The students of Stevensville School are kicking off the Holiday Food Drive this week! Students from elementary to high school will be collecting food and hygiene items in their classes to be donated to Pantry Partners. The various grades and classes all have friendly competitions to see who can collect the most food.

Pantry Partners Food Bank is the primary source of nutritional help for struggling residents of our area. In the month of October alone, 580 residents were assisted with 183 food boxes. At Christmas, holiday dinners are given out to assist those in need. Many families will have few material gifts but their tables will be full, thanks to the generosity of those who support this effort. This Christmas, 350 holiday boxes will be filled and distributed to families in the valley.

Pantry Partners is run entirely by volunteer effort. Donations from the school children will stock not only holiday boxes but the shelves of their little building for months to come. The Pantry relies solely on donations of generous residents and businesses. Canned goods (no home-canned food), hygiene items, pet food and wild game are accepted. Game processing can be arranged by calling Natalie at 777-4476. Cash donations are always a huge blessing and are used to fill in the gaps with needed products.

If you would like to donate to the Holiday Food Drive, send your food to school with a student of any age or call Peggy Mullin, Student Council Advisor, at 239-5763 and students will be happy to pick it up.

Search on for Mrs. Stevensville

Sheree Channel, Executive State Director for the Mrs. Montana - America Pageant, states the pageant is seeking applicants for the title of Mrs. Stevensville. Once selected, the lucky lady will advance on to represent her community in the 2008 Mrs. Montana Pageant to be held on July 12 at the Metro Theatre in Billings. Local titleholders will compete to win a prize package valued at over $8000 including an all expense paid trip to the nationally televised Mrs. America Pageant. Applicants must be at least 18 years old (no age limit), married at the time of competition and a Montana resident, no performing talent required. Celebrating its 32nd year, the Mrs. America pageant is the only competition to recognize the one person who contributes so much to modern day life... America’s married woman. To request the official application or for information, call Sheree, Montana’s State Director, at 877-631-4447 or www.mrsmontanaamerica.com.

Strong finish for big game season

After a slow start to big game rifle season in west-central Montana, the season closed on Nov. 25 with harvest totals just above the five-year average for deer and elk.

At the beginning of the season's final week, elk harvest totals were 14 percent below the five-year average, but after a strong final week, season harvest totals tallied in at five percent above. A total of 937 elk passed through the three west-central Montana check stations this fall - down slightly from the 961 in 2006.

White-tailed deer harvest, which started the season nine percent below the five-year average, finished 15 percent above. Mule deer harvest was 26 percent behind the five-year average after week one, but picked up the pace to close at just two percent below.

Compared to the 2006 season, white-tailed deer harvest was down 20 percent, and mule deer harvest was down four percent.

Cold, snowy conditions predominated during the season's final week, a contrast to the mild weather hunters experienced during the first four weeks of the season.

"The snow sure made a lot of difference to hunters in the Bitterroot and Bighole, especially for elk harvest," said John Vore, Fish, Wildlife & Parks wildlife biologist responsible for the Darby station.

Nearly 300 elk passed through the Darby check station last week. The five-year average harvest reported at the station during the final week is 160 elk.

The three west-central Montana check stations reported a cumulative season total of 25,981 hunters that checked 937 elk, 489 mule deer, 1,171 white-tailed deer, two black bears, three moose, 12 bighorn sheep and one mountain goat for 10.1 percent of hunters with game.

The big game general rifle season closed Sunday, Nov. 25. In some hunting districts where elk populations are above the established management objectives, there is a two-week elk season extension. In west-central and northwest Montana, this extension is only for hunters with special licenses or permits in specific hunting districts. Hunters, including youth, holding only a general elk license may not hunt during the extended season in Region 2, and no special licenses or permits are available to purchase over the counter.

Hunters holding only a general elk license do have the opportunity to hunt elk in other parts of the state including parts of FWP Regions 3, 4 and 5. For a complete listing of hunting districts with extended seasons in other parts of the state, visit the FWP website, fwp.mt.gov.

Stevi town clerk awarded CPFA credential

Nancy Lowell, Stevensville Town Clerk/Treasurer, is one of 42 members of the Association of Public Treasurers of the United Sates and Canada who succesfully maintained their Certiifed Public Finance Administrator (CPFA) credential in 2006/2007. There are over 412 members of the Association who hold the CPFA designatiosn across the U.S. and Canada.

The CPFA program is a professional certification designed to recognize individuals who demonstrate a strong knowledge of the field of public finance. In order to earn the prestigious CPFA credential, recipients must achieve a high level of professional experience and education. The certification must be renewed every five years through continuous professional development.

Christmas Share Tree program kicks off

The Share Tree is an opportunity for the community to help each other at Christmas. In the spirit of giving, loving people give a new outfit to children from needy families. The children receiving gifts are 18 and under, still in school and living at home. During the months of November and December, needy families can apply at Pantry Partners to become a Share Tree recipient (616 Park Avenue, 777-0351, open Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.). Tags with children's sizes are then prepared and made available at area banks for people to select.

Using the tag as a guide, you shop for two clothing items. Usually the two items are a shirt and pants, but some children need specific items such as a winter coat or boots. Then you would choose another item to go with the item needed by the child. Bring your unwrapped gifts to Farmers State Bank, Ravalli County Bank, or Rocky Mountain Bank.

Share Tree tries to make sure that each child in a family receives an equal amount of gifts. If you want to buy more than two items, you might like to sponsor a whole family. Look for the same letter codes (i.e. AA1, AA2, AA3 are three children from one family). If you still want to contribute more, you can! Additional clothing items are given to those children who do not receive the same number of gifts as their siblings or for those children whose tags were not selected.

Volunteers are needed to help wrap gifts on Saturday, December 8, and Saturday, December 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jesus Community Church, 318 College Street in Stevensville at the activity center building in back.

Last year, 90 children out of the 360 received gifts because of additional donations. The children served by the Christmas Share Tree also receive new toys and stocking stuffers through Toys for Tots. Toys that are donated through Share Tree help even out gifts for siblings within a family. For more information call Acts of Kindness, Jim and Leah Duke, 777-1135, or e-mail at actsofkindness_stevi@yahoo.com.

Obituaries

Ralph Maki
1944-2007

Ralph Lawrence Maki, 63, of Hamilton, died from complications of a stroke Wednesday morning, November 21, at Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital.

Ralph was born July 10, 1944 at Marcus Daly, to the late Helen and Earl Maki.

He was raised on the family ranch near Corvallis, and was a graduate of Corvallis High School.

He married Nancy Lee Gates on September 28th, 1968 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Anaconda. Ralph’s beloved Nancy died in 2005.

The couple had two children, Michael and Michelle.

He graduated from Barber College in Pasco, Washington. He apprenticed with Pete Miller at the Main Barber Shop in Hamilton, and in 1969 bought the business from Pete.

He later moved to The Modern Barber Shop on North Second Street, and after that established “Ralph’s,” first at “The Sportsman,” then at his current location on Pennsylvania Avenue.

He spent more than 40 years in the barber trade in Hamilton.

He was born with a serious heart defect. His health was never great. But it never stopped him from attacking life head on.

Even though he had to peer through the steering wheel to see, “Ralphy” started driving a ton and a half farm truck when he was seven. He loved to farm.

He raised picture perfect 4-H fat stock steers. At the Ravalli County Fair he was the ultimate animal showman. Today, he remains an honorary member of the Stevensville FFA organization.

After high school, Ralph worked for various beet farmers in Corvallis. He worked for the Big Ditch.

From his early youth he was a crackerjack shovel irrigator. He was president of the C and C Ditch in Hamilton. He had been a member of Jaycees.

But most people will remember Ralph as “the barber.” It was in “The Shop,” where his natural talent for good conversation created the nucleus of a diverse, ever-evolving community. There, in a cabinet, he kept scores of pictures of his kids. He told his customers all about them. He was immensely proud. He was more than a good barber. He made everyone he encountered feel better. Men of all walks of life, of all economic status, of all political leaning, of all philosophy, entered his comfortable haven and walked out freshly combed and laughing. Ralph’s was the place to get news. “The New York Times” said so.

He’d leave a scrunched, hand scribbled sign… "Gone for Coffee, Back at 3." Customers would be lined up outside waiting for his return.

From “The Coffee Cup” to “B.J’s” and “The Edge,” to Main Street to points up and down the Valley, people are mourning and telling Ralph stories.

On the morning of his stroke he left early to cut hair for residents at the Discovery Care Center. He barbered eight guys that day. He returned to the shop, prepared to mop the floor, made a couple phone calls, and set a date for coffee. He didn’t show.

Ralph is survived by his children, Michael (Judy) Maki, Conner, Michelle Maki (Matthew) Shook, Hamilton; granddaughter Haley Maki, grandson Collin Shook, brothers Jack (Regina) of Dillon, Neil (Francie) and Kevin, all of Corvallis, many nephews and nieces, numerous cousins, and a million friends.

A wake service will be held at Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton, Wednesday, November 28, at 7 p.m.

Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Francis Catholic Church at 11 a.m. Thursday, November 29, with the Reverend Frank McCormick officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery. Ralph will be laid to rest next to Nancy. A reception will immediately follow at St. Francis Pastoral Life Center.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1599 Clifton Rd. NE, Atlanta GA 30329.

At the shop, the barber chair stands empty. The tools of the trade lay untouched. Pennsylvania Avenue feels lonely. Ralph’s is closed.

Sabine Emerald Grace Tison
2007

Sabine Emerald Grace Tison, 12 days old, died at her home in Hamilton on Wednesday, November 21, 2007.

She was born on November 9, 2007 at Community Medical Center in Missoula and was the daughter of Mark Andrew and Jina Susette (Martin) Tison.

Her grandfather Weyman Tison proceeded, as did her step-grandfather Jay Cox.

She is survived by her parents, Andy and Jina, and two brothers, Kole and Carver, all of Hamilton. Also surviving are her maternal grandparents, Jim and Judy Martin of Victor and paternal grandmother, Linda Cox of Tybee Island, Georgia; uncles and aunts Brig (Kathy) Tison of Vienna, Virginia, Ben and (Lauren) Tison of Dallas, TX, Jade (Jeanne) Martin of Portland, OR and Jami Martin (Marc) Medeiros of Port Orchard, WA; and eight cousins: Brig, Sloan, Sidney, Knox, Boone, Josh, Samatha, and Chiara.

Although Sabine's time on earth was brief, she inspired many giftings in family and friends around the world.

Funeral services for Sabine were held on Monday, November 26, at the Whitesitt Funeral Home in Stevensville. Burial followed at Riverview Cemetery in Hamilton.

Should friends desire, memorials may be given to Trisomy 18 Foundation, 4491 Cheshire Station Plaza, Suite 157, Dale City VA 22193.

Page One •	Valley News •	Op/Ed •	Sports •	Calendar •	Classifieds •	Links •	About Us •	Back Issues •	Email Us •	Home
©2006 Bitterroot Star This site was Done By Dooney