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Whitefish Pilot
Student winners of sixth annual Energy Conservation Calendar Art Contest
2024 marks six years since the Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana first hosted an annual art contest across Flathead, Lake, Lincoln and Sanders counties. Thirteen winners were selected out of 545 entries: Phoebe – Grade 10 – Whitefish High SchoolKatelyn – Grade 9 – Glacier High SchoolSnow – Grade 5 – Creston Elementary SchoolBailey – Grade 8 – Evergreen Junior High SchoolZayley – Grade 12 – Columbia Falls High SchoolMadison – Grade 10 – Whitefish High SchoolIsaac – Grade 6 – Eureka Middle SchoolJasmine – Grade 11 – Plains High SchoolKaty – Grade 12 – Whitefish High SchoolSally –...
‘Think like an ember’ this fire season
Now is the time to prepare homes, make emergency plans and communicate with neighbors, according to wildfire experts who spoke at the Living with Wildfire seminar in Whitefish last week.The event hosted by Firesafe Flathead featured presentations from several experts including Big Mountain Fire Chief Ben DeVall, Marcel Getz, community preparedness and fire prevention specialist with the Montana DNRC Northwest Land Office, Whitefish Police Chief Bridger Kelch, Richard Hildner of Firesafe Flathead, Whitefish Fire Department Chief Cole Hadley and Flathead National Forest Fire Management Officer Rick Connell.Connell reviewed last year’s fire season and gave an outlook for the summer.Looking back...
Fairground grandstands to be evaluated this week
Flathead County Commissioners contracted with Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers to conduct a visual structural condition assessment of the grandstands at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. The evaluation will focus on the grandstand’s support structure to assess structural durability. Information collected during the evaluation will be summarized into a report on the general conditions of the structure and outlining areas that may need further study. The report will include a subjective measure of the severity of any structurally notable conditions that are observed, as well as providing preliminary recommendations for more in-depth investigations or schematic repairs and/or maintenance to extend the useful life of the grandstand. If possible, the report will include recommendations on near term structural stability of the grandstands for usage. Flathead County expects the report will be made final on June 21. This date is subject to change. For further information, please reach out to Tanath Bradley, Flathead County Public Information Officer at (406) 758-5501 or email at Tbradley@flathead.mt.gov. Updates about grandstands and bleachers can be found at our Fairgrounds FAQ page: https://flathead.mt.gov/department-directory/fairgrounds/status-of-grandstands-and-bleachers.
Badrock Invitational at Glacier Bank Park next week
Badrock 15U Baseball, which is made up of Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Eureka youth baseball players, is hosting the first annual Badrock Invitational at Glacier Bank Park, the home of the Glacier Range Riders, June 27-30. The tournament is a double elimination with a four-game guarantee. Teams that are attending are the 406 Flyers out of Billings, Federal Way out of Seattle, Mission Valley Mariners, Libby Loggers, Kalispell Sluggers, Flathead A’s and host Badrock Baseball. “We wanted to make this first year mostly a local tournament so everyone can come watch local athletes compete in the nation’s top minor league...
Free summer meals available for children and teens
Free meals are available to youths 18 and under in Flathead County over the summer months when school is not in session.Meals will be served at schools, parks and other locations in Evergreen, Kalispell, Somers-Lakeside and Whitefish starting June 17. Columbia Falls locations have already started serving meals.No registration, proof of income or identification is required to participate at any location and all youths are welcome to participate at any site. The Summer Food Service Program works to ensure that youth from low-income families and neighborhoods get nutritious meals when school is on summer break. The school district receives federal...
Picklers tickled with new courts at Smith Fields
The popularity of pickleball has exploded in recent years and now there are six, new green and purple pickleball courts for players to enjoy at Smith Fields in Whitefish. The racket sport is a mixture of tennis, badminton and ping pong. The hollow, rigid plastic ball with holes resembles a wiffle ball and the game is played on a 20-foot by 44-foot court.Whitefish resident Carol Atkinson spearheaded the project and began fundraising two years ago after approaching Gloria Nelson, executive director of Project Whitefish Kids, the nonprofit organization that runs the Smith Fields Youth Sports Complex.“I went to Project Whitefish Kids...
Whitefish hosts outdoor volleyball tourney this weekend
The second annual Flathead Valley Volley-Brawl will bring outdoor grass volleyball action to the field at Whitefish High School, Saturday, June 15. The Volley-Brawl is an adult, co-ed tournament featuring 40 teams from the valley, Missoula, Bozeman, Billings, Spokane, and western Washington. Event organizer and Whitefish High School assistant volleyball coach Keaton Grove started the event last year.“I go out and play in a lot of competitive tournaments here and there but most of those are in Missoula or Spokane or Billings,” Grove said. “There hasn’t been any here, so last year I started it, in a way, to get...
Looking Back: A moratorium on land development put to vote
A look back at past Pilot articles by Julie Engler50 Years AgoJune 13, 1974A country-wide moratorium on land development in Flathead County might have been decided at the ballot box. Flathead Tomorrow, an organization concerned with water, land and air use in the Flathead Valley, began circulating a petition calling for adoption of a resolution to invoke a country-wide one- to two-year moratorium on major new land development. “The prime motivation for imposing a moratorium is an unfortunate absence of an effective plan for controlling development in the county while the rate of development is very fast both for Montana...
Police Calls: Sign stealers may be caught on video
The police calls section is presented for entertainment purposes and does not reflect the nature or the volume of the calls received by local law enforcement.May 19The caller and their fiance were driving around the golf course at night looking for a missing cart. The carbon monoxide detector that was sounding on Flatwater Drive was found to be faulty.May 20Ten drivers were warned about their speed on various roadways before 9:30 a.m.A turquoise shuttle bus that is for sale was parked in front of the caller’s house for a week. The owner said she would move it.A business owner on Lion...
Student Art: ‘Open Road’ by Charlotte Lehmann
The art featured above is called "Open Road" and is an acrylic painting with colored pencil by Whitefish High School senior Charlotte Lehmann in the WHS Art 2: Advanced Art class. The Pilot periodically features art from Whitefish High School students.
Twins B club crushes Libby
The Glacier Twin B Team scored 15 runs in the first two innings on their way to an 18-1 American Legion Baseball victory over Libby on Wednesday, June 5. Glacier finished with 16 hits, while Twins pitching held the Loggers to just three hits.Connor Magnuson started the game for Glacier, striking out four, while Ben Dow finished the final three innings and struck out four.Nolan Amerman went 4-for-6 with five RBI with a double, while Trenton Derosa was 3-for-6 with a double and two RBI. West Amerman also had two RBI and two hits, while Collison Lewis went 3-for-5 with...
Sherry Lynn Elaine Martindale, 75
Sherry Lynn Elaine Martindale, 75, died June 4, 2024, in Whitefish. A celebration of Sherry's life will be held at 11 a.m. on June 9, at Columbia Mortuary, 1010 Fourth Ave. W., Columbia Falls. Columbia Mortuary is caring for the family.
Roger Grant Anderson, 88
Roger Grant Anderson, 88 of Whitefish, passed away on March 28, 2024. He was born on Feb. 24, 1936, in Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Grant and Genevieve Anderson. He was their first child, a healthy bubbling baby boy.Roger was a loving father to Roger Timothy Anderson, Kristen Anderson, Wendy and Steve Stuart, and Robin Anderson, all of Kalispell. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Torrey Anderson, Tina and Jeremy Mills, Jesse and Elizabeth Franklin, Katrina and Keith Fletcher, John Stuart, and six great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Elaine George of Dardanelle, Arkansas.He was preceded in death by...
Whitefish High School authors shine in Annual Authors of the Flathead Teen Writing Contest
This spring, high school students across the Flathead Valley threw their words in the ring for the Authors of the Flathead Student Writing Contest, with winners from Whitefish, Bigfork and Linderman schools taking the top spots.Every year the non-profit organization of “writers helping writers” hosts a contest with cash prizes to encourage teens in their writing ambitions. With categories in Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry, the contest is wide open to interpretation and subject matter. This year’s contest saw entries on themes ranging from romance to addiction and grief, environmental awareness, and everyday family love. The students submit their entries either...
Major expansion for The Springs OK'd by Council
After hearing what Councilor Ben Davis called “thoughtful feedback” from the public, Whitefish City Council last week approved a planned unit development for an expansion of The Springs at Whitefish. Public comments about improving outdoor access for residents of the senior living facility caused the council to consider postponing the matter. Ultimately, the council voted unanimously to allow the applicant to move forward with the project.The development expands The Springs, located at 1501 River Lakes Parkway, by adding 80 independent living units. The plan also includes a separate, age-restricted multi-family building with 44 units. Four units in the existing building are...
City Council preview for June 17, 2024
Whitefish City Council meets on Monday, June 17, beginning at 7:10 p.m. at City Hall.Council meetings are also available for participation remotely through Microsoft Teams. The work sessions are also available for remote participation. For more information, visit the city’s website at www.cityofwhitefish.org or call 863-2400.Individuals are encouraged to provide written public comment to the City Clerk, Michelle Howke at mhowke@cityofwhitefish.org or deliver by 4 p.m. on June 17, at City Hall in the Utility Drop Box.Items on the agenda, subject to change:- An ordinance amending zoning regulations regarding stream, lake and wetland buffers and setbacks.-A resolution adopting the update to the Whitefish Sustainable Tourism Management Plan.-Consideration of approving the proposed budget as the fiscal year 2025 preliminary budget.-Consideration to wayward a construction contract for the GRouse Mountain Fields parking lot.-Other matters that may arise between June 12 and June 17.There is a special session at 5:30 p.m., before the regular meeting, for a review with the Montana Department of Transportation and for a discussion of a proposed annexation policy. This meeting is held virtually and is accessed with the same link that is provided for the regular meeting.
Explore Whitefish passes $250,000 mark to support affordable housing
Explore Whitefish has donated more than a quarter million dollars to affordable housing initiatives in the past two years. Its most recent allocation to Housing Whitefish for $35,000 collected in the first quarter of this year includes funds for operations, program development, and rental assistance payments. Total payments over the past two years are $266,682.Local restaurant business members contributed directly through the 1% Community Sustainability Fund (CSF).CSF is Explore Whitefish's 1% voluntary assessment from revenues collected at member restaurants, hotels and transportation companies. 50% of the CSF collected at member restaurants directly supports affordable workforce housing. 125 business members actively...
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The first edition of the Whitefish Pilot rolled off the press Jan. 23, 1904. For more than 100 years, the Pilot has provided Whitefish with local news, sports and features, and has played an integral role in documenting the city's transformation from a railroad town to a bustling resort community.
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