranchers who volunteered to host the rig during fire season, and others.
Lynam was named Custer County fire warden, to go along with his city position as chief. Things evolved from there, with more vehicles and more volunteers. As time went on, a system was created under which the closest volunteer truck (and a host of neighbors) would respond to a wildfire, to be joined by a Miles City Fire Department crew on a grass rig — and sometimes a bigger vehicle — coming from town.
Many local people appreciated having professional expertise on hand. They also appreciated that most of the firefighters were trained emergency medical technicians, so high-quality first aid was readily available.
Custer County’s wildfire program became an extension of the Miles City Fire Department’s program, with the city’s top officers doubling as the county’s officers. A succession of Custer County commissioners were content to leave administration in their hands.

Interlocal disagreements
Of course, the city’s services did not come for free. Financial details were worked out in a series of interlocal agreements for the exchange of services. Those agreements usually revolved around the cost of one or more “average” firefighter’s salary and benefits, plus direct costs such as fuel, parts and equipment.
Similar arrangements enabled the city ambulance to serve county residents beyond the city limits.
For many years, the county had trade-offs to offer, such as administering Central Dispatch under the sheriff and offering the county jail for city prisoners. Various changes eroded those offerings, until it seemed to recent commissioners that they no longer had much bargaining power.
There were also questions about how direct costs were billed from the fire department to the county, and whether there was adequate documentation supporting some purchases.
Negotiations between city and county officials over a new interlocal agreement had dragged since 2005, with a stopgap renewal that later expired as well. But the issue came to a head late last year, with the county taking a stand and the city taking steps to discontinue services if an agreement couldn’t be reached.
“We decided it was important for us to manage the budget and have some control over spending,” recalled Commission Chairman Jack Nesbit in mid-May of 2008. “There was very little oversight on the bookkeeping aspect.”
“We still didn’t get accurate inventories after two years,” added Sanitarian/Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator Jim Zabrocki.
Commissioner Nesbit acknowledged the challenges in interlocal negotiations, but he played down past differences. “We don’t want this to be an ugly thing,” he said. “We’re still trying to contract with these people.”
Stiffly worded letters
Last summer, as concerns about financial accountability grew, the commissioners appointed Zabrocki as “fire administrator.” They also drew up a new policy that demanded pre-approvals by the fire administrator, the commissioners or both on purchases above $200 (with an emergency clause), control of Custer County Fire Grants, and a list of details to be included on invoices and inventories, among other requirements.
In a July 10 reply to the new policies, Mayor Joe Whalen wrote that they had “unilaterally imposed a number of new obligations” on the city, and that “it has not agreed to the policies and procedures implemented by the county on July 3, 2007, and any new obligations undertaken by the city will have to be negotiated and appropriate compensation provided.”
The addition of the fire accountability work coincided roughly with the long-service sanitarian getting a pay raise from $18.06 to $19.68. That drew opponents’ ire as one of many added costs, though Zabrocki insists it was just a timely raise, and his pay is not so carefully portioned among his various duties. Zabrocki’s title was recently changed to “fire budget analyst.”
There was also concern that the new position was filled without advertising openly for candidates.
resolution or ultimatum?
In December, the Miles City Council passed Resolution 3194, which allowed the mayor to terminate the services the city provided to Custer County under the expired interlocal agreement — providing 30 days notice for emergency services.
According to Whalen during a December meeting with the commissioners, the intent of that resolution was to bring the commissioners back to the negotiating table.
However, according to the commissioners, Resolution 3194 was an unacceptable ultimatum. During a January town meeting on the divisions between the two governments, Nesbit said, “The Resolution 3194 was a very serious threat to the health and safety of the county residents outside the city limits. … We were determined to make sure this threat never surfaces again. We will not sit back and wait for the mayor to terminate dispatch or ambulance services if we do not pay his price.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Tomorrow’s story will explore the commissioners’ purchase of an ambulance, and formation of the Custer County Fire Department.