Courts

Stories by Jeff Smith of Anderson Broadcasting for the Valley Journal

Garza sentenced to five years

POLSON — A Washington state man was committed at District Court in Polson on Sept. 7 to five years with the Montana Department of Corrections, with none of that time suspended, for dealing drugs in Lake County.

Luis Alfredo Garza, 35, entered a plea of guilty at District Court in Polson to criminal possession with intent to distribute on July 20 before Judge Molly Owen. The plea was entered as part of a plea agreement that came with a joint recommendation of the five-year commitment with no time suspended.

According to court records, on April 30, Ronan Police Officer Jonathan Gilliland observed a suspicious vehicle. The license plate on the vehicle did not match any vehicle, prompting a traffic stop. The driver allegedly lied about his identity. He had no registration nor proof of insurance. The driver said he was from Texas and had recently purchased the vehicle. The driver consented to emptying his pockets after advising Officer Gilliland that he had a screwdriver in his sweatshirt. The officer located a suspected meth pipe during a pat down. After being placed under arrest, Officer Gilliland was able to determine that the suspect he arrested was Garza. The vehicle Garza was driving was seized and Officer Gilliland obtained a search warrant for the vehicle. The subsequent search turned up a green backpack. Inside the backpack, Officer Gilliland located 180 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and electronic devices. A review of the electronic devices revealed information pertaining to Garza.

Judge Owen gave Garza credit for having already served 131 days in the Lake County jail.

Winfree pleads not guilty to impersonation

POLSON — A trial date of February 6 has been set for a Bigfork man accused of impersonating law enforcement.

Joshua Wayne Winfree, 32, entered a plea of not guilty at District Court in Polson on Sept. 7 to felony impersonating a public servant.

According to charging documents, on Aug. 22, Winfree induced another motorist to submit themselves to a traffic stop under false authority. The motorist, identified by the initials C.S., told law enforcement that they were traveling on U.S. Highway 93 between Polson and Ravalli when she went to pass a white pick-up truck. After the pass, the white truck aggressively drove up to the rear bumper of C.S.’s vehicle. The man driving the white truck, later identified as Winfree, activated emergency lights on his trucks grill and made a hand gesture for C.S. to pull over. C.S. says she pulled over to the side of the road. She described Winfree as being thin, dark haired, wearing jeans, t-shirt and had a handgun in a holster on his hip. C.S. said Winfree questioned her about her driving and made her apologize. C.S. says she complied because he had a gun and wanted an apology. Winfree accepted the apology and told her to be more careful. He then went back to his white truck and continued southbound. C.S. said the white truck had the word “FIRE” written in red letters on the back of it. C.S. was able to snap a picture with her phone to obtain the license plate number of the white truck. That led to law enforcement locating and questioning Winfree. Winfree confirmed he pulled C.S. over but denied activating his emergency lights. He admitted owning a gun but denied having it on his hip during the traffic stop.

Winfree is also facing one count of criminal endangerment for what is described as a reckless driving incident on Sept. 10, 2020, near the junction of U.S. Highway 93 and State Highway 35.

Judge Molly Owen set that case for February 6, 2023 as well. Winfree is at liberty.

POLSON — A former Lake County woman who now resides in Nevada entered a plea of guilty at District Court in Polson on Sept. 8 to felony theft and criminal possession of dangerous drugs. Charlene Rae Dietrich, 38, entered the plea as part of an agreement that tentatively calls for sen-

Dietrich pleads guilty to theft, possession

tencing being deferred for a total of five years between the two charges.

Dietrich admitted in court to her involvement in a check forgery scheme that included a check worth $18,000 in January of 2021. Dietrich also admitted to being in possession of heroin.

The drug charge stems from a traffic stop in Polson on April 14, 2021. A search of the vehicle Dietrich was in turned up tin foil with a brown tarry substance that later tested positive for heroin.

Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher set a sentencing date of Nov. 3. Dietrich remains at liberty.

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valley views Finding purpose in the moment

As we traverse through life, I think most of us ponder and wonder about our purpose - the reason for our experience on the planet at this particular time. What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of me? (Gulp.)

I’ve pondered this question quite a bit, feeling a little inept in my answers. I long for a grand and important purpose - to change the world for the better. But the honest answer is I’m just a normal human living life in abject anonymity - and quite liking it that way, thank you very much.

On one level, I believe I should aspire to have a grand and world-changing purpose. On another, maybe being average and obscure has a purpose in it as well.

Maybe not everyone is supposed to rise to the level of Mother Theresa or Mahatma Gandhi. Maybe doing the best in the everyday can and does make the world a better place - even if it is only a little bit at a time.

So, instead of going for the grandiose purpose, maybe we take it to a smaller scale. Instead of life-altering, perhaps appreciating and maximizing on each moment is a purpose in and of itself.

Maybe miracles are all around us - every day, in every moment - if only we open our eyes, our senses and our souls.

Our moments combine to make weeks, months, years, decades. Lifetimes. They are ours to discover. Moment by moment by moment.

Take them all in. Take each of them in. Notice. See. Breathe. Appreciate. The reality, the magic, the miracles - they are all there in front of you, yours for the taking.

The clouds forming random patterns of beauty. Appreciate that. The unexplainable, yet very real feeling you get deep inside yourself when you provide a kind gesture or reach out in kindness to a random person because your heart pushed you to do so.

Moments spent with those people with whom you have a deep, lasting soul connection - however brief or lasting. Laughing. Crying. Just being - together.

The sun glistening on water - whether it’s a lake, river, ocean or a puddle in the middle of a roadway.

Color, and the ability of each of us to choose a favorite one.

People, and the ability of each of us to choose favorite ones.

Trusting yourself, because you truly deserve it.

Trusting others, because they’ve earned it and truly deserve it.

Trusting life, because it is good, if you allow it to be.

For new beginnings - because they are possible at any time in life.

For endings, because they lead to new beginnings.

For middles because they are the ooey, gooey and sometimes best part.

The smell of springtime when the snow is melting and everything is coming back to life.

The smell of bacon and coffee on an unencumbered Saturday morning.

Hearing a song that reminds you of a beautiful time long gone.

Hearing a new song that touches your heart without you ever expecting it.

Understanding and appreciating the basics: love, life, gratitude, appreciation, bliss, true happiness, empathy, kindness, wisdom from within, peace and love (again.)

Understanding and appreciating the details: bees pollinating, birds singing, cats cuddling, holding hands, children’s laughter, a calm day on the lake, paying the bills, clean laundry, a breath of fresh air, bare feet on a sandy beach, a new hair cut, a new friend, a new life.

Understanding and seeing it all and living it all is yours for the taking - in each moment. String them together to make a lifetime - to not only find, but to create your true purpose.

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published play-

Slices of Life Jill Pertler Syndicated columnist

September brings activities to the library

Fall has finally arrived. We love summer, but we are happy for cooler temperatures, pumpkin everything, and curling up with a good book and a cup of tea.

Saturday, Sept. 17 we have Ranger Matt from Glacier National Park coming to talk about the different types of work National Park Rangers do and what makes Glacier so special. Then get ready to play Animal Olympics and learn about some amazing adaptations that local animals have and how truly remarkable they are. This is a wonderful program for the whole family.

Then on Monday, Sept. 26 at 3:30 p.m. we see the return of Maker Space in the library meeting room with our very own robots, Dot and Dash. Join us as we learn how to code. While these programs are geared toward kids six and up, we also have some wonderful programs for the younger set. Mondays at 9:15 a.m. join us for Mother Goose for zero to three year olds, and on Thursdays at 9:15 a.m. join us for Story Time for three to five year olds. Of course, younger and older children are always welcome, and kids must bring an adult.

Our summer book club for middle and high school students was a great success, so we are continuing through the fall. We have books available at the li-

View from the

Library Abbi Dooley,

North Lake County Public Library District

see page 11 wright 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 regarding candidates in the Nov. 8 midterm election will not be printed after the Oct. 26 issue in order to allow candidates time for response.

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.

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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.

Vote no

Editor,

You gotta love our Legislature - they make Houdini look like Bozo the Clown. Most recently they introduced, for your vote this coming election, the Born-Alive Protection Act, an anti-abortion provision intended to change our state constitution from allowing to prohibiting a woman’s choice in reproduction matters. Move on folks, nothing to see here. Yeah, right.

No matter if you support or oppose our current constitutional provisions regarding a woman’s right to choose, our intrepid elected officials present a law that changes how birth dates are recognized statewide that conflicts with national standards. They make up one specific to Montanan’s soon to be conceived. I can’t foresee a single problem coming, can you?

The conflicts with such things using birth date as the marker (drinking, driving, military service, social security, tax deduction, etc.) will only create massive headaches and issues. For example, our legislature wants to make a few weeks after an egg is fertilized the ‘birth’ date of record. Think you can get your kid a social security card based on that? And, um, which day did your fetus pass the benchmark to be declared born. How do you know unless you have a daily exam? Obvious answer of course is your best guess. Does that need an official record someplace?

But those geniuses who thought this up have instead one real intent: they oppose abortion, they know a majority of others do not. Opposition is established in one’s mind and beliefs, not tied to one brand of religion or another. Separation of church and state are guaranteed, as are many individual rights, in our constitution. Born-Alive Protection Act as presented on your ballot is as un-American as you could imagine and should be considered as bad as any fear you have of a government taking control of your life.

Reject this change to our State Constitution. No on B-A-P-A.

Rich Bell Polson

Monica represents

Editor,

If a Republican was ever going to vote for a Democrat, Montana’s HD 1 is the race. Monica Tranel is about representing all Montanans, not just the Rs or the Ds. As a lawyer, Monica has a track record of fighting hard for working Montanans and has a proven record of taking on corporate monopolistic interests, including Northwestern Energy. Monica has been Montana focused. Her efforts have helped

see page 12 from page 10 brary for interested kids. Just stop in and pick one up – it is yours to keep. We will then meet on Friday, Sept. 30 at 3:45 p.m. to discuss the book.

September is just packed with programs and there are more you don’t want to miss. Sierra will teach you how to “Make Your Own Cross Stitch Bookmark” on Friday, Sept. 23 at 11 a.m. All supplies are provided, but you do need to sign up by emailing us or calling or stopping into the library. Humanities Montana speaker and storyteller, Mo Reynolds will join us for Story Time on Thursday, Sept. 22 and again for an evening program for adults and teens (time to be decided). She is “a professional storyteller that weaves folk tales with personal narratives.” This is also a kick-off to an exciting project we have planned to gather stories from elder residents who have lived in Polson and the surrounding communities for all or most of their lives. We hope to add these stories to the Montana Memory Project.

Speaking of the MMP, Tech Tuesday is Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. in the library meeting room. Our Technology Librarian will present a program on the new and improved Montana Memory Project. Did you know that the Montana State Library has a website dedicated to preserving over 70,000 documents, photos, videos and stories from Montana’s history? They recently did an upgrade and have an easy to search collection. You can even add your own information. Do you know who is in that photo? If you’d like a preview, visit mtmemory.org and then attend our program for in-depth information and search tips.

Our Friends of the Library are still selling raffle tickets for another hand-quilted Amish quilt as a fundraiser. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. Find a Friend or purchase tickets at the library. The drawing will be held on Sept. 16.

We really enjoyed the beautiful, peaceful harp played by Debbi Conrad this month. Don’t miss our First Friday Acoustic Music performers who are sure to liven up the place on Oct. 7 at 3:30 p.m. Amy Knutson and Arlee Freemole will entertain us with their ukuleles and fun songs.

The Library’s hours are Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Curbside pickup is available for everyone during open hours. Please call us at 883-8225 or email us at polsoncl@ polson.lib.mt.us with questions or to request curbside pickup.

2022

Saturday • September 17th 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors Center • Ronan

Bring the whole family!! Perfect end of Summer event!!

Kids Games • Bounce House • Petting Zoo • Vendor Market Cornhole Tournament • Food Vendors • Trail of Bales