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Bigfork Eagle
Artist finds niche in collaborating with local bands
When artist Isaac Passwater returned home to the Flathead Valley following his graduation from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, it was only meant to be a short summer break before he moved to Portland in search of work in the arts. Then the pandemic happened and the artist found himself stuck in his hometown. It’s been four years and Passwater is still here, embracing a growing arts scene and developing his style while building on unexpected community connections. The 27-year-old has been an artist his whole life, earning him recognition as a student at Bigfork High School where he illustrated...
FVCC showcases undergraduate research May 3
Flathead Valley Community College’s Honors Program presents its annual Honors Student Research Conference with poster presentations and 30-minute oral presentations on Friday, May 3.Students will present their research and compete for prizes.The public is welcome to attend this free event. Light refreshments will be provided. From noon to 2 p.m. in the Joe Legate Black Box Theatre in the Arts & Technology Building FVCC’s “Science on Stage” honors class led by Rich Haptonstall and Karla Ryan will present their work in five theatrical micro-plays. In the Arts & Technology Building lobby from 1-2 p.m., students with poster presentations will exhibit and explain their research. Posters are judged and eligible for prizes. From 2-3:30 p.m. in the Arts & Technology classrooms students will give 30-minute oral presentations. Honors students in Amber Paulson and Marty Mullins’ “20th Century Europe in Fact & Fiction” class as well as students in non-honors classes will present. At 3:45 p.m. in the Joe Legate Black Box Theatre an awards ceremony will be held. For more information about FVCC’s Honors Program, visit fvcc.edu/honors.
Tester calls for action on water levels in Flathead Lake ahead of summer
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester on Monday called on a federal inter-agency group charged with managing dams and reservoirs to immediately begin taking steps to avoid low water levels in Flathead Lake this summer.“A lesson learned from 2023 is action must be taken early to try to mitigate the worst case scenarios when summer months arrive,” Tester, a Democrat, wrote in an April 29 letter to the group. “As such, I encourage the [Technical Management Team] to take action now on the summer draft limits to put the region in the best possible position to manage the drought.”The Technical Management Team...
State seeking public comment on future of Bigfork fishing access site
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is planning to relocate the state fishing access site at Sportsman's Bridge ahead of construction of a new span across the Flathead River.The state wildlife agency is proposing moving the fishing access site, currently on the east bank of the river, to the western shore. It also calls for expanding its size to accommodate more people. The existing access point is heavily trafficked, said Dillon Tabish, regional communication and education program manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. “It’s very popular,” Tabish said. “But it is fairly confined in its current location. It's pretty much tucked right...
Trout Unlimited banquet May 18
The Flathead Valley Chapter Trout Unlimited’s annual banquet to support native trout and habitat in Northwest Montana is Saturday, May 18. The banquet will be held at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish. Doors open at 6 p.m., dinner is served at 7 p.m., online auction closes at 8 p.m., with a live auction and raffle prizes awarded after the dinner. The banquet is a fundraiser for Trout Unlimited to assist with many projects, primarily in Northwest Montana. Funding goes toward habitat conservation, water quality protection and restoring native fish populations. “Right now we are especially focused on bull trout. They belong here...
Habitat Flathead seeks volunteers to build more homes
Habitat for Humanity of the Flathead Valley wants to build more homes and more quickly. But to do that it needs to substantially increase its number of volunteers. The nonprofit’s goal is to increase the number of houses built from three to more than 10.“Volunteers are the backbone of Habitat for Humanity’s model,” said MaryBeth Morand, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley. “The labor they provide is the primary reason our homes are affordable.”One key source of volunteers for Habitats all over the United States is a group of volunteers called Care-A-Vanners. The volunteers travel from one Habitat...
Mack Days: Just two weeks left
Anglers fishing the 2024 Spring Mack Days Fishing Event have increased the total number of lake trout entries to 29,228, slightly more than the 2023 total of 28,176 at the end of week seven, and less than the 2019 record breaker, which was 31,163 at week seven and 40,362 overall.Friday’s total was 1,405, Saturday’s was 1,227, and Sunday’s catch was 687. The Monday-to-Thursday total was 3,334.One hundred seventy-two anglers have turned in one or more lake trout entries so far. Every lake trout entry counts in this conservation effort to reduce non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake, sponsored by the...
Bigfork boys land in 2nd at Whitefish track meet
The Bigfork boys track team placed second at the Whitefish ARM Invitational on Saturday, April 27 with two even winners.Bigfork’s Wyatt Johnson won the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 41.56, while also placing second in the 110-meter hurdles (15.68). Teammate Austin Savik was second in the 300-meter hurdles (42.91).Savik won the triple jump with a leap of 42-4.5, while Wyatt Barnes was second (41-9.75). In the 200-meter run, Robert Merchant took second (24.51) while teammate Tayden West was fourth (24.70). In the 400-meter run, Bigfork’s Jack Jensen was third (52.27).Sam Ayers was fifth in the 3,200-meter run (11:28.10).In the 400-meter...
'Clean Your Fork' keeps Bigfork tidy
Every April, the Bigfork community comes together for the annual “Clean Your Fork.” This was designed to tidy up the trash on the side of the highway and other overlooked places throughout the town.Conservation efforts have been at the forefront of recent news, and this event is part of preserving Bigfork’s environment. Home to pristine waters, roving mountains and vividly green forests, Bigfork is a place worth preserving. No one likes to see junk on the side of the road, so projects like “Clean Your Fork” are important to keep the town a pleasant place to live and visit. This year's cleanup took place Saturday, April 27, starting at 8 a.m. with a complimentary breakfast and safety meeting. The cleanup volunteers then spent the day cleaning up their section of the community.
Vikings baseball scores wins over Whitefish, Mission
Bigfork made the best of their offense in a 6-4 West Division victory over Whitefish on Tuesday, April 23. The Vikings turned five hits into six runs as they downed their Flathead Valley foe.Mason Lewis went the distance for Bigfork, allowing just two earned runs and striking out five. The Vikings led 3-2 after three innings before Whitefish took a 4-3 lead in the fourth. Bigfork tied the game up in the fifth and added two more go-ahead runs in the sixth.Whitefish committed six errors in the game.Grady Campbell was 2-for-2 in the game, while Ryeln Rodriguez, Liam Benson and...
Glacier National Park plows less than a mile from Logan Pass
Glacier National Park Going-to-the-Sun Road snowplow crews are knocking on the door of Logan Pass. This week they reached the point just below Rim Rocks on the west side and plan to start plowing that area on Monday.Rim Rocks is just under a mile from Logan Pass. Snow depths were between 2 and 10 feet.On the east side the crew worked from Jackson Glacier Overlook to Siyeh Bend and will be moving beyond Siyeh Bend next week, the Park Service said.The hiker-biker closure on the east side is at the Grizzly pullout when crews are not working.The hiker-biker closure on the west side is Road Camp when crews aren’t working.Crews typically don’t work on the weekends. The closure points can change depending on conditions. Folks can text GNPROADS to 333111 to get the latest updates.Folks can drive the Sun Road as far as Lake McDonald Lodge on the west side and Rising Sun on the east side. The Many Glacier, Camas, and Chief Mountain roads are all open to vehicles.
Youth bowling league takes root in Bigfork
“Someday, Bigfork will be known for bowling,” stated Rhino Page, head coach of the youth bowling league at Grizzly Lanes when he bought the bowling alley in December of 2021.Now three years later, that dream is becoming a reality with 55 kids ranging in age from from 4 to 17 years old taking part in its youth bowling league.As a professional bowler for 14 years, Page wanted to bring his passion alive in the little town of Bigfork.During the recent Pepsi tournament in Missoula, eight out of the 26 young bowlers qualified in the top six, with two going on...
Energy Keepers offers weekly “Range of Forecast”
Energy Keepers Inc., the owner and operator of Salish Ksanka Qlispe (SKQ) Dam, began posting a new graphic last week that shows the possible lake level ranges this summer.According to a press release, the Range of Forecast Graphic will be updated every Monday afternoon through the spring and summer on the Energy Keepers website, www.energykeepersinc.com, and Facebook page.“What will happen with lake levels is a question on the minds of everyone in the Flathead Lake community. There’s an ample amount of incorrect information going around so in an effort to keep the public apprised of the ever-changing conditions we are...
Mack Days: Angler turns in 42-inch lunker
Lake trout entries for the 2024 Spring Mack Days Fishing Event keep climbing, thanks to the endurance and tenacity of the lake trout anglers on Flathead Lake. Up to $225,000 in cash and prizes are offered during the derby, sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.Many would say it was a rough time on the water over the sixth weekend especially Saturday and Sunday. Blustery winds and cold temps took a toll on the anglers.But in the midst of it all, on Saturday, tough veteran angler Jack Kirkland called in and...
Bigfork School District holds trustee election
Bigfork School District has one three-year term trustee position open representing the high school and Swan River School. Candidates are Dan Elwell and Carrie Garber.The election is May 7. The district office is located at 600 Commerce Street, Bigfork. Call 837-7400 for more information.The biographical information included was provided by candidates and edited for spelling, punctuation and format.Dan Elwell (Incumbent)Occupation: Section supervisor for the Montana Department of TransportationFamily: Wife of 22 years, Lori Elwell, and children Hailee, Wyatt, Naomi and Luke Elwell.Education: High school diploma and numerous work-related trainings and certifications.Background: Bigfork High School Board of Trustees (2018-present); Swan River School...
Swan River School holds trustee election
Swan River School District has two trustee positions open with three-year terms. Candidates are Marcus Burleson, Linda Stewart, Josh Turner and Curtis Wisman.The election is May 7.The district office is located at 1205 Swan Highway, Bigfork. Call 837-4528 for more information.The biographical information included was provided by candidates and edited for spelling, punctuation and format.Marcus BurlesonOccupation: Assistant Director for an electrical curriculum organization. Family: Wife Krystle, sons Leavan, 11, and Ridge, 7, and daughter Willa, 8.Education: High school diploma, five-year trade school degree for construction electrician, five years of adult education with CET/Application-based training focus and now I teach technical courses in...
Bigfork boys take second at Seeley-Swan Invite
The Bigfork boys placed second at the Seeley Swan Invite in Missoula on Saturday, April 20. The girls placed fourth, with both teams having several placers in multiple events.Jack Jensen won the 800-meter run (1:58.52) and the 1,600-meter run (4:25.58). Wyatt Johnson won the 300-meter hurdles (42.04) while teammate Austin Savik was second in the 300-meter hurdles (42.78).Savik was also second in the triple jump (42-5).Bigfork won the 4x100 relay (45.15), and was fourth in the 4x400 relay (3:45.05).Wyatt Johnson was second in the 110-meter hurdles (15.97). Tristan Herd was third in the pole vault with a mark of 11-6. Bigfork’s Robert Merchant was fourth in the 200-meter run (23.81) with a personal best, while Tayden West was fifth (23.90). On the girls side, Claire Jensen was second in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:52.80. Danika Bucklin was also second, posting a time of 50.34 in the 300-meter hurdles, a personal best. Bucklin was also third in the pole vault with a mark of 8-06. The Bigfork 4x100 relay team placed third (52.27) and the 4x400 relay team was fifth (4:27.19).In the javelin, Callie Gembala was third (99-01) and Zoe Guffin was fourth (99-0).
Tracy will represent HD11
My name is Shawn Hall and I have been a resident of Bigfork since 2014 and have served as Bigfork’s head wrestling coach for the past six years.Wrestling is a non-funded sport at the high school, and as such I have interacted with many members of this generous community. I would like to highlight my interactions with one of those generous community members, Rob Tracy. It has been my pleasure and good fortune to have developed a professional and personal relationship with Rob. As you may or may not know, Rob is running for House District 11. Rob has served as...
Characters of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ dance through story in ballet performance
Marking its 44th year, the Northwest Ballet Company brings “Alice in Wonderland” to the stage of the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts. Characters include the White Rabbit, Smoking Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, March Hare, Sleepy Dormouse, Playing Cards, King and Queen of Hearts, the Tweedles, and of course, Alice herself. Performances are May 11 and 12.Northwest Ballet Company Director Marisa Roth is excited to bring such a fun, colorful, entertaining show to the theater for Mother's Day weekend. "It's been such an energetic couple of months of rehearsals at our Dance Art Center studio in Kalispell,” she said. “This...
Tom Sliter Community Partnership Awards presented to Flathead Land Trust
On April 10th the NW District, Montana Council, Boy Scouts of America hosted an Investment in Character and Leadership fundraising luncheon and silent auction event at the Red Lion, which included the Tom Sliter Community Partnership Awards. The fundraiser was an outreach to potential donors to contribute to scouting’s ICL campaign. Funds raised help support various programs to advance scouting skills and leadership growth for just over 300 scouts and adult scout leaders in northwest Montana. Funds also help sustain two premier BSA camps in the Flathead Valley: Grizzly Base Camp just north of Bigfork, and Melita Island in flathead lake. These...
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