Comment Archives: stories: News: Features
Re: “Pinesdale polygamy fears”
Great. Now I know where my mother in law gets her misinformation about the residents in Pinesdale every time she spouts off her nonsense about the people there. She's simply repeating something that she HEARD, just like you have, "Independent".
Go back to journalism school, or better yet, just go get a job for National Equirer.
Re: “Here, kitty, kitty”
Why is it that people will not respect the fact that the forest and wilderness do not belong to them? No one has any right to remove a wild animal from the forest, period. If this had been an average citizen that removed the cub they'd have been fined by the warden. Why then weren't the forest service employees? Is this a case of one agency fighting another over who is "right and wrong"? How sad that the agencies will not follow established policies and procedures they publicize and inform the public on regularly.
Re: “After 157 years, Montana tribes want their water”
Excellent article.
Re: “What's that smell?”
Yuck. I just moved into an apartment complex near the corner of Mullan and Reserve and made the mistake of leaving my window open all night. I woke up because of this smell of puke boiling on a hot street/ old out house/ rotting corpses. Had to use about half a bottle of Febreeze to get my apartment smelling normal again. Then I google this issue and find this article... written three years ago. So by this time (May 2012) this has been going on for 6 years. And nothing has been done about it. Ridiculous. Thankfully my lease on this place is only for a few months. Would be nice to be able to leave the window open in the summer
Re: “Pinesdale polygamy fears”
Ha ha, "they stiffen and watch, rapt, until it’s safely gone"?! Really? And "Both wear nearly identical denim dresses with pastel blouses." This sounds a little like that "pointy architecture" article to me
Re: “Here, kitty, kitty”
What a bias story with all the cute pictures of the 'kitty'! Has anyone (to include the 'journalist') stopped for one minute to give some thought to the fact that it's actually against the law to pick up a wild animal even in an attempt to 'rescue' it? (It's called 'unlawful possession of a game animal'.) And given that the 'rescuers' had no idea what they were dealing with, let alone any background in bilology or animal medicine (oh and the fact that it's a year later), it would seem a little odd that they are suddenly experts in the field of wildlife management.
And to say that Loewen 'enjoys' some sort of celebrity status is a clear case of a 'journalist' who has taken no time whatsover to get to know Dave Loewen. (I have the good fortune to work with a number of Game Wardens in Montana and Loewen is a true leader among his peers.) Loewen has been 'featured' because he takes his work seriously. A few of those articles he's been 'featured' in include rescuing stranded and capsized boaters and solving the case of a trophy bull elk poached on superbowl sunday. Seems to me those instances warrant 'celebrity' given his life saving actions and conviction to his job. And let's all keep in mind- Loewen didn't pick up the cute little kitty from the wild and illegally transport it to Helena- an action which endangered the animal's life even more. And to insinuate that Loewen has a bias towards cats because he did his job and shot a lion of an elderly woman's deck is equally rediculous! (By the way, a little investigative journalism may have turned up a very appreciative homeowner.)
In my mind the real tragedy here is, once again, humans who assume they get to rescue wild animals from nature's course of survival and then cry foul when it doesn't go their way with a happy ending. It's difficult for anyone who spends time in the 'woods' to see stranded, injured or abandoned animals but that's the ethical approach and it's the law. You would think that the 'rescuers' would have known that given their location and Howser's 'former' position at Lubrecht. And next time, how about a balanced article- cute pictures of the kitty, how about a few of Loewen or other Wardens (who are tasked with making snap judgement calls every day) pulling a drowning boater from the water while risking their own lives- you know, stuff that allows them 'to enjoy celebrity'. As for the 'rescuers', next time leave the cute animals in the woods- for better or worse.
Re: “Here, kitty, kitty”
If a state or company cant fill a position then the pay must not be good enough. Isn't that how a free market works? Not enough wardens? Offer better pay. Seems easy enough. I used to work at Mcdonalds I guess since my job sucked and the pay was bad I had a free pass to do whatever I wanted. Right?
Re: “Here, kitty, kitty”
Sorry, no free pass on bad judgement because of bad pay and long hours. Such a government worker response that there should be no accountability because of bad pay and longer hours. Crazy!!! Everyone has a story, every job has its down side, but you still have to be accountable for your actions! If you don't think the pay is good enough, get a different one, just like everyone else would have too. Don't make excuses to us about how tough it is so you don't have to make good decisions. I am personally disgusted by this decision and feel there should be consequences for this decision. He should be held accountable (fired) for such an absurd and disgusting choice. I hope he likes his "celebrity" status when this gets out because I can't think there are too many people, short of the people that are busy covering their own, that would support such a horrible decision. I would not want this man making any more decisions about our animals. Yes, you heard me right, our animals, like the people of Montana. He can have the job of picking up the animals that have been killed along side the road. I believe he is definitely qualified for that.
Re: “Here, kitty, kitty”
This encounter with the mountain lion kitten is a tiny piece of a much larger, complex picture of what game wardens do and are responsible for.
Should wardens be out patrolling Canyon Ferry and Holter ensuring boating safety for the hundreds of people enjoying Memorial Day weekend, or trying to get weakened kitten placed into the wildlife rehab center?
Quoted from the article: http://helenair.com/news/local/in-the-hunt…
Wanted: Montana game wardens. Must be willing to work evenings and weekends, especially during hunting season, and be on call 24/7. Job includes confronting armed suspects, investigating boat crashes, searching mountains for poachers, chasing moose through cemeteries and tranquilizing bears and mountain lions.
Must know state, tribal and federal regulations inside and out, as well as have an extensive understanding of sociology, psychology and conflict management resolution. Must be a straight shooter, figuratively and literally, with a college degree.
Pay is $12.65 per hour for trainees. Starting annual salary for a full-time permanent position is $36,670, or $17.62 per hour — if you somehow manage to work only 40 hours per week.
The low pay, long hours and decreased family time was enough for Kevin Cook to leave his position last July as one of three game wardens stationed in Helena and become a Montana Highway Patrolman. Cook said being a game warden was both challenging and rewarding for him and he worked with people “second to none.” Yet he’s one of 24 wardens —about one-third of the force —who have either retired or resigned in the past five years.
“With most law enforcement positions, officers work schedules where they are allowed days off and are not subject to job-related tasks or interruptions,” Cook said. “However, game wardens are required to be in an on-call status 24/7.
Helena-based Warden Dave Loewen is living the reality of being short staffed. Three wardens typically operate out of the Helena office, but since Cook left in July and Mike Ottman retired in August, Loewen has been flying solo most of the time. His territory ranges from the Continental Divide to the top of the Big Belt Mountains, and from Wolf Creek south to Jefferson City.
His work recently included investigating a boat crash on Hauser Lake in which a man was killed by a boat propeller at 11 p.m. on a Friday night; setting up and checking on multiple traps where nuisance bears are getting too close to houses; and trying to wrap up ongoing investigations into poaching allegations, as well as doing water safety and regular patrols.
Ben Lamb, the acting director for the Montana Wildlife Federation, said the shortage of wardens going into the hunting season is a “huge concern” for his organization.
“It’s a crying shame that those guys are asked to do so much work for so little — those guys get shot at, for Christ’s sake,” Lamb said. “One of the biggest problems for hunters today is poaching. We have an amazing resource we’ve spent 100 years building and refining, and now we’re in the position that the people we entrust to enforce those laws are kind of beat down.
“If you can find seven people to fill those positions I would be shocked. You have 75 wardens for 56 counties, and some of their patrol areas are the size of Rhode Island. They usually patrol alone, often in remote areas, and how do you ensure they have the backup they need?”
Re: “It takes a village to make Missoula's David Boone a rock star”
Fantastic article. Very, very well written. Perhaps this article should be sent to that Rolling Stone writer!
Re: “George's claim”
Wouldn't it add a lovely twist, if this reporter got the female perspective all about his wonderful life style? It could be a Hallmark movie.
Re: “It takes a village to make Missoula's David Boone a rock star”
A really compelling and beautiful story. It took me a while to find the video (and hear the music), but it was worth the search. We're fans!
Re: “It takes a village to make Missoula's David Boone a rock star”
Congratulations David & Stephanie! (And great story, Erika.) Thanks for being such a wonderful part of our world and sharing your inspiration. Stay in the ring! Your knock out round is coming!
Re: “Thirty years after killing two men, is Ron Smith's number finally up?”
Sharklover,
I’m sorry for your loss and hope and pray I never have to endure such pain. My prayers go out to you and your family.
Shadow
Re: “Thirty years after killing two men, is Ron Smith's number finally up?”
Having been through a death due to someone else I would have to question the amount of money needed to defend Smith, most victims are not afforded that luxury, nor are they afforded a free education, health benefits, etc. What bothers me is the victims tax dollars are caring for the criminals and no one helps the victims. No one asked my brother if he would like to live or die..it cost thousands and thousands to take care of things out of my fathers pocket, no one offered to pay..How much do we really owe the criminal in society? I am not sure how I really feel about capital punishment, the thought of taking a life in general upsets me..But...After over 20 years I still miss my brother, I still wish I could have a relationship again, that he could see my grandkids, we could still talk...it goes both ways..and sadly the victims and their family/friends are the ones who really suffer the most..forever..
Re: “Thirty years after killing two men, is Ron Smith's number finally up?”
I would say he is a man that understands he committed a horrible senseless unforgiveable crime by murdering two innocent people. He also seems to understand how he destroyed countless family member’s lives by his actions.
Funny how he is now talking about it right before a decision is being made concerning his life. I wonder if he really feels sorry or if he is looking to save his own skin by asking for mercy? Wonder if his victims asked for mercy because we all know he gave none.
Re: “Thirty years after killing two men, is Ron Smith's number finally up?”
"He doesn't expect to be forgiven for his crimes, he says. He understands they deserve harsh judgment, but he wants people to know that the man who committed them is already gone."
that's a powerful sentiment, I would say.
Re: “A play-by-play look at five years of Griz gridiron success and scandal”
It’s clear that the screening process for athletes needs to be revamped. I think the U needs to look at and consider local players before they give out a scholarship to some yahoo with a criminal record to play football. It seems like the U is more interested in football and winning than providing a good education to its students. Very sad for Missoula and its citizens to have to carry the burden of bad decisions set forth by the U. Let’s not forget that our children lookup to these players. What sort of example are they setting as well as the U? Not a good one.
Re: “Sharpest dogs in the West”
My dog Lucky is a busy one. When my son was little he played hide and seek with Lucky I am not sure who was more entertained . He loves the fall time my son hid in piles of leaves and lucky would hunt for him and drag him out of the pile. All the kids in the neighborhood would take turns hiding one of the smartest Dog I have ever owned what a great article
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Re: “Biking Bad”
"Wilder -- himself a mountain biker..."
Owning a MTB and riding it on the Kim Williams isn't the same thing as being among those form whom MTB riding is a focus of their lives.
Andy Kulla used to say he was a mountain biker. Yeah, he owned a bike.
USFS Lolo NF office is an obstruction and it doesn't care about MTB riders.