The Falcon’s Tristen Guillot took first in the 1,600-meter race, finishing with a time of 4:37.87.

Twin Bridges finished first in the 1,600-meter relay. The team consisted of Michael Pfertsch, C.J. Cox, Jesse Pfertsch and Guillot.

Jesse Pfertsch placed fourth in 200-meter race.

The Ennis boys’ team tied for seventh place with White Sulphur Springs. Derek Wham from Ennis placed second in the shot put and Walker McKitrick took second in pole vault.

Harrison’s Dylan Lehman placed fourth in the shot put. Harrison placed tenth at the meet.

The Twin Bridges girls’ team finished in sixth place. The Falcon’s 1600-meter relay team placed fourth.

Sheridan’s Keila Smith took first in the 100-meter dash.

Harrison’s Taya DeFrance took third in the long jump as well as two sixth-place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles.

The track season will wrap up next weekend at the state meet in Laurel.

BOYS

Team scores: Charlo 103, Twin Bridges 58, Hot Springs 57, Victor 50, Seeley-Swan 38, Alberton 35, Ennis and White Sulphur Springs 27, Manhattan Christian 26, Darby 24, Harrison 20, Gardiner 15, Arlee 12, Shields Valley 9, Noxon and Sheridan 8, Drummond 6, Philipsburg 2, Superior and St. Regis 1.

100 – 1, Tra Ludeman, Cha, 11.72; 2, Tylen Dial, SS, 11.80; 3, Anthony Byrns, HS, 11.81; 4, Keir Sanzano, Alb, 11.84; 5, Isaac Desjarlais, Arl, 11.86; 6, C.J. Cox, TB, 11.88.

200 – 1, Byrns, HS, 23.45; 2, Tyler Delaney, Cha, 23.56; 3, Dial, SS, 23.64; 4, Jesse Pfertsch, TB, 23.65; 5, Storm Wanstrath, Dar, 23.96; 6, Neil Jopling, Nox, 24.01.

1,600 – 1, Tristen Guillot, TB, 4:37.87; 2, Marcus Fuller, She, 4:39.70; 3, Jory Fisher, WSS, 4:44.23; 4, Bradey Wilson, Nox, 4:47.04; 5, Garrett McCormack, Dar, 4:57.36; 6, Andrew George, TB, 4:59.00

110 hurdles – 1, Ludeman, Cha, 15.30; 2, Keith Heidema, MC, 16.27; 3, Kail Pope, Cha, 16.40; 4, Matthew Sarrazin, SV, 16.54; 5, John Parcell, SS, 16.55; 6, Gabe Johnson, TB, 17.16.

300 hurdles – 1, Pope, Cha, 41.10; 2, Dylan Knox, Dar, 41.54; 3, Sanzano, Alb, 41.85; 4, Sarrazin, SV, 42.14; 5, Nate Bishop, Vic, 42.20; 6, Matt Robbins, Dar, 42.22.

1,600 relay – 1, Twin Bridges (Michael Pfertsch, C.J. Cox, Guillot, Jesse Pfertsch) 3:30.81; 2, Seeley-Swan, 3:32.54; 3, Hot Springs, 3:34.13; 4, Darby, 3:34.41; 5, Charlo, 3:34.86; 6, White Sulphur Springs, 3:41.39.

Shot put – 1, David Cross, HS, 47-2.75; 2, Derek Wham, Enn, 47-2.5; 3, Andrew Lommen, Alb, 46-3.50; 4, Dylan Lehman, Har, 44-1.50; 5, Maclane Bignell, Dru, 43-4.75; 6, Keir Sanzano, Alb, 41-8.25.

Long jump – 1, Zac Agee, Vic, 20-10; 2, Kyle Ball, Vic, 20-7.75; 3, Cox, TB, 19-7.75; 4, Scott Kamps, MC, 19-7.5; 5, Jopling, Nox, 19-5; 6, Ludeman, Cha, 19-3.5.

Pole vault 1, Webb O’Neill, Cha, 14-00.75 (meet record; old record 14-0 by Pat Bignell of Drummond in 1993); 2, Walker McKitrick, Enn, 13-0; 3, Jacen Petersen, Cha, 12-6; 4, Forrest Reinhart, Gar, 12-0; 5, John Parcell, SS, 12-0; 6, Tucker Smith, Sup, 11-6.

GIRLS

Team scores: Seeley-Swan 63, Superior 58, Charlo 54, Darby 47, Shields Valley 43, Twin Bridges 31.33, Drummond 31, Harrison 30, Sheridan 26, St. Regis 20, Willow Creek 18.33, West Yellowstone 18, Arlee 17, Ennis 16, Alberton 12, Manhattan Christian and Valley Christian 10, Noxon 7, Philipsburg 5, Hot Springs 4, Victor 2.33, Lima 2, Lincoln and Gardiner 1.

100 – 1, Keila Smith, She, 13.22; 2, Nicole Stroot, Sup, 13.40; 3, Sarai McCollaum, Dar, 13.47; 4, Anna Pence, Phi, 13.55; 5, Taylar Jensen, Enn, 13.61; 6, Mariah Hogenson, SV, 13.73.

200 – 1, Keely Ehmann, Dar, 26.95; 2, Stroot, Sup, 27.11; 3, Aspen Runkel, Cha, 27.33; 4, Kylie Kerkaert, SV, 27.34; 5, Sienna Brown, Cha, 27.95; 6, Jensen, Enn, 28.00.

800 – 1, Alexys Bryant, Dru, 2:24.08; 2, Bailee Parker, WY, 2:24.46; 3, Jessica Knoll, Arl, 2:25.16; 4, Mckenna Sweet, VC, 2:25.23; 5, Marge Henrekin, SS, 2:25.79; 6, Madison Owens, Enn, 2:26.96.

3,200 – 1, Nikki Aiken, MC, 11:57.73; 2, Jessica George, TB, 11:59.46; 3, Lily Lang, Dar, 12:00.17; 4, Henrekin, SS, 12:19.04; 5, Geneva Plakke, Sup, 12:27.05; 6, Marie Waldbillig, Phi, 12:38.12.

100 hurdles – 1, Stroot, Sup, 15.96; 2, Runkel, Cha, 16.17; 3, Hoyt, Cha, 16.61; 4, Jaci Nesbit, WC, 16.71; 5, Emily Stosich, Lim, 16.75; 6, Taya DeFrance, Har, 17.42.

300 hurdles – 1, Paige Holmes, SS, 46.79; 2, Stroot, Sup, 46.89; 3, Runkel, Cha, 47.99; 4, Nesbit, WC, 48.18; 5, Hoyt, Cha, 49.22; 6, DeFrance, Har, 49.72.

1,600 relay – 1, Seeley-Swan (Holmes, Stephanie Robbins, KeAnna Conley, Holly Beary), 4:13.42; 2, Charlo, 4:19.79; 3, Shields Valley, 4:21.91; 4, Twin Bridges, 4:22.44; 5, Ennis, 4:23.04; 6, Darby, 4:30.72.

Shot put – 1, Olivia Kennedy, SS, 34-10.5; 2, Daphne Puckett, TB, 34-5.5; 3, Casey Chenowith, Nox, 32-11.5; 4, Frankie Bignell, Dru, 32-10; 5, Mahalia Hendren, Arl, 32-5; 6, Abby Erickson, Lin, 32-4.5.

Long jump – 1, Stroot, Sup, 17-1; 2, Keila Smith, She, 15-10.5; 3, DeFrance, Har, 15-8; 4, Mariah Hogenson, SV, 15-7.75; 5, Breanna Pocha, Dru, 15-6.5; 6, Whitney Malatare, Arl, 15-1.5.

Pole vault – 1, McKinzie Cooper, Sup, 9-6; 2, Jordan Ludeman, Cha, 9-0; 3, Owens, Enn, 8-6; 4, Adair Dunham, Dru, 8-0, 5, Holmes, SS, 8-0; 6, Kelly Harbach, Gar, 8-0.

Dear Editor,

On May 4, the Vigilante Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation held its 17th annual fund raising banquet in Virginia City. I am writing this letter to thank the many contributors, attendees, and committee members who made this event a success way beyond any of our expectations. First of all, I would like to express our appreciation for the tremendous outpouring of support from the businesses and individuals of Madison county and southwest Montana. When our committee members approached you and asked for donations you were there for us. In our small communities we realize that everyone is asked to contribute to so many causes but our residents continue to come through for us, this is truly a special place. Secondly, I would like to thank the many people that attended our event. Our attendees came to support the conservation and improvement of wildlife habitat through their attendance, contributions, and participation in our auctions and raffles and they came through in a huge way. Last, but not least, are the Vigilante Chapter committee members, what a great group to work with. Our chapter represents all of Madison County and together with the RMEF has managed to conserve and enhance over 6.1 million acres of wild lands. Thanks so much to my committee members who worked so hard to host such a great event and raise money for elk country and all wildlife that live there. We are already working towards our 18th annual fundraising banquet that will be held on May 3, 2014, in Virginia City so mark the date on your calendar. If you would like to get involved with us for a good cause let us know, we are always looking for good help and fresh ideas.

Thanks again Madison County, we couldn’t do it without you!

The Vigilante Chapter of the RMEF: Jan Coffman, Ron Pack, Maria Lake, Les and Holly Driskill, Ray Shaw, Dallas and Marcie Snider, James and Amanda Harris, Dean and Danielle Stoker, John and Gail Gleghorn and Rick and Cathy Toot.

Congratulations to the new couple

The wedding was such a pleasure! There was the delight of children scattered throughout the pews; some giggles, whispers and fuss came from behind.
There is the 20-foot high ceiling, a mural on one wall, a large chandelier hanging and the pipes of an old organ on the front wall.

The groomsmen and maids were dressed in sharp, rich black with pink, orange and red accessories.  Then, the soft turn of wheels on a little red wagon pulled by one of the ring bearers carrying Addison to her parents–their gift from and to themselves.

There was joy and laughter ringing from bride and groom, the minister and loved ones here to share the celebration of their love.  Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Kristovich.

Lyndall Morgan

Ennis

Former student appreciates Sheridan teachers

A letter of thanks-

I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for the teaching staff at Sheridan Schools, especially John Funk, Larry Keller, Dean Leary, Julie Maddison, Will Fett, Bill Wilkinson and Paula Elser.

After graduation in 2004, I did not grasp the importance and the high quality of the education I had received through elementary and high school.  As I went through the honors program and received a B.S. in Business at MSU-Bozeman, it began to hit home a bit.  I was as prepared, if not more so than the students coming out of strong college prep programs at large and private schools from across the nation.  How privileged we were to have grown up in a community that so valued education.

Now nearly 10 years later, I truly understand the value of excellent teachers.  I made the decision to return to school for a second degree based in science.  I had not taken a hard science class since leaving high school, but found that what I had learned from my high school teachers quickly came back and allowed me to excel in classes ranging from chemistry to biology.  What struck me more than the background I was lucky enough to possess was the lack of educational background in other students.  Concepts that I had just assumed were a part of every student’s education were foreign to many incoming college students.  They were struggling with basic skills such as effective note taking, writing an essay test, and basic grammar.

Long story short, thank you so very much for the outstanding and well-rounded education you provided through Sheridan schools.  Thank you for your dedication to sciences, essay writing, speech giving, note taking, and everything in between.  You clearly went above and beyond in every aspect, and I so very much appreciate that you did.

Thank you,

Jamie (Dixon) Cottom

THANK YOU!

We would like to send out a special thank you to everyone who helped us during and after Bill’s accident:

Madison Valley Medical Center Emergency Room crew and Ennis Ambulance crew for making the right call to get Bill to the University of Utah Burn Center in Salt Lake as soon as possible;

Ennis Elementary School and Madison Square Day Care for their help and support with our children; and Patty and Steve Davis (grandparents) for the wonderful care for our little girls in our absence.

Ennis, Harrison, and Bozeman MDT crews for their help and support in Bill’s absence.

All our friends and family for their well wishes and prayers and many offers of help.

And especially our daughters Breezy and Emma, and future son-in-law Brandon, for dropping everything and coming to Salt Lake City to help us.

And Gracie and Hannah, for giving us the best homecoming ever.

Thanks to all,

Bill and Margaret Stecker

Thank you very much

We would like to thank all of the people who sent cards, food, wishes, prayers  and condolences for George Alger during the illness and recent funeral. Your thoughts of us and remembrance are appreciated.

Mary Ann Alger

Ennis

Correction

In last week’s edition, Ennis Arts Association provided incorrect information regarding their scholarship winners. The second winner for the first General Scholarship of $500 is Sage Gustafson.  She will be attending university in Missoula.

The summer of 2013 is filled with fun events celebrating the sesquicentennial of finding gold in Alder Gulch and the cultural heritage of Virginia City, Montana.  Festivities begin Memorial Day weekend, with events planned every weekend through Labor Day and activities every day in between, there are opportunities for fun and learning throughout the season.

On May 26, 1863, around four in the afternoon, a trail-weary party of six men decided to make camp beside a mountain stream whose course they had been following since early morning. After having left the gold camp of Bannack in early February, they had a series of difficult adventures, and were grateful to be nearing home. Four of the party went to prospect up the creek before dinner, and two stayed behind to picket the horses and do camp duty, and ended up prospecting a piece of exposed bedrock… and what they found would prove to be one of the richest gold deposits in North America, and would be one of the greatest events in the history of Montana.

The history of Virginia City and the area is long and rich, and features many cultures and characters.  The Virginia City Area Chamber of Commerce website gives a detailed account of the evolution of the area, which is still living, thriving and will be celebrated throughout the summer of 2013.  The complete calendar of events is available under the events tab on the Virginia City Area Chamber of Commerce website at www.virginiacity.com.

Memorial Day weekend kicks off the festivities from May 24 – 26, 2013.  Friday, May 24 at 5:30pm the Elling House in Virginia City will host the winning 150^th Commemorative poster art winner for a poster signing and art show. Kathleen Arvila-Scott of Butte, MT was selected as the winner. The original poster art created for this event will be on display (to be auctioned off at the Chamber Dinner and auction on June 15) and posters will be available for sale and signing by the artist as well as a collection of her work.  Following the artist’s reception, the Virginia City Preservation Alliance (VCPA) will present their book titled “Nuggets in Time” at 7pm. This is an anthology of photographs and articles on the history of Virginia City, some of which are previously unpublished. This is a limited edition and available to the public for the first time at this event. All proceeds with go to the VCPA. Refreshments will be served.

Saturday, May 25, the annual Spring Horseback Poker ride registration is at the Bale of Hay Saloon from 8:30am to 10am. Take a 2.5-hour ride in the hills around Virginia City while gathering poker cards. There are prizes for the top three hands. Come back to the Bale for lunch and get ready for the parade! Poker riders can participate in the parade or sit back and enjoy it. Call the Bale for more information 406-843-5700.

The Virginia City Season Opening Parade, starting at 1:30 pm on Saturday, will celebrate the year of 1863. All entries must be non-motorized and participants are encouraged to dress in period clothing. There are prizes for the top three entries and the first 50 children who participate will receive train tickets. In the spirit of the 1863 gold rush, gold coin candy will be distributed during the parade. Parade entry applications can be found on the Virginia City website at www.virginiacity.com or call Debbie Rogers at 406-843-5425.

Sunday May 26, at 2 p.m. at Elks Park in Virginia City (near the back of the Depot Pond) there will be a historical performance of the discovery of gold in Alder Gulch by the Nevada City Living History performers.  John Ellingsen will provide historical background on the discovery of gold in Virginia City after the living history performance.  Learn about the events leading up to the discovery, travels by Fairweather and his party looking for gold on the Yellowstone, their encounter with the rattlesnake and the Crow Indians, the retreat back to Bannack and the discovery of gold. The event will wrap up with cake and refreshments.  If weather is bad, celebrations will be moved to the community center. This event is presented by the 150th Celebration Committee of the Virginia City Chamber of Commerce.

The Virginia City Area Chamber of Commerce has led a partnership to plan and support the events of the summer including a team of volunteers and financial supporters too numerous to mention, and numerous agencies and organizations including the Montana Heritage Commission, Virginia City Preservation Alliance, Elling House Arts and Humanities Center, the Town of Virginia City, Madison County, Montana History Foundation, Humanities Montana and many more.

For more information visit the website at www.virginiacity.com, email info@virginiacity.com, call the Chamber at 800-829-2969 or Rebecca at 406-539-5683.

The Rumsey Gulch fire outside of Philipsburg is contained as of this weekend.

“Things are looking good,” said Leona Rodreick with the Forest Service dispatch center in Dillon. “Crews are mopping up hotspots now.”

After a tree fell on a power line, the forest fire sparked on May 13 and burned close to 350 acres in a week. The fire was reported at around 6 p.m. on May 13. Fast winds aided the fire to spread quickly.

Fire continues to smolder, but crews have sent some firefighters home and are now working on creating fire lines and have shifted into patrol mode where the fire is monitored rather than actively fought.

Residents were allowed to return to their homes as crews battled the remaining flames. About twenty homes were evacuated during fire. The fire destroyed five homes in Rumsey Gulch and threatened homes in Summer Gulch.

Crews also contained a fire west of Wise River last week. The fire was caused by a tree falling on a power line and burned 33 acres of grass, brush and pines before being contained. No structures were burned in that fire.

A wildfire 20 miles northeast of Helena continues to burn and remains under investigation.  It is suspected that the fire was human-caused. So far, the blaze has consumed 430 acres and is close to containment. Nelson Road was reopened on Sunday.

Officials have predicted a bad fire season based on current drought conditions and the lack of snow pack in the mountains.

As of the end of April, parts of southwestern Montana were declared to be in a severe drought. Soil moisture in this part of the state is near record lows.

The national forecast predicts an above normal wildland fire risk in southwestern Montana and northern Idaho. The predictions call for the fire season to start a month earlier than usual in Montana, Oregon, central Idaho and southern Washington. In these areas, national officials predict the fire season to be at its worst during July and August.

National cutbacks could affect the resources available to fight this summer’s wildfires.

According to Rodreick, this weekend’s rain showers will help to delay the start of the fire season momentarily.

“It’s helpful right now,” said Rodreick. “But it’s not going to save us. We could use more moisture. That’s for sure.”

Ennis hosted the Class C State golf this week with a practice round on Monday.

This is the third time the state tournament has been in Ennis in the past four years.

The event brings business to Ennis as many hotel rooms are booked for not only the visiting teams but also their parents and supporters. The tournament also brings a welcome influx of patrons to local restaurants and shops.

The Ennis Chamber of Commerce assisted the Ennis High School with a hospitality table.

The tournament wraps on Wednesday.

The Madison River is one of the state’s most popular rivers to float and fish. With increased use, recreationalists have complained of congestion at certain river access sites. The recommendations given at Thursday’s commission meeting are a step in the direction of addressing those congestion problems.

As the first step in creating a complete recreation management plan for the Madison River, the recommendations presented to FWP commission will now go to the public for comments. As comments are returned, FWP will begin analyzing the river from an environmental aspect and create a draft of a recreation management plan.

The seven-member citizen advisory committee asked FWP officials for more detailed information about how the river is used. The committee met ten times from May 2012 to March 2013 to complete the recommendations presented to the FWP commission on Thursday.

“The main reason for developing a recreation management plan is the Madison River is one of the highest in use,” said Cheryl Morris, FWP R3 River Manager. “The river is heavily impacted by different users. There needs to be some kind of system to manage the increasing amount of people who use the Madison River.”

Up until this point, FWP has monitored commercial guides and competitive events but have not determined what the use of the river by other public users is. The committee requested FWP do a survey among river users to determine the extent of the perception that access spots are congested.

The committee also suggested specific recommendations for certain stretches of river that covers from Yellowstone Park to the Headwaters State Park in Three Forks.

In its recommendations, the advisory committee addressed the concern with maintaining the Madison River as a “world class fishing experience.” The committee suggested some recommendations be effective immediately including following through on the survey to determine the busiest times of year and how people use the river.

The committee also recommended the Lyons Bridge Fishing Access to be redesigned to alleviate congestion, the 8 Mile Ford Fishing Access Site dirt road maintenance be improved through the peak season, and the boat ramp at the Varney access be redone in addition to other maintenance projects.

Within the 15-page document outlining the recommendations of the citizen committee, the conclusion of the report says the management plan needs to focus on recreation management rather than resource management.

FWP will invite the public to comment on the recommendations of the advisory committee. The public can send their comments to mrrp@mt.gov. After that period of public comment, the committee will write a draft. Morris says that will then go back out to the public for comment before being finalized. The earliest a recreation plan could be implemented is 2014 with work going into 2015.

Some members of the public have already showed concerns about how a recreation management plan could restrict use of the river. Changes could involve restricting areas people are allowed to fish and requiring permits for the river, but FWP says there is a process that will take time and that they will likely conduct a three-year survey prior to considering restrictions.

The fire near Philipsburg forced evacuations on Monday. The fire grew to 200 acres in a forested area about four miles southeast of the town.

In a press release from the U.S. Forest Service, public affairs officer Leona Roderick said the Rumsey Gulch fire was reported around 6:20 p.m. Monday and the cause is still under investigation.

The Pioneer fire near Wise River is mostly contained. Roderick said in a press release the fire was 75 percent contained and has burned 45 acres. The cause of this fire is also unknown.

“Now is the time for home and property owners to assess their property to determine if their home is defensible against wildfire,” Roderick said in a release. “Officials are asking people to be careful with fire, it is still early in the fire season.”

Madison County Department of Emergency Services Director Chris Mumme said the conditions within the county are extremely dry and Virginia City and Twin Bridges have shut down burning. The county remains open to burning, but Mumme says that may not be the case much longer.

“If the weather conditions don’t improve and we don’t get some moisture, we may have to shut down burning sooner than ever,” said Mumme. “There is no getting around it. It’s like it is in July and August right now.”

Mumme says severe precautions need to be taken when burning.

“If you don’t need to burn, don’t burn,” he said. “We need to be responsible for what we do. A few embers floating could ignite in seconds.”

Mumme advises those who do need to burn to keep firefighting gear close and have plenty of water on hand to put out fires. He also tells campers to keep fires within designated areas.

In addition to the Pioneer and Rumsey Gulch Fire, Mumme said there have been a number of fires around southwestern Montana including houses burning down in Whitehall and Butte on Monday and a fire contained on Priest Pass near Helena this past weekend.

Madison County law enforcement teamed up with the Montana Highway Patrol to run the almost-65 miles from Virginia City to Whitehall.

In addition to law enforcement officers, members of the public ran for pledges they had collected.

The Torch Run began the first of May and consisted of 16 starting points around the state. Hundreds carried the Flame of Hope over 2,400 miles to its cauldron in Billings. The lighting of the cauldron officially kicks off the summer games. The Special Olympics Montana Athlete of the Year, who is accompanied by a law enforcement officer, lights the cauldron to signal the beginning of the competition.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is the world’s largest grassroots fundraiser for Special Olympics. The Torch Run began in 1981 by Wichita, Kans., police who saw the need to raise funds and awareness for the Special Olympics.

Close to 145,000 law enforcement officers from all 50 states, 12 Canadian provinces and 48 countries contribute to the Torch Run annually.

Since the Montana Torch Run began in 1985, over four million dollars have been raised for state Special Olympics athletes.

In 2010, the Montana Torch Run gained worldwide recognition as the fourth highest per capita fundraising program in the world. In 2012, the run raised over $500,000.

More than 1,000 athletes are slated to participate in this year’s summer games. The athletes have trained for eight weeks to compete in 13 different events during the three-day competition. There are 80 teams from 50 Montana communities.

Dear Editor,

Recently I became involved with Madison County Volunteer Respite Care.  Because the phone number said 682-3100, I immediately assumed it was an Ennis service. After visiting with Connie Morgan from Laurin, I was very surprised to realize this service is available to all Madison County residents!

I had the privilege of driving a Twin Bridges resident to Barrett Hospital in Dillon for physical therapy after hip surgery. Driving is just one of many ways Respite volunteers can serve. Respite Care provides relief to those giving care to the homebound.

What attracted me to the program was the flexibility. I want to be able to travel at my convenience. Madison County Volunteer Respite Care offers me that option. If I am available, I agree to help!

Consider volunteering, but also remember, if you need a volunteer, Madison County Volunteer Respite Care is available. Please call Andrew Morgan, 682-3100, Connie Morgan, 842-5085, or Paula Gilman, 684-5636.

Paula Gilman

Ennis

THANK YOU

A special thank you to our family and friends for the food, cards, flowers, calls and prayers for my recent hospital stay. It helps so much to know you care.

Thanks again,

Bill & Karen Dringle

Ennis, MT

Thank you Ennis Schools’ community

You’ve written beautiful, supportive letters about me, stopped me in the halls of the school, visited with me at church, at home and walked into my office to offer support and encouragement.  You’ve welcomed me to speak at your meetings and put up campaign signs; you’ve permitted me a place to display signs; you have contributed to and supported my candidacy for Ennis Schools Trustee in multiple ways.  Regardless of the results of the upcoming election I have been forever blessed and humbled by your outpouring of support.

Clearly, you are concerned and passionate about the operation of our school district, as you should be.  I would ask that you remain so and demonstrate that by participating in the process.  Make your questions known, offer your suggestions & solutions and look for ways to volunteer your time within the school.  Not only will you provide a service you’ll be amazed by what you’ll learn and by how much you didn’t know.

Sincerely,

Maria Lake

Ennis

Several participants from Madison County placed in the top three in their respective events.

Bailey Escott of Twin Bridges took first in high school breakaway roping. Brady Croy of Ennis placed second in saddle bronc riding and Braydon McKitrick from Ennis and teammate Connor Wines from Pray placed third in team roping.

The Ennis rodeo was a Montana High School Rodeo Association sanctioned event.

Participants came from all over the state, including Big Timber, Missoula, Billings, Joliet and Arlee.

High school winners

Barrel racing- Devyn Brenner, Gallatin Gateway

Pole bending- Shelby Robinson, Stevensville

Goat tying- Lacey Camp, Belgrade

Breakaway roping- Bailey Escott, Twin Bridges

Calf roping- Tyler Young, Belgrade

Steer wrestling- Ogden Harkins, Billings

Saddle bronc- Connor Wines, Pray

Bull riding- Beau Powers, Butte

Team roping- Lane Lahaye/Albert Koenig

Junior high winners

Barrel racing- Tara Hansen, Manhattan

Girls’ goat tying- Caydee Johnson, Manhattan

Pole bending- Mikayla Fuller, Bozeman

Girls’ breakaway- Madison Brenner, Gallatin Gateway

Team Roping- Kal Fuller/Caden Camp

Calf roping- Dillon Hahnkamp, Melrose

Chute dogging- Blaine Buchanan, Worden

Boys’ goats- Dillon Hahnkamp, Melrose

Boys’ breakaway- Jhet Murphy, Helena