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Following
are abbreviated versions of the week's top stories.
This digest is updated once a week, usually on Thursday.
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Planning
board denies GMC request
By
Melissa Smith
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
The
City-County Planning Board has failed to approve a
new zone change request by Glendive Medical Center,
contrary to its initial nod of approval in the matter
three months ago.
The
vote took place following a public hearing Thursday
night at the Dawson County Courthouse.
Members
of the planning board ended up with a tie vote on
a motion to recommend approval to the Glendive City
Council for the hospital’s request to change
zoning on a residential property near the hospital
to a residential professional designation in order
to facilitate a move by the GMC home health and hospice
offices.
Planning
board member Therese Iwaniak voted against her own
motion and was joined by Clay Walker and Robin Utgaard
in opposition to the proposal.
Stacy
Aguirre, Kathy Green and Mike Dryden, chairman of
the board, all voted in favor. Because Dryden’s
vote was included in the tie, the motion failed to
pass.
The
planning board in March had voted 6-2, with a ninth
member abstaining, to recommend approval of the request.
Once
the item came before the council, however, it initially
was voted down after fervent opposition voiced during
a public hearing. Much of the opposition centered
on a lack of parking and a concern about congestion
and aesthetics in the neighborhood.
The
council later voted to put the proposal back on the
table due to new information regarding parking and
agreed to send it back to the planning board to start
the approval process over.
Aguirre
and Iwaniak both expressed disapproval of that decision.
“I
don’t think it was proper to be brought back
to this board,” Aguirre said. “We already
approved this. I don’t know that it’s proper
to be putting the planning board in this position.
It is ridiculous.”
Dryden,
who also is a member of the council, explained that
the city was advised by City Attorney Scott Herring
to refer the item back to the planning board before
the council could vote on the new proposal.
GMC
Representative Marshall Melton explained Thursday
that the new information regarding parking showed
that the hospital could meet a city code requirement
to provide six parking spaces for the property, something
which had been questioned by the council. He said
the hospital planned to convert the back yard of the
home on Ames Avenue in to a parking lot and utilize
two spaces in the front.
Iwaniak
said parking specs are the responsibility of the city
council and not the planning board and were not reason
enough to bring the item back to the board.
“I
don’t really care about parking,” she said.
Melton
said the hospital was also planning to work with City
of Glendive Public Works Director Gary Zuroff to meet
code requirements, including those dealing with drainage
and lighting, issues which have been controversial
with neighbors.
Several
residents voiced opposition to the zone change request,
including one neighbor, who is GMC employee and works
for the office the hospital intends to house in the
Ames Avenue property. Gail Eissinger said she and
other employees are satisfied with the space they
are using on the GMC campus for home health and hospice.
“We’ve
had meetings and we’re happy where we’re
at,” she said. “We’re settled there.”
Hospital
officials, however, explained that the home health
and hospice offices were recently moved from their
downtown location to the hospital campus only in order
to cut down on costs and had temporarily displaced
other hospital departmental needs.
Bruce
Eissinger said the zone change would disrupt quality
of living for area homeowners, and Ron Freistone,
also a neighbor, said he already deals with the noise
of delivery trucks in the early morning hours and
he does not want that inconvenience to get worse with
a new parking lot.
“I
don’t need my bedroom lit up or any more noise,”
he said.
One
neighbor, Jessica Beacom, spoke up in favor of the
hospital’s proposal; she said she considers a
nearby restaurant to be more of a nuisance with “squawking”
drive-through speakers and the constant smell of bread
baking during the day.
Also,
she said, she would rather see a neatly paved parking
lot than an unkempt yard full of weeds in the neighborhood.
“I
don’t see this as being a huge disruption,”
she said.
A
letter of support from neighboring resident Brian
Steffen was read by a GMC employee, calling the hospital
a neighborhood asset.
Though
the planning board failed to pass approval of the
zone change request, the item is not yet dead. The
board serves in an advisory capacity to the council,
and the council is faced with the ultimate decision
of approval or disapproval.
Weed
booard, commissioners continue talks
By
Melissa Smith
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
Discussions
about moving the Dawson County Weed District out of
its current location continued during a meeting this
week between the weed board and county commissioners,
with weed board members still unconvinced that a relocation
proposal is in the department’s best interest.
“It
just ain’t gonna work,” said weed board
President Don Walker.
The
two boards met Wednesday night at the West Glendive
Public Works building along with WGPW Director Doug
Keever.
Commissioners
Jim Skillestad and Doug Buxbaum are leading a push
to move the weed district from the armory building
back to its former location at WGPW.
Skillestad
said he has talked with Keever about the possibility
and they have outlined a plan to dedicate a portion
of the shop to the weed department and possibly use
the county’s economic stimulus funds to create
an add-on.
Skillestad
said when the county purchased the armory from the
National Guard, he personally promised the space would
be used for the county’s Emergency Operations
Center and Search and Rescue, and the weed department
was never part of that.
“My
word means something,” he said, adding that those
plans do not mesh with the presence of the weed department,
partly because of chemical concerns.
The
weed office and equipment were moved in to the armory
building over two years ago and Skillestad said it
was meant only as a temporary solution to a problem
that had arisen at that time.
Now,
he said, it is time to move forward with original
plans for the building, which he said also includes
housing the county road department.
There
are plans to begin pavement work at the armory next
month, and Skillestad said that may mean relocation
of the weed equipment, even though it is the department’s
busiest time of year with summer spraying.
He
said he does not believe it should be a problem for
the weed department to move its equipment out to WGPW
but still maintain its office space at the armory
for the summer.
“I
don’t think it’s much of an upheaval,”
Skillestad said. “They were out in that same
area for 12-15 years.”
However,
Walker said he does not believe it makes sense for
the office to be in one place and the equipment in
another and he is working with the road department
for a solution.
Also,
he said, the weed department already had outgrown
its space at WGPW before the move two years ago and
has since grown even more, adding the mosquito spraying
operation.
He
said he believes the weed department should stay where
it is, but since the commissioners already have voted
to move the office and equipment, a separate building
is the only solution.
“What
they’re proposing to do out at public works,
we don’t feel is going to work,” he said.
“We don’t think that’s feasible.”
Buxbaum
and Skillestad both said the commissioners need more
information about the weed department’s specific
needs in order to make a decision about future accommodations
for the department.
The
commissioners this spring had asked the board for
a needs assessment, but Walker said the department
had been without a coordinator since late December
and volunteer board members were unable to produce
a written document.
A
new coordinator, Greg Mendenhall, began his job last
week and told the commissioners he would have a report
to them by the end of July.
Skillestad
said it is important to distinguish between needs
and wants when it comes to a solution.
“I
realize it’s nice to have nice things,”
he said. “We’re just trying to do things
as economically as we can. We owe it to the taxpayers.”
The
county applied for stimulus funds through the Montana
Legislature’s House Bill 645 and was allotted
$60,000, potentially to fund a construction project
for relocation of the weed department.
Building
permits remain steady
By
Melissa Smith
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
The
number of building permits issued since the beginning
of the year is exactly what it was at this time in
2008, though the values are significantly higher.
City
of Glendive Fire Chief George Lane, who also serves
as the building inspector, said he has issued 26 permits
since Jan. 1.
“We’re
pretty average,” Lane said.
That
number represents both commercial and residential
construction, valued at a total of $2.36 million,
compared to $1.7 million at this time last summer,
an increase of over a half-million dollars.
One
major factor pushing 2009’s mid-year figure is
a permit issued to Glendive Medical Center valued
at $1.5 million for its emergency room project, part
of a massive ongoing hospital construction effort.
Other
projects have included remodel work at Makoshika State
Park’s Visitor Center, Yellowstone River Inn,
the Twilite, Glendive Job Service and Runnings, along
with a downtown office space meant to accommodate
a military recruitment office.
A
new stage is under construction at the Dawson County
Fairgrounds and the Attic is in the midst of a roofing
project.
Also,
there have been permits for one new home, five garages
and three residential additions.
Economic
Development Council Executive Director Amy Deines
said the fact that building permit numbers are on
track with last year shows steady growth, a positive
indicator for the local economy.
“I
think we need to feel optimistic that even though
it was not an increase, we are slow and steady in
the pace at which we are growing,” she said.
Deines
said rapid growth may seem exciting for other cities
but also poses challenges in terms of infrastructure
and even quality of construction.
“We
haven’t been hit the way the big cities have,”
she said.
“We
are not moving forward at the pace many of us would
like, but I think in the long run, that will be a
good thing.”
Deines
said residential projects in the midst of difficult
economic times are proof of a good level of commitment
to the community on the part of citizens, a positive
sign for sustainability.
“People
are spending their money carefully, but they’re
spending on what they want,” she said.
“They
know their house is an investment and it’s encouraging
to see they’re spending their money on a long-term
investment here in Glendive.”
That
same investment mentality is a positive indicator
on the commercial side as well, Deines said, adding
that she sees continuing interest from potential new
business owners and developers looking for a place
to locate.
“My
phone’s been ringing for some smaller businesses
looking for opportunity in areas such as Glendive,”
she said.
“Rural
communities are more attractive right now. It’s
a very interesting time for rural communities, which
is kind of fun for us right now.”
Business
owners are taking a different perspective on what
they can do and how they can be more efficient, Deines
said, adding that the new approach has led more people
to consider rural areas versus more populated cities.
“I
think there’s going to be some things happening,”
she said.
Obituaries
The
following obituaries appeared in The Ranger-Review
the week of June 28, 2009.
Bertha Jane “Pat” Van
Scoik, age 88 of Glendive, died at the
Glendive Medical Center in Glendive, Montana on Friday,
June 5, 2009. Services will be held at a later date.
Robert
“Bob” Allen Larsen,
72, of Glendive passed away on Wednesday, June 17,
2009 at the Glendive Medical Center in Glendive, from
complications following an accident on his scooter.
Elizabeth
Mary “Betty” Deaton,
age 97, passed away on Thursday, June 18, 2009 at
the Eastern Montana Veterans Home in Glendive.
Roy
Westlind,
age 67, passed away on Sunday, June 21, 2009 at St.
Vincent Hospital in Billings, Montana.
Dolores
J. Hines,
71, of Williston, formerly of Glendive, Billings and
Wolf Point, passed away peacefully at her home on
Tuesday, June 23, 2009, after a three-year battle
with cancer.
Cleone
Douglas,
age 90, of Iowa City, Iowa, formerly of Carlyle, died
on June 27, 2009, at the Mercy Hospital in Iowa City,
Iowa.
SPORTS
Red
Devils come into tough competition
By
Kevin Miller
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
Glendive’s
American Legion baseball team had four home games
on Sunday and Monday.
Sunday’s
afternoon games were against conference foe Wolf Point.
Monday evening the Blue Devils hosted the Williston
Oilers.
The
Yellow Jackets took both games of the doubleheader
on Sunday. The Blue Devils and the Oilers split the
two games on Monday.
Wolf
Point came away with an 8-7 win in the opener on Sunday.
The Yellow Jackets pushed across two runs in the 1st
inning on three hits to take the early lead. However,
the Blue Devils answered with two runs of their own
to tie the score after one inning of play. Cody Cullinan
led off with a single to start the rally for Glendive.
After Darien Saeman reached on an error, Sebastien
Lamphier singled to load the bases for Dylan Beach.
Beach promptly delivered a single to left to score
Cullinan. Alex Burlison followed with an RBI single
to score Saeman.
Glendive
claimed the lead with a run in the bottom of the 3rd.
After two quick outs the Blue Devils loaded the bases
on three consecutive walks. Amadeo Lamphier then drove
in Beach with a single to give his team the 3-2 advantage.
Wolf
Point came right back in the top of the 4th with a
run to once again tie the score. Curt Zimmerman started
the inning for Wolf Point with a double. Zimmerman
came in to score on single by Drew Baldry.
Wolf
Point regained the lead in the 5th inning with two
more runs. Heading into the bottom of the 5th the
Jackets were up 5-3. Glendive erased the two-run deficit
immediately in the bottom of the inning. Lamphier,
Beach, Almond and Burlison started the inning for
the Blue Devils with four consecutive singles. Burlison’s
hit scored Lamphier, but on the play Beach was out
at home. Austin Eggert followed with a big two-out
hit to score both Almond and Burlison. After five
innings the home team was up 6-5.
Wolf
Point started a two-out rally in the 6th when Chris
Kurokowa singled into left field. He later came around
to score and tie the game at 6-all. In the bottom
half of the inning the Blue Devils would load the
bases but failed to score. Heading to the 7th the
two teams remained deadlocked.
Zimmerman
opened the 7th for the Yellow Jackets with a base
on balls. Baldry added a hit and the visitors had
something going. Nolan Harris had the big blow with
a two-run singled to score Zimmerman and Baldry. Almond,
pitching for the Blue Devils, got out of further damage
by getting the next two outs.
Aaron
Naasz came on to pinch hit for Glendive in the 7th.
Naasz gave the Blue Devils hope with a solid double
to the left field wall. Bryan Overton followed with
a one-out single to advance Naasz to third. Cullinan
scored Naasz with a sacrifice fly. Unfortunately for
the Blue Devils, the game ended when Overton was called
out trying to steal second base.
Wolf
Point 200 121 2 - 8 11 2
Glendive 201 030 1 - 7 11 3
Game
No. 2 between the Blue Devils and the Yellow Jackets
proved to be a pitchers’ dual. Sebastien Lamphier
pitched a complete game for Glendive but the team
could not pull out the win. Lamphier held Wolf Point
scoreless until the 5th inning. In this inning they
were able to come up with a pair of runs. That was
the difference in the game as the final score wound
up being 2-1. Drew Baldry pitched a complete game
two-hitter to pick up the win for the Yellow Jackets.
The
Blue Devils’ lone run came in the 2nd inning
of play. Almond led off the inning with a sharp single.
Almond later scored to give the Devils the one-run
lead. Almond also got the Blue Devils only other hit
when he singled in the 4th.
A
missed third strike and a single started the Yellow
Jackets rally in the 5th. These two runners came in
to score to give Wolf Point the advantage at 2 to
1. That was enough support for Baldry as he allowed
just one Blue Devil to reach base in the final three
innings.
Wolf
Point 000 020 0 - 2 8 2
Glendive 010 000 0 - 1 2 4
These
two losses leave the Blue Devils with a 4-4-conference
mark while the Yellow Jackets remain undefeated in
the conference.
Monday
night the Blue Devils took the opener by the final
of 8-6. The Oilers came back to win the nightcap 9-6.
Glendive
took the early lead in the first game when they scored
three times in the 1st inning. Cullinan, Saeman and
Lamphier all scored in the inning. Lamphier’s
hit scored Saeman and Lamphier. Beach followed with
a single to drive in Lamphier.
The
Blue Devils extended their lead to 5-0 in the 2nd.
Overton started the inning for the Blue Devils. He
came in to score and later Lamphier scored for the
second time in as many innings to give the home team
the five-run lead.
Williston
battled back with a single run in the 3rd and two
more in the 4th to cut Glendive’s lead to just
two runs, 5-3. However, the Blue Devils responded
with two runs in their half of the 4th inning. Lamphier
scored for the third time in the contest and Beach
would also score to make the score 7-3.
The
Oilers would not give up as they answered the Blue
Devils two runs with two runs of their own in the
top of the 5th to once again pull within two runs.
Beach would score an insurance run in the 6th. Williston
added one more in the 7th to round out the scoring.
Alex Burlison pitched the entire game and got the
win for the Blue Devils.
Williston
001 220 1 - 6
Glendive 320 201 x - 8
A
huge eight-run 2nd inning propelled Williston to the
9-6 win in the second game. Both teams went scoreless
in the first inning of action. The Oilers outburst
in the 2nd was aided by six Blue Devil errors. Williston
added another run in the 4th to go up 9-1.
The
Blue Devils started a comeback in the bottom of the
3rd. Lamphier was hit with a pitch and eventually
scored, but this was all the Devils were able to come
up with in the inning.
Trailing
9-1 Glendive mounted a bigger rally in the 4th inning.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Almond delivered
a big shot to drive in all three base runners. Almond’s
double down the left field line scored Cullinan, Saeman
and Lamphier. After four innings of play the Devils
were now down just 9-4.
The
Blue Devils showed a lot of heart as they continued
to climb back into the game in the 5th. Again they
loaded the bases in this inning. This time they were
able to push across two runs. Overton would score,
followed by Cullinan to get the Devils within three
at 9-6.
Glendive
threatened again in the 6th but were unable to get
in any runs. Almond started the inning with his second
double of the game, but the Blue Devils stranded two
runners and the score remained 9-6. The Oilers were
also able to hold Glendive in the 7th and preserve
the three-run win.
Williston
080 100 0 - 9
Glendive 001 320 0 - 6
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