One of my pet projects has always been Victor School. I attended many board meetings and helped to pass the bond for the Brown-Clark building in 1996. So when the Victor Schools Foundation asked me to join, I was more than happy to become a member.

We began with hopes of creating an endowment fund and maybe raising enough money to allow extra field trips and award a few more scholarships to the students of Victor. We were content to have a bake sale or dinner or two, raise some money and also establish a means for people to bequeath money for special projects and still get a tax break as we are a 501(c)(3) organization. Although we work with and promote the school, we are a private organization.

Community involvement has been the cornerstone of the Victor School as it is with any school. Victor has also been blessed with some innovative and forward thinking people who have given time, energy and money to make Victor the unique school it is today. One such person is Lois Dobberstein who wrote a simple one-page letter to the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation in 2001. In the letter, Dobberstein, a member of the Victor Schools Foundation, detailed the physical state of the band room at Victor as well as the stage, multipurpose room that also doubled as the cafeteria, and the science room.

Imagine the surprise when, a few months later, the VSF received a letter from the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation stating we had been awarded $1 million to be used in building a new band room, auditorium, science room and science lab. To say we were shell-shocked would be an understatement. There was a catch, however. We had to raise $1 million to match the MSR grant.

As we scurried around like mice looking for crumbs, it soon became evident we were going to need some major help. Although the MSR Foundation generously gave us four years to raise the funds, even the thought of raising $250,000 in one year was overwhelming. Board members Kay Clevidence, Dobberstein, Doris Hewitt, and Bill and Barbara Jean Stephani worked through idea after idea to come up with the cash. Each step was a learning process for us.

After taking on what seemed to be a ‘sure-fire’ way to raise money by selling popcorn – after all it worked for the Boy Scouts – we discovered that we needed to rethink our fundraising. It was about this time that an ‘angel’ by the name of Erica Lee appeared to help us. She taught us to look past the popcorn and reach higher. Fundraising of this sort is much like marketing; you have to convince people the project is worthy of their money.

As the year ticked down, our weekly meetings were a matter of putting one iron after another into the fire with the hopes of pulling out one with a golden nugget on it. The deadline came that first year and I believe we received an extension. But that only made things tougher, now we had to raise $500,000.

In addition to soliciting donations, we had gourmet dinners, silent auctions, sold whatever we could find to sell and held a golf tournament. When the school decided to change to a biomass heating system, part of the funds went towards the ‘Million Dollar Challenge’ and we met our goal.

After a quick breather, it was on to more fundraising projects. Each one was given the ‘popcorn’ test to see if it would require more time than we really had. If the project passed muster, then we moved forward. With all of the special projects the Foundation held, and grants from foundations such as the Steele Reese Foundation, the fund was growing, and the generous donations given by community members, family and friends were really making a difference.

As the four years became five, the school board and a few other community and foundation members decided that if we were going to have part of a new school, perhaps it was time to make some more renovations and add a few more new classrooms. With the Foundation already building a building, it made sense to incorporate five more new classrooms into the building and do some upgrades to the existing school. And so a bond committee went to work educating the community and working towards the passage of a bond.

This private foundation/public school venture was new in Montana and so we had to go slowly to make sure everything was done correctly. When the bond passed, the foundation, the school board and a few citizens then worked out the plans for the new complex and on April 4, 2007, a ground breaking ceremony was held.

Over the last two years, the community has watched as the building has grown from a pile of metal girders into a beautiful stucco building with magic lights on the east. There is a new library where students can study in a relaxed atmosphere and the librarian has room to work as well. The high school will have nice new rooms and lockers as well as a new weight room. The gym has been renovated with new seating and two additional locker rooms.

But the crown jewel is the auditorium. With rich colors on the walls and a beautiful blue stage curtain, the room is spectacular. The stage even has a catwalk and is quite large. The foyer leading into the auditorium has display cases made from glass and logs donated by Neville Log Homes, which really tie the history of the community to the school.

I am currently reading “Bitterroot Trails IV – The Victor Community” which tells of the history of Victor and the families that settled here and whose descendents still call Victor home. Throughout the chapter on the history of the Victor school, there were many families mentioned that supported the school. Some of these families were the Hacketts, Groffs, Watters, Hornings and Bukers. On January 27, descendents from many of these same families, as well as many others, will be among the honorees at the Grand Opening of the Mary Stuart Rogers Center at the Victor School.

This community of Victor has come together to build a beautiful 270-seat auditorium and classrooms, and has enabled the rest of the school to move into this century. Old timers and newcomers alike have made the commitment to Victor School and more importantly, the children in the community, to make this learning center the best it can be. You should be proud, Victor!

The public is invited to the grand opening of the MSR Center on Tuesday, January 27 at 7 p.m. Seating will be reserved for donors who have sent RSVPs to the Foundation. The remaining seats will be on a first come, first served basis.

Picturing America

Eighteen valley schools, both public and private, are slated to receive a selection of high quality art prints and photographs by American artists courtesy of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Each school will receive 40 high quality prints and photographs some of America’s most famous artists, an in-depth guide book for use by teachers to help incorporate the works in their class instruction, and access to an on-line resource guide over the internet.

“This is great news for thousands of Montana students,” said Senator Baucus. “These days teachers don’t always have access to important learning tools like art posters. This program will open new doors for students and teachers to discover together.”

“Understanding history through art is part of any well-balanced education,” said Senator Testor. “This is a valuable investment in Montana schools that will go a long way in helping students understand our history and our culture as Americans.”

Conservation Districts scholarships available

The Montana Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) will award two Montana students a $500 scholarship to assist with their post-secondary education.

An original 3-5-page essay describing how your education and experiences have given you the opportunity to explore natural resource conservation, and how you plan to impact natural resource conservation in the future. List how your leadership, school and community activities will influence your career goals. The deadline for the 2009 MACD Scholarship program is February 17, 2009. The competition is open to Montana High School seniors and post-secondary students.

More details and the one-page scholarship application can be found on the MACD website at HYPERLINK "http://www.macdnet.org/macdscholarshipapp.doc" www.macdnet.org/macdscholarshipapp.doc or by calling the MACD office at 406-443-5711.

Stevensville to hold bike rack design competition

The Stevensville Main Street Association Design Committee is applying for a “Bikes Belong” grant to purchase custom, locally manufactured bike racks for Main Street in Stevensville. The Stevensville Art & Sculpture Society (S.A.S.S.) is sponsoring a design competition for images to be used within the framework of the bike rack, and we would like to invite the entire community to participate and submit your ideas. The metal bike racks consist of a 15” circle on a post. There will be a sample to view in the Main Street Association office. Designs are being sought for the top two thirds of the interior of the circle. There will be a public showing of all the designs submitted.

Guidelines:

-The design should be in black (any media) on white paper or poster board.

-Design should fit in the top two thirds of a 15” circle. The bottom third must remain empty space. Please include the 15” circular frame in your design.

-The design has to be a bold silhouette that may be cut out of metal and is reversible. (No numbers or letters).

-The image should reflect the local history, natural world, landmarks, activities, etc. that are relevant to the Stevensville Community.

- The design should avoid having sharp edges, points and small openings that once cut out of metal, which could be dangerous for small children.

- There is no limit to the number of design entries from one artist.

- Deadline: Wednesday, March 4, 2009

- Include with your entries: clearly printed name, address, email and phone number(s). Submit entries to: Bike Rack Design Entry, Stevensville Main Street Association, 102 Main Street, Stevensville, MT, 59870.

For more information, call Marina Weatherly at 777-3546.

Manley crowned Miss Teen Rodeo Montana 2009

The Miss Rodeo Montana 2009 Pageant recently honored Samantha Manley, 14, of Florence, with the selection as the 2009 Miss Teen Rodeo Montana.

The 2009 Miss Rodeo Montana and Miss Teen Rodeo Montana Pageant was held in conjunction with the 30th annual Montana State Circuit Rodeo Finals in Great Falls. Lesli Furniss, 22, of Frenchtown, was crowned as Miss Rodeo Montana and will go on to represent the State of Montana in the 2009 Miss Rodeo America contest later this year in Las Vegas.

Contestants competed over 5 days in a variety of competitions to demonstrate their individual capabilities in Horsemanship, Speech, Appearance, Personality, Style, Photogenic, Personality, Projection and Presentation. In addition to the overall title, Samantha took top honors in Horsemanship, Speech and Personality and shared the coveted award of “Miss Congeniality” with Miss Rodeo Montana Contestant Shantell Frame of St. Ignatius.

“It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me to have the opportunity to meet such incredible girls and have the chance to get to know them personally,” said Manley. “I am looking forward to representing the Miss Rodeo Montana organization and the sport of Professional Rodeo throughout the State of Montana this year.”

Manley is currently a freshman at Loyola Sacred Heart High School in Missoula. She is the daughter of Liz and Matt Manley of Florence. Samantha is also serving as the Missoula Stampede Rodeo Princess. In 2004 she was the Jr. Youth U.S. Team Penning Association Champion. She is active in 4-H and is the Freshman Class President at Loyola. She enjoys Junior Rodeo events, team penning, art, baking, volleyball, softball, and basketball. She plans to attend college after high school and hopes that her life will always involve horses.

Library collects food for Pantry Partners

The North Valley Public Library encouraged its users to bring in non-perishable food items in exchange for overdue fines during the month of December, 2008. The library collected a total of 477 pounds of food which was donated to Pantry Partners Food Bank Inc. in Stevensville to distribute to needy families in the community.

"It was a slippery month to be shuttling food across town," says Library Director, Renee McGrath, "but we were so pleased to partner with the Food Bank on this very important project."

Pantry Partners provided over 300 holiday dinner boxes to families in the Bitterroot Valley and continues to seek donations of nonperishable food items. For more information, call the library at 777-5061, or Pantry Partners Food Bank Inc. at 777-0351.

Stevi Christmas Bird Count results

The 44th annual Stevensville Christmas Bird Count was on Saturday, December 27th. 22 hardy birders spent all or part of a fairly warm but windy day counting all the birds they could find within 7 and one half miles of Stevensville. Another 22 feeder watchers stayed home and counted the birds in their yards. This group of birders found a total of 8,651 individual birds representing 82 different species. This ties the fourth best species total ever tallied on the Stevi Count, and is the highest species count for any of the 21 Christmas Bird Counts in Montana in 2008. A total of 153 species have been seen over the 44 years of the Count.

The only new species for the Count was three Common Grackles seen in pastures along the Bass Creek Road. Counters found several other species that are seldom seen in the Bitterroot Valley during the winter, including two Greater White-fronted Geese, 2 Wood Ducks, one Pinyon Jay, one Canyon Wren and one Harris's Sparrow. We found that populations of Eurasian Collared-Doves, an exotic species that first appeared in Stevi in 2006, continued to increase and have now expanded to Victor.

Waterfowl numbers were fairly low and we couldn't find several species (such as American Wigeon and Bufflehead) that are usually present, probably due to the December cold snap that froze most ponds in the area. Raptor numbers in general were relatively high, and the 78 Rough-legged Hawks seen exceeded our previous record by about 40%, probably indicating that the local vole population was high this year. In addition, we found new record numbers of Common Mergansers, Wild Turkeys (more than doubling the old record), Eurasian Collared-Doves and European Starlings, and tied the old record for Sharp-shinned Hawks. The number of "winter finches" (siskins, goldfinches, redpolls and crossbills) was about average, but probably would have been higher if the birds hadn't been hiding from the wind. Species with noticeably low numbers included Gadwall, Ring-necked Pheasant, Belted Kingfisher, Black-capped Chickadee and American Tree Sparrow. We failed to find an American Robin for the first time since 1999.

This year marked the 44th anniversary of the Stevensville Christmas Bird Count.

The Stevi Count was started in 1963 by Marion Gebhart, and has occurred every year since then except for 1974 and 1978. The Stevi Count is part of a nation-wide network of over 1800 Christmas Bird Counts coordinated by the National Audubon Society. The objective of the Christmas Bird Count is to monitor the status and distribution of mid-winter bird populations across the Western Hemisphere. Dave Lockman is currently the compiler for the Stevi Count.

Births

Births at Marcus Daly Hospital, Hamilton

1-10-09

Boy, 6 lbs., 4 oz., 19 inches, to Brandy Handy and Jeremiah Koberle, Hamilton

Girl, 8 lbs., 8 oz., 19-1/2 inches, to Amy and Philip Ballance, Hamilton

Obituaries

William John Karr
1923-2009

William John Karr, 85, of Stevensville, passed away on Friday, January 9, 2009 at Community Medical Center.

Bill was born on October 30, 1923 in Oak Park, Illinois to Peter and Eda Karr. He was their first born son. He and his brother Ray were brought up as twins by their parents during the “Great Depression” years. They wore the same sizes in overalls and tennis shoes, so Mom bought two of everything. They attended the same grades at St. Paul’s Lutheran Elementary and Proviso High School and graduated together.

WWII had just started, so both boys, along with most of their classmates, signed up to make “short work” of our enemies. They both enlisted in the US Navy.

Bill made a career of sailing and served 20 years as a Navy Petty Officer. When asked by friends, “What type of ship he sailed on,” he often replied, “There’s only two kinds, submarines and targets, and I don’t like being a target!” Bill served our country as a faithful and loyal warrior and received a number of decorations and medals for combat service during WWII and the Korean War.

After retiring from the Navy, Bill signed on with the Merchant Marines and sailed for Red Stack Shipping Company on seagoing tugboats. During this period, he covered the Pacific Ocean from end to end and side to side.

Bill loved the sea and lived the life of a sailor, both at sea and in port. During his career, as a sailor, he visited all the oceans of the world and most of their major ports. He made friends easily and one of his favorite pastimes was to visit with his “Old Geezer Veteran Friends” and trade sea and war stories.

When he retired from the sea, he took up golf with a passion. Bill was famous for his explosive temper and golf really brought it up front and center. He was known to throw his #1 driver end over end into whatever waterhole captured the dubbed drive. He bought quite a few drivers during his golfing phase. His goal was to be able to play with an 8 handicap and he made it. Persistence and practice.

Bill belonged to American Legion Post #92, U.S. Submarines Veterans, and Navy Historical Society and was a life-long member of the Lutheran Church.

His parents preceded him as well as his lovely wife of many years, Barbara Clark Karr.

Survivors include his brother and wife, Ray and Jane Karr, Stevensville; sister, Marion Dziagwa, Anna Maria, FL; brother and wife James and Nancy Karr, Buford, GA; step-daughter and husband, Barbara and Jim Yeager, Corte Madera, CA and various nieces and nephews.

Burial of Bill’s ashes will be interred at the Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery in Missoula with Military Honors at a date yet to be determined. Arrangements are by Whitesitt Funeral Home in Stevensville.

SAILOR: REST YOUR OAR!

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