Trial work in 2018 Fire area
Libby Ranger District MCC, YCC and trail crews have been hard at work on trails burnt over in the 2018 Gold Hill Fire. Pictured here is Noisy Creek Trail #261, 13 miles up Pipe Creek. Photo courtesy of Kootenai National Forest.
Men’s golf league play off results
Pastime vs. Annie’s– 11/5- Annie’s
Timberline vs. Roy’s– 8/8- Tie
Timberline and Roy’s will go up against each other yet again on Tuesday, July 23 in a sudden death playoff to break their tie and determine who will play in the championship against Annie’s.
Submitted by Jeff Dooley
Libby seeks
substitute teachers for 2019-20
Every school year there is a need for substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, secretaries, and custodians at Libby Public Schools. If you wish to substitute in the Libby Public Schools for the upcoming school year, please stop by the Superintendent’s Office at 724 Louisiana Ave. First-time substitutes will need to complete an application packet and fingerprint background check. Returning subs must update their employment file yearly.
The District will assume that you are no longer interested in substituting if your information is not updated before August 23. Office hours are from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Libby Public Schools is hosting a Substitute Workshop on Friday, August 9 in the Central Administration Building from 1 until 3 p.m. All individuals interested in becoming a substitute for teachers, paraprofessionals, and secretaries are welcome to attend this informative session.
Submitted by Ellen Mills
Local church hosts
cyclists crossing the U.S. for MS
On Wednesday, July 24 Faith Bible Church will host a group of bicyclists who will spend the night at the church. The group includes about 22 bikers who are participating in fundraising efforts for Multiple Sclerosis. They are doing the ‘Northern Tier Ride,’ and are biking from Bar Harbor, Maine to Seattle, Wash.; a 4,295 mile ride which they will accomplish over 69 days. Wednesday they will be biking from Whitefish to Libby via Hwy 37. They will start showing up in the mid to late afternoon.
Church volunteers will feed them a great dinner of Hannah’s famous ‘Woodcutter Spaghetti,’ French bread, and salad at around 6 p.m. The community is invited to come by, say “hi,” and welcome them to Libby. The cyclists will head to Sandpoint early on Thursday morning.
For more information, visit https://ride.bikethe usforms.org/event/2019-northern-tier-ride
Submitted by Faith Bible Church
Libby Dam tours now
available daily
The Libby Dam Visitor Center is officially open for the summer through Sept. 2. Visitor Center Hours are 9:30 a.m. until 6 p.m daily, including weekends and holidays.
Tours of the Dam are available 4 times per day at 10 a.m., Noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Visitors over 18 years of age must present photo ID to go on tour, those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Please plan to arrive 15 minutes before tour start time to register. Tours last about an hour and involve about a mile of walking, mostly outdoors.
While we strive to offer regular tours, occasional safety, security or staffing issues may cause a tour to be cancelled. Updates can be found on http://www.facebook.com/LibbyDamMT
Large groups (over 10 persons) are encouraged to call ahead. 406-293-5577.
Travel Time: Allow at least 30 minutes from Libby, MT and 1:15 from Eureka, MT. Don’t forget the time change if crossing the Idaho border!
Located at 260 Souse Gulch Road, Libby, MT, 59923, the Libby Dam Visitor Center offers a wide range of educational displays and interactive media, including wildlife mounts, hands-on activities, displays, maps, movies, etc. A small bookstore offers educational materials, maps and souvenirs for sale. Nearby, multiple picnic sites and three large picnic shelters, two playgrounds, as well as proximity to the Kootenai National Forest, Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway and the Kootenai River offer a host of recreational opportunities. Loaner lifejackets, basketballs, horseshoes, volleyball and discs may be checked out for use onsite. Managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, our staff would like to remind everyone to “Please, always remember
to wear a lifejacket when recreating on or near the water!” and “lifejackets worn, no-one mourns!”
For more information, call the Libby Dam Visitor Center at 293-5577.
Submitted by Susan James
Agencies Prepare for Wildfire in OU3
Lincoln County, in collaboration with multiple state and federal agencies, developed the Libby Asbestos Response Plan (LARP), a comprehensive plan for emergency response for wildfire incidents located within or near the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine site often referred to as OU3. These agencies, including US Forest Service, US Environmental Protection Agency, Montana Department of Environmental Quality and Montana Department of Natural Resources, have participated in multiple planning efforts and exercises to prepare for incidents in this area.
“The agencies have spent years coordinating and planning for a wildfire in the former vermiculite mine site and we will continue to plan and practice for an actual event” said Brent Teske, Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency Director. “The coordination between all of the agencies is important.”
The LARP includes a plan for a unified source of public information for residents to get the most up-to-date and accurate information. Also, as part of the LARP, the Lincoln County Asbestos Resource Program (ARP) will conduct air monitoring to assist the Health Officer in making public health recommendations. Data from this monitoring may not be available for several days after the start of an incident.
In the event of a wildfire in the former vermiculite mine site, ARP has a plan in place to collect ambient air samples in multiple locations around Libby and the mine. It is important to note that results will take approximately 72 hours after the sampling begins. “We will start the sampling process when we get notification of a fire in OU3,” said Virginia Kocieda, Director for the ARP, “then we will run the sample for 24 hours and send it in for analysis. We will continue the sampling process through the whole incident.”
Lincoln County’s main concern is the health of the public. “We do not anticipate any major community issues with asbestos release from a fire, based on history and normal wind patterns, but we will be monitoring to determine if recommendations need to be made for public health.” said Dr. Brad Black, Lincoln County Health Officer.
Submitted by Jennifer McCully