News:
From left: Joe, Brent, Gary and Tom Wood. Photo by Kootenai Valley Record.
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Family Tradition (posted 2/5/10)
Fourth generation joins LVFD
Kootenai Valley Record
An 85-year-old Libby family tradition has been passed on to a fourth generation with the recent induction of Brent Wood into the Libby Volunteer Fire Department.
Wood, 22, joins his dad Joe, his uncle Gary Wood and his great-uncle Tom Wood on the current LVFD roster. He was inducted into the department during a meeting on Jan. 7 and went out on his first fire call later that night.
"It just made my heart smile, because it’s been a family thing for so many years, and they’re such a part of the community," said Brent’s grandmother, Connie Wood.
Brent’s great-grandfather, George T. Wood, served with the department from 1925 to 1954. Serving alongside George were his brothers Eli (1925 to 1930), Ernie (1936 to 1964) and Frank (1938 to 1958). Both George and Ernie spent time as chief.
The second generation to serve with the department included George T. Wood’s son George (1967 to 1988), Ernie’s sons Topper (1961 to 1983), Dick (1973 to 1996 and current rural fire district board chairman) and Tom (1971 to present and current chief), and Ernie’s daughter Trudie, who was an honorary LVFD member for 25 years.
Topper’s sons Gary and Joe have been members of the department since 1984 and 1987, respectively. Tom’s son-in-law Scott Beagle has been a member of the department since 1999.
Tom said he’s "tickled pink" that Brent is carrying on the family tradition.
"I can tell Joe is proud," he said. "The night Brent got in, the buttons were just popping off his shirt."
The fire department responded to 114 calls in 2009 with an average attendance of 19.5 firefighters on each call. The average attendance at business meetings was 26.
The department added five new members last year and never has a problem fielding a roster of at least 28 members, which is required by law for a full company, Wood said.
"With all the volunteer services in Libby, it’s tough to come up with new people, but we’ve been really lucky," he said.
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Editor’s Note: See the February 2, 2010 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Tuesdays, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
Asa Wood Elementary School
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School officials seek options for new elementary (posted 2/5/10)
Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
Libby school officials are expected to make a decision next week on hiring a consulting firm to guide the district in planning for the replacement or renovation of Asa Wood Elementary.
The school board recently conducted interviews with five firms that responded to a request for proposals for planning services. The board is scheduled to consider choosing one of the five firms during a meeting next Monday, said district superintendent Kirby Maki.
The board interviewed representatives of Jackola Architects & Engineers, Architects by Design and CTA Architects Engineers of Kalispell, JGA Architects Engineers Planners of Billings, and G.D. Longwell Architects of Hayden Lake, Idaho.
Maki noted a "wide variance" in cost estimates from the five firms, ranging from $30,000 to $167,500. The board gave each firm a week following the interview to revise its proposal.
"If they misunderstood something, they could add it on, or if they had something in there that we really didn’t want, then they could subtract," Maki said.
The firm that is selected will be tasked with providing specifications for the construction of a new elementary school, renovation of Asa Wood, and/or consolidation of elementary classes at the middle school or other existing buildings in the district.
"A major part of the process will be getting public input on the plan," Maki said.
Funding for the study will come from a federal appropriation of around $380,000 awarded last year for planning. The district had requested $12 million to fund construction of a new school. The $12 million request has been submitted again this year, Maki said, and the district should know soon how much, if anything, it will get.
Asa Wood was built in 1953 as a junior high school. Two classroom wings were added on in 1956 and 1960. Concerns include the presence of vermiculite insulation; outdated heating and ventilation, electrical, fire suppression and plumbing systems; the need for secure entrances and exits; operational and maintenance costs; restroom facilities; and problems with the roof. Educational needs include more and larger classrooms with wider hallways; a library/media center; a kitchen and cafeteria; a multipurpose room; and the ability to support current technology.
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Editor’s Note: See the February 2, 2010 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Tuesdays, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
Kootenai Valley Record
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Mayor, chief offer new details on surveillance cams (posted 2/5/10)
Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
Libby Mayor Doug Roll and Police Chief Jim Smith offered new details on a proposed video surveillance system for Mineral Avenue during a city council meeting last Tuesday night.
Roll said he's heard concerns about "Big Brother," and stressed that recordings from the camera system would go straight to a hard drive and would only be accessed by police during the course of an investigation.
"It doesn't have a live feed," Roll said. "We can't watch Mineral Avenue. We can't watch the Pastime at midnight waiting for someone to walk out the front door."
Although the technology is similar to that used elsewhere for traffic law enforcement, the system would not be used for that purpose, Roll added.
Councilman D.C. Orr asked Smith if recordings from the cameras would be reviewed on a daily basis.
Video would be recorded onto a hard drive in the police station on a 30-day loop, and recordings from a specific time period within that 30-day window could be downloaded to a computer for review by police in the event of a crime such as vandalism, Smith said.
"That allays a lot of Big Brother fears, and it allays my fears that we'd be paying someone to review it," Orr said.
A vandalism spree in November resulted in more than $20,000 in damage to windows at downtown businesses, Smith said. More than $12,000 in damage was recorded in another incident involving broken windows last spring, he said. The damages prompted Roll to ask Smith to look into the option of surveillance cameras.
Smith said he talked with the owner of a Whitefish company that provides the surveillance system in use at Libby Dam and also has security contracts with the president of Afghanistan. Three different options were suggested, using different cameras in different placements and ranging in cost from $48,000 to $62,000.
The cameras have enough resolution to identify a license plate from a mile away and to identify people inside cars, Smith said.
"This is Predator drone technology," he said.
In other business, the council:
- Gave Smith the go-ahead to purchase two new police cars for his department. The cars will replace two 1999 cars that are "ready for the boneyard," Smith said.
In addition to the two cars being replaced, the department currently has a 2002 car, a 2003, a 2006 and a 2007, Smith said. The money for the new cars is already in the budget, with the department¡¦s newest car scheduled to be fully paid off in July, Smith said. Because the new cars will come with a lower interest rate, the department will save $214 per year over what had been budgeted, he said.
Smith said he plans to buy two Ford Crown Victorias through Timberline Auto Center in Libby. The price, at $24,779, is standard for government fleet purchases and would be the same at any dealer, he said.
Smith said he also priced Dodge Chargers, but the cost was $7,500 more than the Fords.
- Accepted a draft bicycle traffic safety ordinance subject to possible amendment prior to adoption. The draft ordinance, prompted by complaints from city residents, stipulates that the same traffic laws governing motor vehicles apply to bicycles and specifically bans the riding of bicycles on sidewalks within the city limits.
- Received a report from Roll on 2009 building permits issued by the city.
There were 22 residential permits issued in 2009 with a construction value of $283,500, compared to 29 in 2008 with a value of $334,522. There was one new house built in the city limits in 2009, compared to none in 2008.
There were 16 commercial permits in 2009 with a construction value of $4,088,730, compared to 18 in 2008 with a value of $1,627,518. The new Lincoln County Credit Union building and the Assembly of God church were the two largest projects in 2009.
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Editor’s Note: See the January 26, 2010 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Tuesdays, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
Freedom Action Rally Feb. 9 in Libby (posted 2/5/10)
There will be a Freedom Action Rally in the Ponderosa Room of the Libby City Hall, 952 East Spruce Street, on Tuesday, February 9th. There will be a potluck at 6:00PM. Main events begin at 7:00PM. The program will be an opportunity to connect with individuals who share constitutionally-backed views and community organization for 2nd Amendment and property rights, community organization and leadership preparation. There will be two guest speakers from Hamilton, Montana.
Spring Archery Shoots in May & June (posted 2/5/10)
Libby Archery Club
Libby Archery Club will be hosting two annual shoots this spring on the following dates. Both events are great fun for the whole family.
Fawn Creek Traditional 3D Shoot, May 1-2, 2010
Saturday & Sunday
Fawn Creek Campground
For traditional archers. For more information contact Teri Kelly at 406-293-2900 or libbyarcheryclubmt@yahoo.com.
Fisher River Shootout 3D Shoot – June 5-6, 2010
Saturday & Sunday
Fawn Creek Campground
Shoot for compounds and traditional archers. For more information contact Teri Kelly at 406-293-2900 or libbyarcheryclubmt@yahoo.com.
Libby
lies in the northwest corner of Montana and is nestled in a valley carved by the
Kootenai River on the flank of the majestic Cabinet Mountain Range and Wilderness
Area. Today
about 2,800 people live within Libby proper. The main industries are lumber and
wood products, mining, tourism and recreation. The movies "The River Wild" and
"Always" were filmed here. Contact the Libby
Chamber of Commerce for brochures, info on lodging and events, general area
information, and contact information for local businesses and services.
SUMMER
When the weather warms and the mountain
snows melt away, the Kootenai National Forest comes alive with over 2.2
million acres of public land as a playground. Mountain trails and lakes
open up, beautiful wildflowers come in bloom, and wildlife have their young.
Libby is the basecamp for the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area, 90-mile
long Lake Koocanusa, the Northwest Peaks Scenic Area, and the Ten Lakes
Scenic Area. There is good access to most of the Forest and plenty of room
to get away from it all!
WINTER
Winter in Montana means snow, and lots
of it! For those who love to play in the deep powder, the Libby area offers tremendous
winter fun. Turner Mountain Ski Area, located
just 22 miles from Libby, offers challenging downhill skiing with a beautiful
view. Their slogan is "steep, deep and cheap", and Turner definitely
lives up to that. It's still fairly undiscovered, so you can escape the crowds
and get the cheapest lift tickets around. For those who love snowmobiling,
there are hundreds of miles of backcountry roads to sled on in the Kootenai National
Forest. Cross-country skiers and ice fishermen also can find solitude on a lake
and miles of quiet forest trails to enjoy the outdoors. Those who are a bit on
the wild and crazy side will love the antics of the Libby Polar Bear Club.
Members take winter-time "swims" in frigid Libby Creek every Sunday
from October to April. Plungers have ranged in age from 3 to 61. As long as the
ice can be broken on the creek, if it has formed, the group will take their plunge,
no matter the temperature.
These people must be
craaaazzzzzy!
Libby
Polar Bear Club
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