New bar approved for 93 in Whitefish

Whitefish City Council on May 4 approved the operation of a bar in an existing commercial building on Highway 93 South.

Goosebay Capital LLC is requesting a conditional use permit to operate the bar in the building that is currently empty, but most recently housed Whitefish Marine.

The applicant is proposing to transfer a state beer and wine license to the property that would allow for serving beer and wine without a restaurant.

Bars and taverns require a CUP in the WB-2 zone.

Aaron Wallace, with Montana Creative, in representing the applicant, said the owner is planning to operate a restaurant out of the building also, but wants the flexibility to serve beer and wine without food thus applying for the CUP.

The site plan shows 28 parking spaces exceeding the minimum number required by zoning regulations.

The applicant’s plan calls for a fence along the rear property line, which is adjacent to residential use, and also a fence surround the interior patio planned along the north side of the building. Landscaping will also be required as a buffer to the residential area, and is planned on the front of the building.

Council also added a condition of approval that a sidewalk along the property be converted to a wider shared use path.

—Whitefish Pilot

A relative newcomer to the world of heavy construction in the Flathead Valley was awarded a contract to construct new soccer and other fields between Ruder Elementary School and the junior high school.

Copperforge Underground of Kalispell was given an approximately $961,000 contractor to landscape and build the fields by the School District 6 board.

“We did a lot of due diligence on them,” the school’s project manager Dow Powell told the board last week.

It turns out that the company has individuals that previously worked on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Board member Barb Riley said the company also recently did a project at Meadow Lake Resort, where she sells real estate, and it was well done.

Work on the fields should begin soon.

Work on the Ruder remodel project should start in the coming weeks, Powell noted. Lead contractor Swank Construction was beginning the bid process for various parts of that project. Designers and school transportation staff were still working on the new Glacier Gateway School project.

There’s still some parking issues that need to be ironed out.

A final design for Gateway is expected by this fall.

— Hungry Horse News

Polson has formally adopted a no smoking policy for its city parks.

The City Commission on May 18 OK’d the new ordinance that bans any use of tobacco products on city owned property. This includes Boettcher Park, Riverside Park, Sacajawea Park, O’Malley Park, Pamiavitch Park, Jana Cambell Park, and Polson Sports Complex, and within these facilities to include skate parks, baseball facilities, soccer facilities and pickleball courts.

The city golf course is exempt from the ordinance.

A verbal warning will be issued for a first violation, followed by a written warning for a second violation. A written citation with a fine of $100 comes with a third violation. A fourth violation carries a fine of $200.

Interim City Manager Wade Nash called the ordinance a good starting point for the city.

“It sets an example and puts us above a lot of cities in Montana with the way the ordinance reads,” Nash told the City Commission.

Mayor Paul Briney said he heard welcoming feedback from constituents about the new policy.

“Schools have had this policy for years,” he pointed out. “The public understands it and I support it 100 percent.”

Commissioner Carolyn Pardini was the lone vote against the ordinance. She argued that it unfairly singles out smokers.

“If we don’t allow smoking in the parks, we are excluding a small but signification portion of our population from enjoying our beautiful city parks,” Pardini said. “And I’m saying that as a person who doesn’t smoke, and I don’t want to be around smokers.”

She suggested that city parks could have a smoking area, instead of banning it entirely.

Pardini also took issue with the golf course exception.

“To say that city parks aren’t OK, but the golf course is OK … that to me smacks of classism,” she said.

Briney noted that the county has a similar policy in place and that the county health department supports the new ordinance.

— Lake County Leader

It is a root vegetable native to the Americas, a starchy tuber of the plant Solanum tuberosum, and the plant itself, a perennial in the family Solanaceae.

What?

We call them spuds or ‘taters and they are even known as Murphys in Ireland. They are potatoes and 40,000 pounds of them were recently delivered to those in need, from those who continue to serve.

“I would say that a desire to help and a love for our communities would be the inspiration for doing this but then again that’s what we do as veterans when we come together to make things happen.... I think it’s in our DNA,” is what David Williams said when asked what inspired them to take on this assignment.

“During a conference call with other veteran organizations, we were told that United States Of Hope had been asked to help give away 40,000 pounds of potatoes and they wanted to know if we would like to partner with them for this event. Without hesitation we

agreed to help coordinate and organize it.”

Williams is the founder and president of Joint Operation Mariposa, which is a veteran’s advocate organization based in Plains. He said that the 20,000 tons of potatoes were donated by Rep. Walt Sales who is a farmer/rancher in Manhattan.

Drop off locations started in Missoula, then to Lolo, west to Superior and back to Plains with Thompson Falls and Noxon the next day.

—Mineral Independent