Boulder City Council hires police chief

The Boulder City Council this week hired Rick Streib as the city's part-time police chief.

Streib, who is a teacher in Helena, has over 30 years of law-enforcement experience, said Boulder Mayor Daryl Deede Craft.

Streib has worked as a deputy and a reserve officer, Craft said.

The city's full-time police officer, Alisha Burns, who was hired in February, graduated from Law Enforcement Academy at the end of June, said Craft.

The city is in the process of interviewing to hire a third officer.

The council has put a decision on hold whether to hire a full-time city administrator until the city completes its budget, said Craft.

The first budget workshop is Tuesday at 1 p.m. at City Hall.

Meriwether Lewis' final day topic of talk

The death of Meriwether Lewis in October 1809 remains one of American history's greatest mysteries.

On Saturday night, speaker David Jolles will present, "An Unfinished Life: The Last Day in the Life of Meriwether Lewis" at Townsend Schools Community Room at 7 p.m.

Was it murder? Was it suicide?

And why does the Park Service refuse to exhume his remains?

Actor and historian Jolles will bring to life this famous explorer 200 years after his death.

He will recount the fateful night in Tennessee hill country and debunk popular myths perpetuated by historians for two centuries.

The free event is sponsored by Crimson Bluffs Chapter, Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation and the Humanities Montana Speakers Bureau. For information call Rose Oleson 439-7784.

Elkhorn Working Group honored

The Elkhorn Working Group recently received the Forest Service's Regional Forester's Partnership Award from Regional Forester Tom Tidwell.

The Elkhorn Mountains are the only Wildlife Management Unit in the National Forest System.

An important part of this unique designation is that the Elkhorns are a working landscape, with ranchers making a living in the Elkhorns since the 1870s.

The unit is part of the Helena and Beaverhead-Deerlodge national forests and the greater Elkhorn Cooperative Management Area that includes the Bureau of Land Management and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.

In 2001, severe drought conditions renewed a long-standing and contentious debate on the allocation of forage between livestock and elk in the Elkhorn Mountains, and the impact of elk on adjacent private lands.

The EWG was created in response to the FWP Commission's request for a review of elk/livestock management in the Elkhorns, according Liz Van Genderen, Forest Service spokeswoman.

It was hoped that the EWG would be a catalyst for a local, self-sustaining group, responsible for collaborative problem solving.

It is a diverse citizens group composed of sportsmen and women, conservationists, ranchers, business people, and agency representatives who care deeply about the Elkhorns and its resources.

The group focused on restoring healthy, resilient ecosystems rather than debating cattle versus elk, she said.

It worked collaboratively, using consensus, and came together to support the ECMA in landscape restoration.

The EWG was instrumental in the purchase and transfer of private land along the flanks of the Elkhorns -- known as the Iron Mask -- to the BLM.

This was an effort to preserve the cultural, traditional, and natural heritage of the landscape.

The EWG has also been instrumental in securing funding for weed treatments on both public and private land.

And it has recently joined efforts with the ECMA agencies to support "A Forest for Every Classroom" education program.

This program provides local teachers the tools to connect students to their natural, economic, and cultural communities through public lands.

The EWG was commended for their passion and commitment, and for expanding their area of interests and agency assistance far beyond anything imagined in their early days.

Boulder man named SuperTag winner

Shawn Hall, of Boulder, is one of three lucky Montana hunters to get another shot at the dream this fall to win Montana's big game SuperTag lottery.

The three winners are:

• Mountain goat: Arron Franz, Sidney

• Moose: Glen Majors, Manhattan

• Bighorn sheep: Hall.

While resident and nonresident hunters could buy an unlimited number of $5 chances to win any Montana SuperTag hunting license, Franz purchased 50 chances, Hall purchased five and Majors bought two.

Combined the odds of winning a moose, bighorn sheep, or mountain goat SuperTag is about one in 15,000.

Chances for the next SuperTag drawing for deer, elk, bison, antelope and mountain lion are available through July 31.

Montana's mountain goat, moose, and bighorn sheep hunting licenses are among the state's most prized big game hunting licenses.

Each year, Montana attracts more than 55,600 applications for about 1,000 mountain goat, moose, and bighorn sheep hunting licenses awarded through annual special drawings.

While those coveted hunting licenses must be used in a specified hunting district, each SuperTag winner can hunt in any hunting district in Montana where seasons are established for the big game species identified on the SuperTag license.

SuperTag chances for the bighorn sheep license were once again the most popular among hunters with 22,429 chances sold.

Hunters purchased 11,222 chances for a moose and 6,393 chances for a mountain goat SuperTag.

Montana residents purchased a total of 20,598 chances compared to 19,443 purchased by nonresidents.

Sales revenue for all three drawings combined will provide more than $200,000 to enhance public hunting access and boost FWP enforcement efforts.

Chances for the deer, elk, bison, antelope and mountain lion SuperTag drawing are available through July 31 at all FWP License Providers or via the Internet.

For information visit FWP's Web site at fwp.mt.gov. Click SuperTag icon at the bottom of the page.

Bannack Days this weekend

Each year during the third weekend in July the old ghost town of Bannack comes alive in a celebration of pioneer life.

Activities will begin at 9 a.m. this Saturday and will run until 5 p.m. and from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

Activities include: horse and wagon rides, shootouts, the Great Debate on women's suffrage, gold panning, cowboy poetry, mountain men camp, black powder shooting, 1800s U. S. Cavalry camp, Western Union telegraph office, candle making, an old time church service Sunday morning, camp dancing on the green, old time music, food and treats, and more.

The stagecoach from Virginia City will be arriving at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Road agents and vigilantes may be arriving, as well.

Visitors are welcome to wear period costumes to get into the spirit of things.

Admission is free. Carpool if possible as parking is limited. The park requests that visitors do not bring pets. For information, call the park at 406-834-3413.