09-04-23 issue

Educators, parents advocate stricter classroom controls on smartphones

Citing academic and social impacts, Montana schools are increasingly turning their attention to cell phone restrictions and bans.

by Alex Sakariassen, Montana Free Press

BILLINGS — Throughout the 2023-24 school year, Billings Public Schools Superintendent Erwin Garcia grew increasingly troubled by a sight he repeatedly witnessed in classrooms around the district: students scrolling their smartphones, their attention wrenched from the lessons unfolding before them. His mind turned to the district’s flagging high school test scores, to the national statistics he’d seen on rising rates of anxiety, depression and other disorders among America’s youth, and to the reams of research partly linking such challenges to smartphones and social media.

“There is something that generated all these issues,” Garcia told Montana Free Press last week. “And so as we researched it, I felt this is the time to make a change.”

Students and teachers returning to Billings classrooms next week will find themselves navigating a new district-wide policy governing the presence of smartphones in schools. The restrictions, crafted by Garcia and fellow educators and

approved by the school board in July, prohibit high school students from using their phones in class and direct teachers to ensure that phones are deposited in a communal classroom storage space. Elementary and middle school students must turn off and stow their phones in backpacks or lockers for the entirety of the school day.

The policy also extends to wearable devices such as AirPods and Apple

Watches, and recommends that students simply refrain from bringing smartphones and other electronic devices to school.

Billings’ new policy highlights a growing call among educators and parents across the state for their local schools to take action in response to student smartphone use. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte joined that chorus last week by distributing a letter to

school administrators and board trustees statewide encouraging them to adopt local policies restricting cell phone use in schools. To bolster his request, Gianforte cited the results of a 2023 survey by the nonprofit Common Sense Media in which 97% of responding students age 11 to 17 reported they’d used their phones during school hours.

“Nationally, and in Montana, we see academic performance declining and rates of mental health disorders, from anxiety and depression to eating disorders, among young people increasing,” Gianfore wrote. “As educators, you see firsthand the strong correlation between time spent on smart devices and these problems, and growing bodies of research prove it.”

According to Executive Director Lance Melton, the Montana School Boards Association has long offered member districts three separate model policies governing

ENVATO PHOTO

smartphones

from page 1

phones in schools, ranging from unlimited use to absolute prohibition. Melton added that more than 100 Montana districts have already implemented some sort of restriction or control on inschool smartphone use. Similar measures have been taken in schools throughout the country, including localized bans in New York City and Los Angeles and a statewide prohibition in Florida.

One of those districts — Park City Schools, west of Billings — stepped up its efforts at policing phones last spring by acquiring lockable pouches from the company Yondr. Students in grades 7 and up deposit their smartphones in a pouch at the beginning of the day. The pouches are then magnetically sealed and kept by the student until the end of the day, at which point they can be unsealed at a centralized kiosk.

Superintendent Dan Grabowska told MTFP the district directed roughly $6,000 from a school safety grant toward the initiative, and quickly noticed a reduction in reported incidents of schoolbased cyberbullying during the final quarter of the 2023-24 school year, as well as an increase in student attentiveness.

“Every time that a student gets a notification [on their phone], it takes anywhere from a minute to five minutes for them to get back on track,” Grabowska said. “It was just getting to be really annoying, just a ton of lost teaching time. And we gained almost all of that back in the classrooms. Disruptions were cut way down. The students’ focus was a lot higher.”

Garcia said Billings also looked into acquiring phone pouches from Yondr but determined that the cost to the state’s largest district, an estimated $100,000, was too great, prompting administra-

“

Every time that a student gets a notification [on their phone], it takes anywhere from a minute to five minutes for them to get back on track.”

tors to craft a policy calling for the establishment of classroom storage spaces for phones. Garcia noted that the district’s policy does leave room for case-by-case exemptions, such as for diabetic students who require access to their smartphones to check their glucose levels.

As Billings Public Schools adjusts to its new phone restrictions, educators in Missoula are considering heightened controls of their own. Last week, Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Micah Hill unveiled to board trustees a timeline for the crafting and potential adoption of a district-wide smartphone policy. The plan calls for surveys, data collection and public meetings to be conducted throughout the fall, culminating in an early winter draft and proposed implementation at the start of the 2025-26 school year.

The movement in Missoula was largely spurred by a group of parents and teachers who, throughout the spring and early summer, began compiling their own research on the issue. For Erika Peterman, one of the parents spearheading the effort, last spring was a tipping point. She’d recently read social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s book “The Anxious Generation” and, as a parent of two, was already keenly aware of how ingrained smartphones and social media have become in the lives of young people. Herself a former MCPS student, Peterman even encouraged her 17-year-old son to circulate a

MCPS to educate students on healthy smartphone habits. More than two-thirds indicated their belief that smartphones have a significant impact on children receiving a quality education. Peterman and her cohorts presented the findings to district administrators, setting the stage for Hill’s proposed timeline last week.

- Dan Grabowska, Billings Schools Superintendent vj

Lake Monsters hold try-outs

petition among his peers to turn their high school into a cellphone-free space.

“He just thought I was crazy,” Peterman said. “Then I realized how silly it was for me to be asking my son to do this when we really just need adults and parents to be stepping up and removing distraction from kids who are trying to learn in school.”

Convinced of the addictive nature of smartphones and the detriments such technology can have, particularly on developing minds, Peterman and fellow parent Morgan Stemberger teamed up this year to form the Smartphone-Free Schools Working Group. They surveyed more than 100 Missoula educators regarding the prevalence of phone-related incidents in local classrooms and found that 85% of respondents agreed smartphones distracted students from their learning at least once a day. Written responses from numerous participants recounted a hodgepodge of classroom-based approaches, from using centralized “caddies” for phone storage to requiring that phones be turned off and stowed in backpacks. The responses also documented the challenges teachers anticipate in implementing school-wide phone bans, including parental pushback and elevated anxiety among kids conditioned to regular smartphone access.

A similar survey of parents conducted by the group generated nearly 250 responses, with 93% saying it is important for

The survey results have only strengthened Peterman’s conviction that smartphones are an “experience blocker” for all ages, hindering social engagement and dragging attention away from other activities like reading and art. She said the challenge is especially acute for students, as so much of their social lives unfold through social media, which is why she believes an MCPS policy is so critical. Restricting smartphone use for all kids would put the entire student population on equal footing, she said, eliminating inequities created by scattershot enforcement or unequal access to smartphones among students.

While she’s relieved the district is advancing the issue, Peterman said she’d prefer to see a policy in place sometime this school year, and joined other concerned parents and teachers last week in expressing frustration to the MCPS board over the length of the district’s implementation timeline. In Peterman’s view, parents and educators “don’t have any time to waste.”

“I feel like the school’s on fire and the adults are sitting around talking about what we’re going to do about it,” Peterman said.

“I don’t feel like we have a year. I feel like every year that passes — even every day that passes — our kids aren’t learning, our communities are suffering, our teachers can’t teach, and we’re just going to continue to talk about it when we know what the problem is.”

News from Mission Valley Aquatics and Fitness

POLSON — Mission Valley Aquatics and Fitness will hold open try-outs on Monday, Sept. 16, from 4-6 p.m. for the Lake Monsters swim teams. The minimum skill requirement to join a team is the ability to swim the length (25 yards) in both freestyle and backstroke. Once your child makes the swim team, there is a free 2-week trial to make sure it is a good fit. Group one (under 10 years) costs $85 per month and has a yearly one-time registration fee of $30. Practices are held Mondays-Thursdays from 4-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9-10 a.m. Group two costs $95 per month, has a yearly one-time registration fee of $30 and holds practices Mondays-Fridays from 4-6:15 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:45-10 a.m. There are addition fees to USA Swimming ($70) and MT State Swimming ($36). If you are not able to make the tryout date, you can schedule a tryout at another time by contacting Coach Neil at: coach@mvaquatics.org or calling 406—883-4567. School buses drop off at Mission Valley Aquatics.

jason.reese@mannmortgage.com

carolyn.cole@mannmortgage.com (406)

This Week’s Weather Forecast

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Advertising Sales, Owner (406) 249-1728 boone@valleyjournal.net

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For general inquiries: call 406-676-8989, email summer@valleyjournal.net, or send mail correspondence to P.O. Box 326, Ronan, MT 59864. Copyright 2024, the Valley Journal. All rights reserved. Reproduction, reuse or transmittal in any form or by any means is prohibited without written permission of the Valley Journal.

Wachholz

donates an additional $2.1M

Funds donated to College Center at FVCC

KALISPELL — Kalispell businessman Paul Wachholz has donated $2.1 million to Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC) to continue his support of the Paul D. Wachholz College Center. Wachholz made a $4 million donation as part of the initial fundraising efforts for the project back in 2018.

“Paul’s outstanding generosity to Flathead Valley Community College has been transformative,” said FVCC President Jane Karas. “His belief in our mission and

the power of community colleges to transform lives is evident through his philanthropic support.

We thank Paul for leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.”

Wachholz’ additional gift will help sustain the Wachholz College

Center’s operations and future programming. His philanthropic efforts have also extended to a new entrepreneurship center on the FVCC campus, which he donated $4 million to develop. This center will serve as a hub

News from FVCC

COURTESY PHOTO

Paul Wachholz

COURTESY PHOTO

Wachholz College Center

for students and community members to gain business skills to launch their own businesses in the Flathead Valley and beyond.

“Big people share, small people hoard. It takes a bunch of people giving together and giving to a very good cause, and [FVCC] is a great cause. The reason I went to college was because of a community college. To me, community colleges teach people to work with their hands. They also basically help students with the most difficult time of their life - the transition between high school and college when they go out on their own. The community college is extremely successful in bringing that together so that it’s a lot easier transition,” Wachholz said while announcing his $2.1 million gift at the FVCC Foundation’s recent President’s Circle dinner.

Wachholz moved to Kalispell in 1967 and has worked in banking, real estate and beverage distribution. His entrepreneurial spirit began as a newspaper delivery boy and then as a teenaged owner of a landscaping business. His own higher education journey began at Northeastern Junior College, a two-year college in Sterling, Colorado, followed by degrees from the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Colorado.

The Wachholz College Center opened November 2022 and hosts a number of musicians and cultural events. Since opening, over 70,000 people have come through the College Center doors to more than 160 different events.

Recently, the 2024-2025 lineup of concerts and events was announced and includes Clint Black, Don McLean, Sawyer Brown, and Mannheim Steamroller. To learn more about the WCC, visit wccmt.org.

For more information about FVCC and ways to get involved, visit: fvcc.edu.

Elks provide two opportunities to get an EZ Child ID card

News from Montana State Elks Association

POLSON — The Mission Valley Elks Club will provide a free EZ Child ID to create an ID for the children in your life, from 3-6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, at the Elks Club, 512 Main Street. Come take advantage of this amazing service. For ques -

tions, call 406-883-1695. You can also create an ID for the children in your life, from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Mission Valley Race Way, 1113 Reservoir Road. Come take advantage of this amazing service. For questions, call 406-8831695. The system includes a relative’s card with contact information, fingerprints,

photos and video interviews. Parents or guardians receive a printed EZ Child ID card or may have it delivered digitally. This system is also valuable for: individuals with autism, individuals with early on-set dementia, individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or individuals who rely on others for their safety and daily care.

National Parks contributed record high $55.6B to U.S. economy

National Parks supported 415,000 jobs in 2023; local economies in every state boosted by national park visitor spending

News from the Dept. of the Interior

WASHINGTON — Recently the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service released a new report that finds visitor spending in communities near national parks in 2023 resulted in a record high $55.6 billion benefit to the nation’s economy and supported 415,400 jobs.

“The Biden-Harris administration has made historic bipartisan investments to restore and enhance national parks across our nation,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “This report illustrates the significant economic benefits national parks provide to nearby communities and the U.S. econ -

omy, and the value of our work to safeguard these public lands in the wake of the climate crisis, upgrade visitor experiences and invest in park infrastructure and staff.”

“I’m so proud that our parks and the stories we tell make a lasting impact on more than 300 million visitors a year,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “And I’m just as proud to see those visitors making positive impacts of their own, by supporting local economies and jobs in every state in the country.”

The National Park Service report, 2023 National Park Visitor Spending Effects, finds that 325.5 million visitors spent $26.4 billion in communities near national parks. This spending supported 415,400 jobs, provided $19.4 billion in labor income, and $55.6 in economic output to the U.S. economy. The lodging sector had the highest direct

contributions with $9.9 billion in economic output and 89,200 jobs. Restaurants received the next greatest direct contributions with $5.2 billion in economic output and 68,600 jobs.

The latest report is informed by improved socioeconomic survey data enhancing the accuracy of spending estimates and helps the National Park Service learn more about park visitors.

Results from the visitor spending effects report series are available online via an interactive tool. Users can view year-by-year trend data and explore current year visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value-added, and economic output effects by sector for national, state and local economies.

The annual peer-reviewed economics report was prepared by economists from the National Park Service. Learn more about how NPS-managed lands and programs provide economic benefits at www.nps.gov.

Safety project begins on US Hwy. 93 near Ravalli

News from the Montana Department of Transportation

RAVALLI — The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), along with construction partner Stillwater Electric, Inc., will begin the installation of safety measures on US Highway 93 (US 93), south of Ravalli. The project begins approximately 1 mile south of North Valley Creek Road at mile marker 24 and continues north for approximately 3 miles, ending near the intersection with Buffalo Street.

The work is scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 3, weather and other factors permitting, and is anticipated to last for approximately six weeks. Crews will be

working from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Crews will be installing signage, flashers and sensors to alert drivers of upcoming curves and road conditions on US 93. A sign will also be installed that will tell drivers their speed as they approach the curves. These safety improvements were selected to address road departure crashes on a series of curves.

Expect 10 to 15-minute delays, reduced speeds, and single-lane traffic when traveling through the project area. For the most up-to-date width restrictions and road conditions visit  https://www.511mt.

net/ .

The public is encouraged to contact Joan Redeen at 406-396-1978 with any questions or comments.

Polson Schools announces all students eligible for free breakfast, lunch

News from Polson School District #23

POLSON — Polson School District is happy to announce that all students are eligible for one free breakfast and one free lunch per school day for the 2024 to 2025 school year. There is no need to complete the free and reduced application this year. If your child attends school that provides second entrees, they are $1.50 each. Milk is available with all meals but if your student oly wants milk the cost is .60 cents each. Staff and parent meal prices are five dollars for lunch and three dollars for breakfast. Thank you and have a wonder-

ful school year.

International Peace Day celebrated at MVUMC

News from Mission Valley United Methodist Church

ST. IGNATIUS — On Sept. 15 from 1-4 p.m., Mission Valley United Methodist Church on Post Creek Hill is honoring International Peace Day with a carnival theme celebration. There will be a bounce house, corn hole, crafts, face painting, cake walk and lots of fun. There will also be hotdogs, popcorn and ice cream. There is no admission charge. If you can bring a non-perishable food item for one of the local food banks, that would be great, but not required.

See you there on Sept. 15.

Local organizations donate to DPHHS for children in foster care

Gifts from Intrepid Credit Union, Toys for Tots distributed to locations across the state

MONTANA — The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) recently announced that it has received generous donations from Intrepid Credit Union and Toys for Tots that will help bring smiles to the faces of hundreds of children in foster care throughout Montana.

“We are extremely thankful for the generosity of these organizations,” said Rob Lawler, coordinator of the Office of Faith and Community Based Services (OFCBS) at DPHHS. “These gifts will certainly brighten the day for these families.”

Intrepid Credit Union, with offices in Helena, Bozeman and Billings, donated 83 large duffel bags, each containing a bear, blanket, coloring book, brush, and crayons.

about OFCBS and its work may be found on the Faith and Community Based Services (mt. gov) website page. The OFCBS is a DPHHS liaison to faith and community organizations across Montana, creating a two-way flow of information and establishing strong public-private partnerships to serve the identified health and wellness needs in each community most effectively.

Lawler said the bags will be dispersed to DPHHS Child and Family Services Division (CFSD) field offices.

“The success of this project underscores the positive impact we can make in the lives of children when we all work together,” said Kimberly Worthy, Vice President of

People and Culture at Intrepid Credit Union. “We are grateful for this opportunity to give back to Montana communities.”

Hasbro, one of America’s largest toy companies, recently donated $1 million in toys to the Toys for Tots Foundation. A total of two truckloads of toys were requested and

2024 Fall Mack Days on Flathead Lake

News from CSKT- NRD

FLATHEAD LAKE — The

2024 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event on Flathead Lake will begin two weeks early on Sept.

delivered to Helena. One truckload of 26 pallets of toys was delivered to Family Services at the Montana National Guard at Fort Harrison. The other truckload of toys for children in foster care included a semi-load of 10,494 toys on 26 pallets, each stacked eight feet high.

To date, toys have been distributed to the communities of Red Lodge, Lame Deer, Broadus, Baker, Wibaux, Sidney, Savage and Glendive.

Lawler said he is arranging for additional toy drop-offs at locations throughout Montana in the coming weeks.

More information

The Montana 68th Legislature 2023 Session, SB 163, established a volunteer program within DPHHS to support the Child and Family Services Division. This rule establishes a registration portal for volunteers and volunteer organizations interested in supporting CFSD. Organizations or individuals interested in registering with the OFCBS are encouraged to visit the Child Welfare Volunteer Portal

Photo caption: Rob Lawler, of the DPHHS Office of Faith and Community Based Services, and Intrepid CEO Greg Strizich with some of the donated duffel bags.

5 and will end on Nov. 3. The event dates were moved up to try and alleviate the cold mid-November temperatures anglers have endured the past couple of years. Mack Days

fishing events are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and are used as a fisheries management tool to increase the populations of native bull trout and westslope

cutthroat in Flathead Lake. The events are sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. The native fish are important to the Flathead waters. Their numbers have been re-

duced by introduced non-native lake trout competition. Montana is a stronghold for the bull trout in this country. see page 9

News from MT - DPHHS

COURTESY PHOTO

Rob Lawler, of the DPHHS Office of Faith and Community Based Services, and Intrepid CEO Greg Strizich with some of the donated duffel bags.

They are an important part of the history of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the state of Montana.

Up to $200,000 in cash and prizes that will be awarded at the conclusion of the event. Come out and get involved in the effort to increase the populations of the native fish. Flathead Lake is one of the most beautiful areas of the country - enjoy it while helping in this fish conservation effort. There are several ways to win including tagged fish. One lake trout will be tagged with a $10,000 numbered tag, three will have $5,000 numbers,

and five will have $1,000 numbers. Plus, there are over 9,000 lake trout with values from $100 to $500. The high dollar lake trout are tagged a week or two before the event begins. Last spring high dollar tags are revalued to the $100-$500 range. Tagged fish are to be turned in the same day as caught.

Other categories include: Ladies, Youth 12 & Under, Youth 13-17, Top Twenty Anglers, 70 & Over, Captains, Siberian Cooler Drawings, Smallest Lake Trout, Largest Lake Trout ($500 sponsored by Bretz RV and Marine) —lottery prizes from $2,000 to $200. All it takes is one entry to win in the lottery category.

Weekend drawings are held with five winners each weekend.

Anglers also earn bonus amounts for their fish totals. As the total goes up, they earn amounts associated with the total. Examples are: 0-10 - $0; 11-30 lake trout - $45; 76-100$210; 151-175 - $420; & on up. Fish are to be turned in the same day as caught and there is no pooling of fish allowed. Rules and the bonus chart are sent out by email as anglers register. Entries are taken until the last day of the event. Fish Monday through Sunday. Monday-Thursday all fish are to be turned in at Blue Bay from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday to Sunday there will

be fish pickups at Big Arm State Park Boat Ramp from 5-5:30 p.m., Salish Point in Polson from 6-6:15 p.m., Somers State Boat Ramp from 3:30-4 p.m., and Wayfarers State Park Boat Ramp from 4:30-5 p.m. or at Blue Bay until dark or 9 p.m., whichever comes first.

Fall is a great time to fish from shore. Lake trout move in closer to spawn on the steep rocky areas of the lake so you can catch them from shore easier. Boat anglers have good luck trolling and jigging. Check out the tips from some of the anglers on the Montana Outdoor Radio podcasts by Downrigger Dale. The podcast is called – “Four different Mack Days

competitors tell all about how they find and catch the Macks.” Thank you to the anglers for giving their time to do the show. Fishing tips from the past for jigging: wash your hands - don’t have a gas or oily smell on your hands; look for steep drop off areas or fish in the deeper water at 80’ and deeper; use cut bait with some added scent put on it; change your bait out often; drop jigs down to the bottom and jig up off the bottom; come up off the bottom and try that; watch the end of the pole for movement; try different colors and weights; talk to the local tackle shops; write your own story.

We encourage anglers to know how to ID bull

trout and westslope trout. It is illegal to bring in those native fish and we are required to turn in those to the proper authorities. We also want everyone to be safe out on the water, have the proper life jackets and wear them, keep cell phones dry, let someone know when you expect to be off the water. Follow all fishing regulations and Coast Guard boating regulations.

The website is still being developed. To enter, ask questions, or make comments email: cindy. benson@cskt.org and include your name, mailing address, telephone number, and age.

Tight lines everyone! vj

valley views

Guard your thoughts

“Aquietmind makes way for the soul to speak.” (Me)

The mind is an abundant entity - spewing, spawning, spilling, speaking, squeaking, splaying, spraying, saying, replaying, spouting, sprouting, shouting, re-routing, doubting and outing our thoughts, often in ways that seem beyond our control.

hours of the morning. I battle against it but it is a constant battle.

It’s almost as if my mind has a mind of its own. It’s working against me - or maybe for me. Or with me.

Slices of Life

Jill Pertler Syndicated columnist

Or maybe a little of all three. I’m guessing none of you reading this can relate to this phenomenon - written with a wry sense of sarcasm.

Just today, I was about to run to the store, but thought about something I wanted to do beforehand. Then I rinsed out my coffee cup and my mind had already moved onto a whole new topic and I’d forgotten what task, exactly, I needed to do before leaving.

Perplexing.

You might say my thoughts got away from me.

It happens quite often. All the time. Especially at night and in the wee

All of you, surely, are always and totally in control of every one of your thoughts. They are orderly and they make sense. You never think of pink cotton candy when you are supposed to be considering whether to put orange or yellow cheese sauce atop the green broccoli. Your thoughts are always on point. I wish I could say the same. The mind is a curious thing. It is part of you, but it seems to operate on its own.

Trade ego-based thought system for spiritual one

Editor,

Our present lives as humans on earth are filled with increasing chaos, confusion about life, and our advanced methods of

The rest of your physical body doesn’t operate under these terms. Your arms carry the grocery bags home from the store. When you have an itch on the tip of your nose, your fingers scratch that exact spot. Your legs walk, one foot in front of the other to get you from point A to point B.

But your mind? It wanders wherever it wants to go.

That’s why awareness is so important. Your mind will tell you things that, in all honesty, it shouldn’t. It will tell you people don’t like you. Or that you aren’t good enough, or nice enough or whatever enough. It will tell you to judge others for their ugly T-shirt or ugly hair or ugly car. It will lead in you places that are scary, threatening and dire. Your mind accentuates your faults. It dwells upon your weaknesses. It forces you into dark corners. Your mind will tell you things that are

killing each other. This threatens our continuing human existence on planet earth. There is a powerful answer to all this. It involves the power of the mind. We humans have each been gifted with a mind. Our minds are not “of the body.” Minds

not true.

This doesn’t always happen. But it can, and it often does when you least expect it. When you aren’t aware.

Your thoughts are valuable. They are precious. They are priceless. They can sway off course and go off track without your ever noticing. And they can affect you in the most significant of ways. That is why it is important to guard them. To guard your thoughts. To protect them like they are a treasured possession, because they are.

You are your thoughts. It seems so simple, but negative thoughts breed negative actions and negative feelings. Positive thoughts have the opposite effect.

It may sound easy to choose positive thoughts. But remember, the mind has a mind of its own.

Choosing our thoughts is a minute by minute, moment by moment endeavor. It is never-ending.

transcend the body and connect with universal wisdom. Jesus, as a human, is a perfect example of a person practicing the teachings of universal wisdom.

We have a choice each moment. We can either think, speak, and act from a limited

24/7. Even in your sleep.

But you know what?

Thoughts can become habits. And habits become easier with time. Recognizing a negative thought is the first step into turning away from it and finding a positive one. The more you turn negative into positive, the more natural it will become. Say the positive out loud (even a whisper will do) if that makes it easier at first. Soon it won’t take any thought at all.

Practice guarding your thoughts and soon that guard duty won’t seem so intensive. Soon it will come naturally.

Negativity is all around us, waiting to pounce and it may seem overwhelming at times. One of the most valuable possessions we have to fight against any negativity is our own thoughts. Guard yours like the treasure they are and you will find the peace within that has been waiting patiently.

Then your mind will

ego-based thought system or a spiritually based thought system based on love.

The ego-based thought system involves fear, greed, hate, anger, and casting blame.

see page 11

only wonder one thing: What took me so long?

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.

LETTER POLICY

Letters to the editor are welcome. The content is the opinion of the letter writer and not the newspaper. The decision to publish letters is made by the editor. Letters must be 350 words or less. A writer will only be published twice per month. Letters may be edited for content or length, or may not be published if considered libelous, in poor taste, spiteful, self-promotional or of limited interest to the general readership. Space limitations also dictate when or if letters are published. Letters must be signed by the author and name, address and phone number must be included – phone number is for verification purposes only. Letters from organizations must include the name of at least one author. Please limit “thank you” letters to four people/organizations or less. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday to publish the following week.

Opinions expressed in this section are not necessarily those of the newspaper.

Building connected communities, one circle

“Guess what?!”

A 12-year-old Pittsburgh school boy spoke excitedly with his teacher one morning last fall. “My mommy and daddy were having a fight last night, and I asked them if we could have a peace circle! We sat and talked, and they’re not fighting anymore!”

The boy had been involved in a program to introduce peace circles to schools – moments in the school day when a class sits together and shares their thoughts and feelings around a certain topic. Like other school systems, Pittsburgh had begun this program to

letters from page 10

The spiritually based thought system involves trust, joy, generosity, forgiveness, peace, and love. Today, our ego-based

Peace Voice

help reduce violence by giving students tools for better communication. Happily for this boy and his family, what happened in the classroom didn’t stay in the classroom.

“The idea of people sitting in a circle and talking has been used around the world for thousands of years,” explains Dr. Stephanie Myers, chair of Black Women for Positive Change (BW4PC, supported by Everytown for Gun Safety). “Peace circles provide a structured process for discussing issues, making decisions, and resolving conflict.”

The strength of peace

circles is the round robin format. “Everyone has an equal voice,” says Dr. Myers.

Peace circle questions can be fun or serious, but always help to strengthen relationships. Examples include questions to help students voice what they’re experiencing, such as ‘If you could make a weather report that describes your day, what would it be?” Other types of questions help students come to know each other’s values and perspectives more, such as “Name one male and one female who are good role models for young people.” All of this builds understanding and community.

Los Angeles runs peace circles in its schools.

thought system is in charge within our nation and our world. To activate the spiritually based thought system takes personal choice, listening, and practice, practice, practice. It is up to each of us to choose our way of thinking and acting out.

Bob McClellan Missoula

Birmingham, Alabama is introducing them. “It’s important to get young people to engage. Ask them ‘what’s troubling you? how can we help you?’ A lot of the time they are scared, especially if someone is bullying them,” explains Dr. Carthenia Jefferson, committee chair of the Birmingham Black Nurses Association and the National Black Nurses Association Ad Hoc Committee on Violence Reduction. “There is always something you can do to decrease violence, to help de-escalate.”

Dr. Jefferson and her colleagues are joining

BW4PC for a Month of Nonviolence. BW4PC’s original Day of Nonviolence was so successful that it expanded to a week. Now it is a full month of dozens of activities across the U.S. ranging from conversations about bullying to workshops to help cities develop peacebuilding strategies.

We all can join the October Month of Nonviolence and help create stronger, happier communities. Some thoughts:

· Convene a meeting in your living room or backyard, of your kids and grandkids. Ask each other what is going on

in your lives, what makes you afraid and what gives you hope?

· Ask your faith leader to give a sermon on nonviolence

· Introduce peace circles to your school –toolkits are available

· Create a nonviolence strategy for your family, school, or community; involve children as well as adults

· Urge your elected officials to create a violence prevention strategy around domestic violence, shootings, political violence, or other violence

· Sign up on

Melinda Burrell, PHD syndicated columnist

connected communities

from page 11

the Month of Nonviolence website (https://monthofnonviolence. org) and get support to do an activity in your neighborhood De-escalating violence can be as simple as asking someone how they’re feeling, and then really listening. The twelve-year-olds are showing us how.

Melinda Burrell, PhD, @MelindaCBurrrell, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is a former humanitarian aid worker and now trains on the neuroscience of communication and conflict. She is with the National Association for Community Mediation, which offers resources for community approaches to difficult issues.

Lake Monsters hold try-outs

News from Mission Valley Aquatics and Fitness

POLSON — Mission Valley Aquatics and Fitness will hold open try-outs on Monday, Sept. 16, from 4-6 p.m. for the Lake Monsters swim teams. The minimum skill requirement to join a team is the ability to swim the length (25 yards) in both freestyle and backstroke. Once your child makes the swim team, there is a free 2-week trial to make sure it is a good fit. Group one (under 10 years) costs $85 per month and has a yearly one-time registration fee of $30. Practices are held Mondays-Thursdays from 4-5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9-10 a.m. Group two costs $95 per month, has a yearly one-time registration fee of $30 and holds practices Mondays-Fridays from 4-6:15 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:45-10 a.m. There are addition fees to USA Swimming ($70) and MT State Swimming ($36). If you are not able to make the tryout date, you can schedule a tryout at another time by contacting Coach Neil at: coach@mvaquatics.org or calling 406—883-4567. School buses drop off at Mission Valley Aquatics.

Researchers receive grant to study health benefits of haskap berries

MSU researchers aim to learn more about the potential health benefits of haskap berries while also learning how to best cultivate the berries

to maximize those health benefits.

By Anne Cantrell, MSU News Service

BOZEMAN — An edible blue honeysuckle berry called the haskap has emerged in recent years as a potential new superfood, but little scientific research has been done to investigate how the berries contribute to human health. Now, a research partnership at Montana State University aims to learn more about the potential health benefits of haskap berries while also learning how to best cultivate them to maximize those benefits.

Mary Miles, professor in the Department of Food Systems, Nutrition and Kinesiology, and Zach Miller, superintendent of MSU’s Western Agricultural Research Center in Corvallis, serve as co-project leaders for the research project. The project is supported by an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, or NIFA. Other project partners at MSU include researchers Brian Bothner, Seth Walk, Carl Yeoman, Andrej Svyantek and Zhuoyu Wang.

Haskap berries are also known as honeyberries, yezberries and blue honeysuckle. They have anti-inflammatory properties and are rich in polyphenols, which are found in many plant foods and act as antioxidants, and haskaps may also have other untapped health benefits, Miles said.

Miller noted that if demand for the berries increases, Montana farmers could have a great opportunity to help fill that demand.

“These berries thrive in our cold climates,” Miller said. “In our research farm, we can produce four to five tons

A research partnership at Montana State University aims to learn more about the potential health benefits of an edible blue honeysuckle berry called the haskap while also learning how to best cultivate them to maximize those benefits.

of berries per acre with the right varieties and management, and they can be machine harvested.”

As part of the research, Miles and a group of doctoral students will investigate how haskap berries’ bioactive components — molecules found in many foods that can interact with other living components to promote good health — interact with the ecosystem of microbes that live in humans’ intestines, often

referred to as the gut microbiome. The researchers will conduct an eight-week clinical trial with 120 participants. Half of those participants will meet at least two criteria for metabolic syndrome – a cluster of conditions that increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes – and the other half will not meet any criteria for metabolic syndrome. Half of the participants will consume a food product each day that contains haskap berries, while the other participants will consume a similar product that doesn’t contain haskaps.

The researchers will then compare the gut microbiome and health impacts of haskap berry consumption between the metabolically healthy and metabolically unhealthy groups. Miles said their hypothesis is that haskap berries will lower inflammation and improve metabolic health.

Miles said that berries high in polyphenols have been found to promote human health in a variety of ways, including through lowering inflammation, that may be dependent on interactions

MSU PHOTO BY KIERSTIN SCHMITT/ WESTERN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER

MSU PHOTO BY MARCUS “DOC” CRAVENS

Montana State University professor Mary Miles, left, and doctoral students Meghan Spears and Morgan Chamberlin analyze berries in the Nutrition Research Laboratory on Aug. 14 in Bozeman. The researchers are studying the potential health impacts of haskap berries.

haskap berries from page 12

with the gut microbiome.

Miles, who for years has studied the gut microbiome and its impact on human health, noted that inflammation and abnormal metabolism play a major role in the development and progression of many diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Because of that, she said, identifying foods that decrease inflammation and improve metabolism is an important strategy for reducing disease. Miles and her partners’ previous research suggested that the microbes digesting polyphenols may contribute, in part, to lowering levels of inflammation in people. On the production side

births

Sophie Markus

RONAN — Sophie

of the project, Miller and other plant scientists at the Western Agricultural Research Center – part of MSU’s Montana Agricultural Experiment Station – will investigate the effects of harvest timing on the concentration and yield of health-promoting compounds in more than 20 varieties of haskap berries.

“We aim to identify which haskap varieties and growing practices increase content of health-promoting compounds and, ultimately which of these would give growers the most antioxidants per acre,” Miller said. “Our goal is to identify what to plant and how to farm for the greatest potential health impacts.”

The work builds on previous research at

WARC related to haskaps, including work evaluating numerous haskap varieties for yields, flavor, aesthetic qualities and cold-hardiness. More information on haskap research at WARC is available on its website.

Ultimately, Miles said, she and her research partners hope their work will have real impacts on human health.

“We know a lot about nutrition, but one thing we don’t know is why we don’t all get the same benefits from healthy foods or the same negative health impacts from unhealthy foods,” Miles said. “We want to understand this more so that we can match people’s health goals to potential foods that would really work best for them.”

Jo Markus was born on Aug. 22, 2024, at the St. Luke New Beginnings Birth Center. She measured 8 pounds, 12 ounces and 21 inches long. Parents are Jerry and Daphne Markus of Polson.

months ago. Gayle loves attention and playtime and would do wonderfully in a home with a furry friend or two!

Sophie Markus

Montana Historical Society announces September programs

News from Montana Historical Society

HELENA — The Montana Historical Society’s popular Fall Lecture Series is back with a wide range of topics for September.

The programs begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5, with author Ian Wilson giving a book talk on “Catastrophe at Custer Creek,” chronicling the most devastating train accident in Montana History. The wreck killed 49 passengers and crew members and injured another 75 making it the most devastating train accident in Montana history.

On Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 1 p.m. at Touchmark

(915 Saddle Dr., Helena), Historic Architecture Specialist Lindsay Tran will share the story of “Lee Steen and the Tree People,” a sprawling roadside assembly of sculptures in Roundup. Steen fashioned the Tree People from cottonwood branches into human-like characters. Tran will highlight how Lee Steen remains a case study in the power of imagination.

The focus is on children and the Mann Gulch Fire on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 3 p.m. at the Lewis and Clark Library. Staff from the Helena/Lewis and Clark National Forest will guide a hands-on children’s workshop focused on the causes, consequences, and lessons learned from the deadly Mann Gulch Fire.

Finally, on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the

Lewis and Clark Library, Martha Kohl, the MTHS Outreach and Education program manager, will speak about “Women’s Activism in Montana: The Progressive Era.” This lecture will explore the women organizers like Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, who worked to improve their communities and shape Montana politics and history. The lecture is offered to match the themes of the 2024 Big Read “The Cold Millions,” by Jess Walter.

All the programs are free and open to the public. Programs at the library will be recorded and available at the Montana Historical Society’s YouTube page. For more information, contact Lau Marsh at: laura. marsh@mt.gov

Ronan youth selected for trip to Florida’s Rocket Park, Kennedy Space Center

Eight students from across the U.S. selected to travel to Florida for two-day ‘out of this world’ adventure

News from SpaceKids Global

ORLANDO, FLORIDA — Among those eight lucky SpaceKids Press Squad Competition winners selected from over 1,100 entries across all 50 states, was Tobias, age 10, from Ronan. The competition gives eight lucky students from across the U.S. the opportunity to travel to Orlando, to visit Blue Origin’s Rocket Park manufacturing facility, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and receive press training from a professional journalist.

SpaceKids Global, a Florida-based national nonprofit organization

dedicated to educating elementary students in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics), and Blue Origin’s nonprofit Club for the Future recently announced the winners of the 2024 SpaceKids Press Squad Competition.

“We are thrilled by the excitement surrounding this contest reaching kids in all 50 states. We are so impressed with these students and their enthusiasm for exploring careers in space which is central to the SpaceKids mission,” stated Sharon Hagle, Founder of SpaceKids Global. “I can’t wait to hear about their experiences while playing a role in the space industry.”

The SpaceKids Press Squad will meet with Club for the Future Ambassadors from Blue Origin, including

engineers, spacecraft designers, and managers, to interview and learn about their careers and experiences. The Press Squad may also watch the official live webcast of a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launch taking place at Launch Site One in West Texas from the Blue Origin Mission Control center in Florida.

Follow SpaceKids Global on Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube to learn more about each winner leading up to the Orlando adventure. For more information about SpaceKids Global’s mission and to stay up to date on future events, visit: spacekids.global.

About SpaceKids Global:

SpaceKids Global is a Florida based, national nonprofit, with the

mission to educate and actively engage a national audience of elementary students in STEAM activities, ensuring girls are equally represented while inspiring all to pursue careers in space exploration and technology. For more information, visit: https://www.spacekids.global/.

About Club for the Future:

Founded by Blue Origin, Club for the Future is a non-profit with the mission to inspire and mobilize future generations to pursue careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) for the benefit of Earth. The Club and its partners are doing this through the Postcards to Space program, providing space-focused lessons and events, and activating ambassadors around the world.

COURTESY PHOTO Tobias, 10, from Ronan, will travel to Orlando, Florida to learn more about careers in space.

Virginia

Rowe

(Wallace)

CHARLO — Virginia Rowe (Wallace) 81, passed away on July 13, 2024, from complications from a fall. She was born on Oct. 14, 1943, to a mining family in Wallace, Idaho. As a young child, she frequented her grandparent’s property in Lincoln. She officially made Charlo home in 1970. In Charlo she meant many of her closest friends and raised her three children.

Virigina loved to can and sew. She spent many late nights, after long shifts, canning or making cloths. She could always be

counted on for some how-to tip on making just about anything. Virginia was never short for conversation. It was impossible to stop in for a quick trip to her house. She always greeted people with conversation a big glass of iced tea and usually a card game.

Later in life, after the loss of her eyesight, she would sit and remiss about all the fun times she had camping, and traveling. Visits from her great-grandbabies, always put a smile on her face. There will be a potluck celebration on Sept. 15, at Leon Hall in Charlo starting at 12 p.m., all who knew her and would like to share stories are welcome.

Serving Lake County since 1923

MT unemployment rate remains low

News from the MT Dept. of Labor and Industry

HELENA — Governor Greg Gianforte recently announced that Montana’s unemployment rate remained at 3.1% in July, while the national rate rose to 4.3%, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

“Our pro-jobs, pro-family, pro-business policies are helping keep Montanans working while the national unemployment rate rises as a result of the Biden-Harris administration,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Many businesses across

Montana are providing good-paying jobs across our state. We’ll continue to cut red tape, lower taxes, and invest in a stronger workforce to make Montana an even better place to live, work, start a business, and raise a family.”

The state’s unemployment rate of 3.1% in July continues a record of 37 consecutive months with the rate at or below 3.4%. The next closest stretch was during 2006 and 2007, when the state’s unemployment rate remained at or below 3.4% for 15 consecutive months.

The number of people in the state’s labor force rose by 1,579 in July, reaching another record high of

more than 580,000 Montanans in the labor force.

Despite the encouraging jobs report, inflation continues to make it harder for Montana families to make ends meet.

The current unemployment rate in Lake County is 4.2 percent, with a 1.1 percent change in the past year. In Lake County there are currently 14, 153 employed people with a change of 120 people. Flathead Reservation has a current unemployment rate of 4.4 percent with a change of 1.1 percent. There are currently 13,899 people employed on the reservation with a change of 123 people since last year.

seniors

Ronan

By Donna Daniels for the Valley Journal

RONAN — The Mission Valley Senior Center is located across from St. Luke’s Hospital. Any age is welcome to come enjoy our meals and you don’t have to be a senior citizen.We are open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for lunch and other activities.

Our menu:

— Sept. 4: chef salad w/ the works, dessert

— Sept. 5: meat loaf, salad, dessert — Sept. 9: enchiladas, salad, dessert — Sept. 11: soup, sandwiches, salad, dessert

Our Sunday roast pork dinner is planned for Sept. 10. Come join us for a great meal and good fellowship.

We are always looking for new members. Come in and give us a try.

Pinochle has started again. It’s played on Mondays from 1:30-4 p.m.

The Mission Valley Ronan Senior Center is available to rent for your events. Call us if you are having an event and need a location to have it.

We also have pool table available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Come join the fun.

Everyone is welcome o join our meals no matter what age you are. We ask for a $7 donation for our

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday meals and $10 for our Sunday meal.

If you would like a meal delivered to your business, just call us by 10 a.m. Also, we will gladly send you a menu if requested.

Polson

By Pete Mangels for the Valley Journal

POLSON — Patriot Day is Sept. 11. If you love your country, and support its authority under law, and your country’s interests, then this is your day. That’s what it means to be patriotic. Not just this day, but every day. Vote. It’s the easiest and most patriotic thing you can do for your country.

Congratulations to the recently elected leaders of the Polson Senior Center. Thank you all for your continued service on behalf of the senior community.

September is the start of our fiscal year, and our membership campaign is gearing up. We would like to invite you to renew your membership or join us as a new member. Stay tuned for our banana split membership drive. Last year we had the support of over 150 members, and our goal is to hit 200 this year. The dues are only fifteen dollars.

The Safe Driver

Course, sponsored by AARP and hosted by our center will be presented on Sept. 24 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. This easy-tofollow video presentation and guidebook for safe driving focuses on the safety of the senior citizens who are navigating our road ways. Pre-registration is highly recommended. The $25 fee will realize a discount on your car insurance policy that is greater than the registration fee and is renewable every three years. Sign up at the Polson Senior Center.

A Nutrition Director is still wanted, full or part-time. You can apply at the center. The job requires basic record keeping, office management, etc.

Activities:

— Wood Carving for beginners: Wednesdays & Fridays at 1 p.m.  Join any week.

— Bridge: inquire at the center — Game Day Wednesday: Bring a board and a group of friends - cribbage and other board or card games 1-3 pm.

— VSO (Veterans Service Officer): first Friday and third Tuesday of each month, 9 a.m.noon, walk-ins OK — Bingo: bingo (low cost) Friday night 6 p.m. start; doors open at 5:30 p.m. - “Playing Card” Bingo first and third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m.

— Exercise: Sitting or standing: M- W- F, 10:30–11:30 a.m. video-assisted

— Pinochle: Thursdays, 12:30-3 p.m.walk-ins welcome     Pool: Open table 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Menu (subject to change): lunch served from 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., meals are delivered to qualified people if you call before 10 a.m. Sign up for daily deliveries.

— Wednesday, Sept. 4: hot turkey sandwich, mashed spuds, veggie mix, cran-salad, fruit crisp

— Thursday, Sept. 5: barbecue ribs, baker, baker beans, copper penny salad, lemon pudding

— Friday, Sept. 6: sloppy Joes, tater tots, baked apples, veggie marinade, cookie

— Monday, Sept. 9: vegetable Soup, cheesy bread, green salad, coconut cream dessert

— Tuesday, Sept. 10: chicken a-la-king, biscuit, peas and carrots, cucumber tomato salad, custard

— Wednesday, Sept. 11: meat loaf, whipped potatoes, carrot/raisin salad, gingerbread with lemon sauce

— Thursday, Sept. 12: oven baked beef stew, homemade rolls, fruit salad, orange cake

— Friday, Sept. 13: chicken enchilada, bean/corn salad, tapioca pudding                      Our Community

Center is located at 504 Third Ave. E; open from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. weekdays. Call us at 406-883-4735. Send email to: polsonseniorcenter@gmail.com and visit us on Facebook.

St. Ignatius

By Barb Plouffe for the Valley Journal

ST. IGNATIUS — St. Ignatius Senior Center will hold bingo on Sept. 7 at 2 p.m. Cards are .25 cents each and we have a special blackout prize.

We are looking for a Site Manager to work eight to 12 hours a week. If interested, please call and leave a message.

School has started so remember if the “Stop Arm” is out on a school bus - we MUST STOP. We still have a Area VI Cook Book to sell with recipes from local resident of Lake, Sanders, and Mineral Counties for $15. The money goes to help families from these areas that have specific financial needs

Menu:

— Friday, Sept. 6: noon - beef/broccoli stirfry, tomato slices, fruit, rolls, lemon bars

— Tuesday, Sept.10: noon - Salisbury steak, potatoes/gravy, green beans, pineapple, strawberry shortcake

— Friday Sept. 13: noon - chicken, dressing, 3-bean salad, peaches,

roll, chocolate pudding — Tuesday Sept. 17: noon - pizza, green salad, plums, fruit cobbler If you would like a takeout meal, call 406745-4462 by 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays and by 2 p.m. on Wednesdays. Mealtimes are listed with menu. Menus for the month are available in the entryway of the center. Remember everyone is welcome at our meals. Come enjoy a delicious meal and good conversation. Our senior center is available to rent. If you are interested, call 406745-4462 and leave a message. If you have question about obtaining Elder Commodities call or stop by for information and application. Gently Yoga is held on Wednesdays from 1-2:15 p.m. If interested, call Bonnie Kiser at 406253-0177. Her rates are five sessions for $65. Taiji exercise program will be held on Mondays at 1p.m.Kory Gunderson is the instructor. For any question call Kory at 406-361-0304. The charge is $12 a session. Is it difficult for you or a loved one to trim toenails? Call “Nurse on the Go” at 406-2535114 and schedule your 30-minute foot appointment. The cost is $25 a treatment and nails are trimmed, and callous and corns buffed smooth. The nurse is licensed and insured.

Wednesday, Sept. 4

Neurodegenerative Disease Support Group to meet

RONAN — On Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 7

p.m. at St. Luke Community Hospital, 107 Sixth Ave. SW, in the Cottonwood Conference room (across from the cafeteria).

This month’s focus will be on “Caregiving” presented by Dixie Bisson from Western Montana Aging Services. This group meets each month to provide an opportunity for individuals and their loved ones to connect with others who are also living with PD, MS or ALS.

Call Monte for more information at 406-2533484.

Friday,

Sept. 6

Get an ID for your child

POLSON — The Mission Valley Elks Club will provide EZ Child ID to create an ID for the children in your life, from 3-6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, at the Elks Club, 512 Main Street.

Come take advantage of this amazing service.

For questions, call 406883-1695.

Saturday,

Sept. 7

Final ‘First Saturday’ held

CHARLO — Come to our final 2024 First Saturday event from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and meet local artists, authors, musicians and enjoy delicious

Rest stop

huckleberry pastries from Allard’s Huckleberry Jam Factory and get an Indian Taco from Fat Baby Fry Bread food truck. Also on site for this event will be: western artist, Jim Thomason; lavender farmer, Lori Parr; author of “No Ordinary Journey,” Mary O’Brien; antler artist, Clayton Holler; author of “An Answering Flame” and “Havoc Red,” Margo Mowbray; artist and beader, Alyss Fowler; author and illustrator, Karla Martinson; and local musicians,

“The Lake Bloomers” will provide music from noon to 2 p.m.

For more information go to: www.ninpipesmuseum.org

CASA holds Trunk Treasures sale

POLSON — On Saturday, Sep. 7, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. CASA will hold a Trunk Treasures sale in the parking lot of Polson High School. Sellers can purchase a 9 X 18 parking spot for $15 or two for $25 to sell their goods

from.

Proceeds are kept by the sellers. Call 406-883-0158 to reserve your space.

Get an ID for your child

POLSON — The Mission Valley Elks Club will provide EZ Child ID to create an ID for the children in your life, from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Mission Valley Race Way, 1113 Reservoir Road.

Come take advantage of this amazing service.

For questions, call 406-

given to cats from the Jocko Valley. Due to safety considerations, the clinic is limited to healthy dogs and excludes short-snout breeds (pugs, boxers, etc.) and giant breed dogs. Low-cost annual and rabies vaccines ($15) and microchips ($20) will be available for any walk-ins. Spay/neuter surgeries are by appointment only. You will receive a call from our volunteers for further questions and to set your appointment time. Space is limited. To be considered text the following complete information to ARC at 406-552-8322. For each animal provide their name, species (dog or cat), sex, age, size (for dogs only). For each owner provide your full name, address, phone, and email address.

Enjoy the MT Dragon Boat Festival

883-1695.

SKC holds spay-neuter clinic

PABLO — On Saturday, Sept. 7, and Sunday, Sept. 8, at Salish Kootenai College’s Joe McDonald Gym, there will be a free clinic for low income friends who need assistance. It is not open to individuals who are secure and can afford private veterinary services. The clinic is only open to Flathead Reservation residents. A strong preference will be

POLSON — Join us for a one-day event on the river at the fairgrounds on Saturday, Sept. 7 This is the last best summer celebration. Call 406-2396448 with questions or go to: silverliningmt.org. The vision for is to help individuals diagnosed with breast cancer and to create a community of belonging. Businesses, put together your teams and join in the fun. Dragon boats and paddles are all provided. Bring your competitive spirit.

Monday, Sept. 9

Mother Goose takes a break

POLSON — The North

see page 19

MARTY HENSEL PHOTO

A small bird pauses on a post to survey its surroundings.

from page 18

Lake County Public Library’s Mother Goose program will not meet on Monday, Sept. 9. Mother Goose is taking a break but will return on Monday, Sept. 16.

Polson Pirate Invite played

POLSON — The Polson Bay Golf Course will host the Polson Pirate Invite on Monday, Sept. 9, an 18-hole high school golf tournament that closes the golf course and is held from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 11

Meditation classes offered

ZOOM — Mission Mountain Zen is offering free online meditation classes. Join the Mission Mountain Zen Center on Wednesdays, for an online meditation class led by Zen Teacher, Zenku, including meditation instruction, practice and discussion via Zoom from 6-7:30 p.m. For more information and a Zoom link to the class call Zenku at 847-721-0665 or email at Jerry.Smyers@ gmail.com.

Thursday,

Sept. 12

Senior Olympics held

MISSOULA — This year’s Senior Olympic games will be held in Missoula Sept.12-14 showcasing 15 different sports including: archery, basketball, bowling, cornhole, cycling, golf, horseshoes, pickleball, 1K & 3K road race, shuffleboard, swimming, track & field, and tennis.

Registration begins June 3 and ends Aug. 24 at 11:59 p.m. For more information go to: montana.fusesport. com or call 406-552-6684. All sports offered with the MT Senior Olympics, other than horseshoes, are qualifying events for Nationals. The events are free to spectators.

Friday Sept. 13

Enjoy Festival of Flavors

KALISPELL — Join the Flathead Valley Community College Foundation at the I.A. O’Shaughnessy Outdoor Amphitheater at the Wacholz College Center for an all-ages event. 406 BBQ is serving up an inspired menu you can enjoy while listening to Archertown’s music to celebrate their 17th season’s fundraiser for scholarships. There will be games for the kids and raffles for adults. Tickets are on sale at: fvccedu/foundation or call 406-756-3632. There will also be an online auction from Sept. 13-28 with information on the website.

Saturday, Sept. 14

In-home fine dining offered

KALISPELL — FVCC’s Culinary Institute of Montana will provide inhome fine-dining dinners. Details on FVCC Facbook, Instagram or: fvcc.edu.

Golf fundraiser held POLSON — Polson Bay Golf Course will host the Toys for Tots golf tournament on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. This tournament is open to all players. For more infor-

mation, call 406-883-8230 or email: polsonbaygolfcourse@gmail.com.

Wildlife Festival held in Ronan

RONAN — The 4th annual Wildlife Festival will be held at the Ronan Visitor’s Center from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14. Bring some apples for free cider pressing and learn about fruit gleaning and chronic wasting disease. Talk with CSKT wildlife biologists about current Flathead Reservations projects. Drop unwanted fruit at: St. Ignatius Community Center; Ronan Co-op Brewery (23 4th Ave. SW); or in Polson at 406 6th Ave. E. Also, check out Mission Valley Fruit Gleaning page on Facebook.

Sunday, Sept. 15

Peace celebrated at MVUMC

ST. IGNATIUS — On Sept. 15 from 1-4 p.m., Mission Valley United Methodist Church on Post Creek Hill is honoring International Peace Day with a carnival theme celebration. There will be a bounce house, corn hole, crafts, face painting, cake walk and lots of fun. There will also be hotdogs, popcorn and ice cream. There is no admission charge. If you can bring a non-perishable food item for one of the local food banks, that would be great, but not required. See you there on Sept. 15. vj

public meetings

The Polson City Commission meets every first and third Mondays (Wednesday, if the Monday falls on a holiday) of the month at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 106 1st Street East. Meetings are open to the public.

St. Ignatius City Council meets the second Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 12 First Ave. 406- 745-3791

Ronan City Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m., 207 Main Street SW, Ste A. 406-676-4231

Lake County Commissioners , 106 Fourth Ave. E, room 211, (Lake County Courthouse) 406-883-7278, Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-12 p.m. & 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

The Ronan School District No. 30 Board of Trustees have regularly scheduled board meetings once a month. They meet the second Monday of every month in the K. William Harvey Elementary Multi-Purpose Room. Regular meetings begin at 7 p.m.

The Polson School District No. 23 Board of Trustees have regularly scheduled board meetings once a month. Meetings are held the second Monday of each month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the District Office, 111 4th Ave. E, 406-883-6345.

The Charlo School District 7J B Board of Trustees have regularly scheduled meetings on the third Thursday of every month. Meetings are held in the school library, 404 1st Ave. W, and begin at 7 p.m. The phone number is 406-644-2206.

The Arlee School District No. 8 Board of Trustees hold regularly scheduled meetings on the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are held in the Arlee High School Library, 72220 Fyant Street, and begin at 6:30 p.m. The phone number is 406-726-3216.

Valley View Elementary is located at 42448 Valley View Road. The phone number is 406883-2208.

St. Ignatius School District No. 28 Board of Trustees meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the library, 76 Third Avenue. The phone number is 406-7453811.

September 4, 2024 - 19

Announcements

Auctions

Long’s Storage LLC, 67899 Hwy. 93, Charlo, MT is selling the contents of Unit 25, on Wednesday, September 18th at 5 p.m. Call (406) 239-2715 for information. Contents subject to redemption one hour prior to sale.

Special Notices

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LEGAL DEPARTMENT

The successful applicant must have a high school diploma or GED and at least 3 years of experience in positions related to water rights, hydrology, natural resources, legal, or closely related field. Administrative experience, associate’s or bachelor’s degrees, and other combinations of education/ experience may also be considered. Must have experience entering data into a Microsoft Access or other database. Must have experience with Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel. Must have understanding of GIS mapping, KMZ files, and similar tools. Ability to write reports and general correspondence. Must be proficient in the use of personal computers, printers, and other office equipment. Must possess a current valid driver’s license and be insurable under the Tribes’ Insurance Policy. All applicants

must submit a Tribal application and copy of academic transcript and/or training certificate, valid Montana driver’s license, proof of enrollment from a federally recognized Tribe if other than CSKT and if claiming veteran’s preference a copy of DD214 must be submitted. Rate of pay is D.O.E.

To apply, contact Personnel at (406) 675-2700 Ext. 1040 or personnel@- cskt.org. Tribal applications are also available on-line at csktribes.org

Closing date will be Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. This position is not a Testing Designated Position (TDP) within the definition of the CSKT Drug testing policy. The successful applicant, if not already employed by CSKT must pass pre-hire drug test. CSKT IS A TRIBAL MEMBER PREFERENCE EMPLOYER.

ATTENTION ALL WOODCUTTERS!

Get your chainsaws gassed up, and ready to saw, our woodcutting season for 20242025 is beginning and we are recruiting Sawyers who want to cut wood for CSKT elders at $275/cord.

If you are eager to help us out, please contact Shawn or Diane at 406-675-2700, ext. 1303/1317. We look forward to partnering with you.

PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATOR

(1 or more positions, Polson, St. Ignatius) TRIBAL HEALTH

DEPARTMENT

The successful applicant must have an Associate’s Degree in a health related field with a minimum of two years’ working in a public health, community health, or health care setting. Documented experience providing education

TRIBAL WATER RIGHT REGISTRATION SPECIALIST

(Contract position)

DETECT: Look for services you didn’t receive, double charges, or items your doctor didn’t order. Request a Health Care Tracker from SMP to compare appointment information with what is printed on your MSN.

REPORT: Call SMP if you suspect health care fraud, errors, or abuse, or if you would like to request a Health Care Tracker.

to individuals, families, and groups. Valid and unrestricted driver’s license. Heartsaver CPR or BLS within six months of hire. All applicants must submit a Tribal application, a copy of academic transcripts, certifications, proof of state licensure, copy of valid driver’s license, if claiming Tribal preference, proof of enrollment from a federally recognized Tribe if other than CSKT, and if claiming veteran’s preference, a copy of the DD214 must be submitted. FAILURE TO SUBMIT ALL OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION DURING THE SCREENING PROCESS. This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) within the definition of the CSKT Drug Testing policy. The successful applicant,

see page 22

if not already employed by the Tribes must pass a pre-hire drug test, subject to random testing, and serve a mandatory six (6) month probationary period. Salary is $22.37 - $25.71 per hour, plus benefits (Health ins, Life ins, Retirement, long term disability, and personal time off), may be employed under contract. To apply, contact Personnel at (406) 675-2700 Ext. 1040 or personnel@ cskt.org. Tribal applications are also available online at csktribes.org. The closing date will be Thursday, September 12, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. (MST) CSKT IS A TRIBAL MEMBER PREFERENCE EMPLOYER.

Snow Plowing Season

Oct. 1, 2024 - April 30, 2025

Attention all snow plowing operators who are interested in plowing elderly driveways! Chain up, get your winter clothes ready, dust off your plows.

Please drop by our office and pick up a bid sheet at 36521 Felsman St., Pablo, MT (Kitty corner from Pablo Post Office).

Bids are due September 23, 2024. Please address your completed bid sheets to: Attn: Shawn Matt/DHRD, PO Box 278, Pablo, MT 59855.

For questions contact: Shawn or Diane, 406-6752700, Ext. 1317/1303.

Farm/Ranch

Animals

When veterinary care is unavailable or unaffordable, ask for Happy Jack® animal healthcare products for cats, dogs, & horses. At Tractor Supply® (www. happyjackinc.com).

Garage Sale

Sept. 14, 10 am-3pm. YARD SALE jointly sponsored by the Polson Kiwanis Club and the Polson Flathead Lake Museum, held in the backyard of the museum at 708 Main St. A portion of the proceeds funds are devoted to scholarships and admin. fees.

in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act and the Montana Human Rights Act which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, marital status, age, familial status, physical or mental disability, or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD Toll-free at 1-800669-9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

Puzzle Answers

Legals Legals

Chuck Wall Turnage & Wall, PLLP

Attorneys at Law

312 First St. East Polson, MT 59860

Telephone: (406) 883-5367

Fax: (406) 883-5328

ChuckWall@TurnageMercerWall.com

MONTANA TWENTIETH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, LAKE COUNTY

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: MARY ROGERS, Deceased.

Cause No.: DP-24-16

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That the undersigned has been appointed as Personal Representative of the above-entitled estate, and that the address of the Personal Representative is set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent having claims against the decedent’s estate must present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the first publication of this Notice, or be forever barred as creditors of the decedent.

A written statement of the claim indicating its basis, the name and address of the claimant, and the amount claimed, may be filed with the Clerk of the District Court, at Polson, Lake County, Montana, or mailed, Return

Receipt Requested, to the Personal Representative, c/o TURNAGE & WALL, PLLP, Attorneys for the Personal Representative, at 312 First St. East, Polson, MT 59860.

/s/ Wade Burland WADE BURLAND Personal representative, Estate of MARY ROGERS, Deceased.

Aug. 21, 28 and Sept. 4, 2024 MNAXLP

Ann L. Moderie

MODERIE LAW FIRM, PLLC P.O. Box 1180 Polson, Montana 59860 (406) 883-2332 (888) 454-5939 (Fax) ann@moderielaw.com

ATTORNEY FOR PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE

MONTANA TWENTIETH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT LAKE COUNTY

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF VICTORIA A. WEISS, Deceased.

Probate No. DP-24-54

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-entitled estate, and the address of the Personal Representative is set forth below. All creditors of the decedent having claims against the decedent’s estate must present their claims within four (4) months after publication of this Notice, or be forever barred as creditors of the decedent.

A written statement of the claim indicating its basis, the name and address of the claimant, and the amount claimed, may be filed with the Clerk of 20th Judicial District Court, at 106 4th Ave. East, Polson, Montana, or mailed, Return Receipt Requested, to the Personal Representative, c/o Moderie Law Firm, PLLC, attorney for the Personal Representative, at P.O. Box 1180, Polson, MT 59860.

see page 23

(From page 20)

public notices

/s/ Eric L. Weiss

ERIC L. WEISS

Personal Representative

Estate of Victoria A. Weiss, Deceased

Sept. 4, 11 and 18, 2024 MNAXLP

William P. Williams, IV FRENCH, GRAINEY & WILLIAMS, PLLC

324 Main SW Ronan, MT 59864

Telephone: (406) 676-4470

Attorney for Co-Personal Representatives bill@fgwilliamslaw.com

MONTANA TWENTIETH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, LAKE COUNTY

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JOHNNY DALE REPNAK, aka JOHN REPNAK, Deceased.

CAUSE NO. DP-24-55

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned have been appointed Co-Personal Represen- tatives of the above-entitled estate. All creditors of the decedent having claims against the decedent’s estate are required to present their claims within four (4) months

after the date of the first publication of this Notice or said claims will be forever barred as creditors of the decedent.

A written statement of the claim indicating its basis, the name and address of the claimant, and the amount claimed, must either be mailed to LAUREL ARDIS and FRED FUNKE, the Co-Personal Representatives, return receipt requested, c/o FRENCH, GRAINEY & WILLIAMS, PLLC, 324 Main SW, Ronan, MT 59864, or filed with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court.

DATED this 29th day of August, 2024.

/s/ Laurel Ardis LAUREL ARDIS, Co-Personal Representative

/s/ Fred Funke FRED FUNKE, Co-Personal Representative

September 4, 11 and 18, 2024

MNAXLP

Kalmbach Law Office, PLLC

Justin Kalmbach, Esq. PO Box 249

1 Fifth Avenue West Polson, MT 59860

Telephone: (406) 883-1159

Fax: (406) 883-1497

Email: justin@polsonlegal.com

Attorney for Personal Representative

IN THE TRIBAL COURT OF THE CONFEDERATED SALISH & KOOTENAI TRIBES OF THE FLATHEAD RESERVATION, PABLO, MONTANA

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: DAWNA DAE HARROD, Deceased.

Cause No. 24-0194-P NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the decedent are required to present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to James Harrod, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, c/o Kalmbach Law Office, PLLC, PO Box 249, Polson, MT 59860 or filed with the Clerk of the above Court.

Dated this 13th day of August, 2024.

/s/ James Harrod

James Harrod

Personal Representative C/O Kalmbach Law Office, PLLC PO Box 249 Polson, MT 59860

Aug. 21, 28, and Sept. 4, 2024

MNAXLP

Matthew H. O’Neill

Skyler C. Bagley

O’NEILL & BAGLEY LAW OFFICE, PLLC

402 First Street East, Suite 201 P.O. Box 699 Polson, MT 59860

Telephone: (406) 883-5444

Facsimile: (406) 883-1585 matt@polsonlaw.com skyler@polsonlaw.com

Attorney for Personal Representative

MONTANA TWENTIETH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, LAKE COUNTY

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JUSTIN KALMAN FELDMAN, Deceased.

CAUSE No. DP-24-39

Hon. JOHN A. MERCER NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That the undersigned has been appointed as Personal Representative of the above-entitled estate, and that the address of the Personal Representative is set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent having claims against the decedent’s estate must present their claims within four

(4) months after the date of the first publication of this Notice, or be forever barred as creditors of the decedent.

A written statement of the claim indicating its basis, the name and address of the claimant, and the amount claimed, may be filed with the Clerk of the 20th Judicial District Court, at 106 4th Ave. East, Polson, Montana 59860, or mailed, Return Receipt Requested, to the Personal Representative, c/o O’NEILL & BAGLEY LAW OFFICE, Attorneys for the Personal Representative, at P.O. Box 699, Polson, MT 59860.

/s/ JASON FELDMAN

JASON FELDMAN

Personal Representative

Estate of Justin Kalman Feldman, deceased.

September 4, 11, and 18, 2024 MNAXLP

Deadline is Fridays at Noon

$7 for the first 15 words, 25¢ for each additional word.

$1 fee for bold

$1 fee for box/border

$2 fee for color box

Email to: vjmail@ valleyjournal.net

Get a job – earn college credits – make a difference!

Nursing Faculty (10 months)

Salary Range: $55,935 - $65,551 DOEE

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Nursing Simulation Lab Instructor

Salary Range: $54,301-$56,400 DOEE

Closing date: Open Until Filled

Mechanic/Instructor- HCT Department

Salary Range: $ $52,947 DOEE

Closing Date: Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, 4:00pm MST

Childcare Center Cook-Early Learning Center

(9.5 months)

Salary Range: $15.65-$16.92/hr DOEE

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Custodian Part-time

Salary Range: $14.80/hr

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

PT-Housing Maintenance Technician

Salary Range: $16.54/hour DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 16, 2024 at 4:00pm

Custodial Services Team Leader (2 positions)

Salary Range: $16.97/hr

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Indigenous Language and Cultural Specialist - Division of Education

Salary Range: $51,311-$53,586 DOEE

Closing Date: Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, 4:00pm MST

Dental Assisting Education Coordinator

Salary Range: $16.91-$18.28/hour DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at 4:00pm MST

Wildlife/Fisheries Ecologist (9 months)

Salary Range: $51,062 - $56,111 DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 16, 2024; 4:00pm MST

Accounting Tech/Receptionist

Salary Range: $14.48 - $15.12/hr DOEE

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Bookstore Clerk (9 months)

Salary range: $14.20/hr - $14.54/hr DOEE

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Instruction & Outreach Services Librarian

Salary Range: $19.40 - $19.99/hr DOEE

Closing Date: Mon., July 29, 2024 at 4:00 pm MST

President for Salish Kootenai College

Salary Range: to be negotiated with the Board of Directors DOEE

Closing Date extended to: Aug. 29, 2024; 5:00 pm MST

Part-Time HEO Instructor/Mechanic Helper - HCT Dept.

Salary Range: $19.10 - $19.81/hr DOEE

Closing Date: August 26, 2024; 4:00 pm MST

Tutor/Technical Support Director - Business Division

Salary Range: $45,293 - $47,757 DOEE

Closing Date: August 26, 2024; 4:00 pm MST

To apply you must submit an SKC application, resume and applicable transcripts to: Human Resources, P.O. Box 70, Pablo, MT 59855. Toll free 877.752.6553, ext. 4985 Direct Dial 406.275.4985/4977

Hydrology Instructor Limnology 9month

Salary Range: $51,062 - $56,111 DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 9, 2024; 4:00pm MST

Indigenous Research Center (IRC) Program Assistant

Salary Range: $39,133-$40,365 DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 9, 2024; 4:00pm

NYCP Cultural Outreach Coordinator

Salary Range: $42,829 - $45,293 DOEE

Closing Date: Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2024 4:00pm MST

Bookstore Sales Clerk (12 months)

Salary Range: $14.20/hr - $14.54/hr DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 at 4:00pm MST

Academic Transfer Specialist

Salary Range: $35,182-$37,072 DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 4:00pm MST

Maintenance Technician

Salary Range: $16.54 - $16.88/hr DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 at 4:00pm MST

Admin. Assistant-Highway Construction Training Department (Part Time 10 months)

Salary Range: $17.37-$18.28 per hour DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 16, 2024 4:00pm MST

Soils & Groundwater Hydrology Instructor-9month

Salary Range: $44,752-$54,848 DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 16, 2024; 4:00pm MST

Wildland Fire Instructor 9 month

Salary Range: $44,752-$58,848 DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 9 2024; 4:00pm MST

Faculty/Secondary Education Department Chair, Noyce Program Director (9 month term)

Salary Range: $62,397-$64,924 DOEE

$2500 Department Chair stipend is included

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 9, 2024; 4:00pm MST

Indigenous Research Center (IRC) Digital Materials & Tech Specialist

Salary Range:$39,133-$40,365 DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 16,2024; 4:00pm

Digital Design Department Head 9month, and $2500 Department Chair stipend is included

Salary Range: $46,099-$47,200 DOEE

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 16, 2024 4:00pm MST

Clinical Instructor-9months (3 Openings)

Salary Range: $45/hr -$55/hr DOEE (part-time, 14hrs a week)

Closing Date: Monday, Sept. 16, 2024; 4:00pm MST.

The Nursing Department is actively seeking adjunct nursing faculty who are excited about teaching and student learning. Adjunct nursing faculty will hold a minimum of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree from both an accredited nursing program and college. If a BSN prepared nurse is currently enrolled in a master’s program, they will be considered as a qualified applicant. Any person seeking adjunct employment please send a completed SKC application, resume, and unofficial transcripts to Teresa Sias at teresa_sias@skc.edu. Official transcripts will be required upon hire.