St. Ignatius post. [volume], March 22, 1962, Image 8

About St. Ignatius post. [volume] (St. Ignatius, Mont.) 1946-1962

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
Health district issue
discussed Saturday
Public Health—pros and cons
—were discussed at length in a
three and a half public meeting
Saturday in the Ronan Masonic
temple dining room.
The meeting was sponsored
by the Citizens for Public Health
committee. This committee was
created following action several
weeks ago by the Lake County
Board of County Commissioners
when they voted to terminate
the county’s participation in
Public Health District No. 2,
which embraces Lake and San
ders countv.
Leland Schoonover, Polson,
presided over the meeting. He
prefaced the discussions with a
brief outline of the purposes of
the citizens group and a series
of meetings on public health
sponsored by it. Schoonover
said the intent of the citizens
group was not necessarily re
tention of the health district; but
rather retention of a public
health program of service better
or at least equivalent to the
services of the present district
program.
He also stressed that the citi
zens group does not question the
legality of the commissioners’
action in terminating Lake coun
ty’s participation in the disrict;
but that the committee is con
cerned with what kind and type
of public health service will be
available. He said he felt the
commissioners who voted to ter
minate honestly felt the ma
jorly of Lake county citizens op
pose the district type program.
First speaker was Henry Hen
drickson, Charlo, county com
misaioner, who explained that he
had voted against termination
of the district because oppo
ments had not presented a pro
gram to him that would ac
complish the same services pro
vided by the present district at
less cost to Lake county tax
payers. He said to his know
ledge there is no alternative
public health plan under consid-
F. N. HAMMAN
LAWYER
Practice in State and Federal
Courts; Probate Matters
POLSON : MONTANA
Firestone Tires
GUARANTEED
MISSION TEXACO
St. Ignatius
John D.
FRENCH
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
Ronan, Mont. Phone [phone]
Flathead Lodge
No. 112 AF&AM
* Meets the 2nd & 4th
Tuesday each month
Sojourning Brothers
Always Welcome
George L. Moon, W.M.
Robert R. Herman, Secretary
Eugene A. Norman, Treas.
eration at this, time. He felt
that that most of the people in
the county were either uninform
ed or misinformed on the issue.
Ralph Maxwell, Round Butte,
also a county commissioner, ex
plained his position in opposing
the continuation of the district.
He criticized the district as be
ing primarily an administrative
agency rather than a service
| one. He was critical of the ex
pansion of the district staff and
budget requirements and lack of
local control over district per
sonnel and operations. He stated
that he believd that it has not
been proven that Lake county
needs a public health program
on the district type scale. He
also said, apparently in reply to
Hendrickson’s inference that no
alternative has been considered,
that all the county commission
is required by law is to provide
a part-time health officer.
F. L. Hamman, Polson, presi
dent of the Lake County Tax
payers group, voiced his oppo
sition to the district type of op
eration on constituional grounds
citing the sacs that the Montana
Supreme Court had stripped the
district of its powers to set up
rules and regulations because
it was unconstitutional. He said
the counties have no voice in the
district operations and that he
felt this was a danger to our
democratic institutions.
Jim Hohman, spoke outlining
the views of the citizens group
stating he felt that the disrict
system as now in operation of
fers all the participating parties
a maximum benefit and return
on the tax dollars invested. He
pointed out that Lake county be
cause of its Indian population
and other factors has l special
public health problems that
must be solved and implied that
the district system was most
economical way to solve them.
He said we need a good solid
public health program and no
one has presented a good solid
program to replace the district
that would cost less money.
Schoonover mentioned the im
portance of tourism and the role
of an effective program of sani
tation standards and inspection
and pollution control can have
in developing the future of this
economic sector of the economy.
He suggested that the district
be continued for another year
and an advisory council of rep
representative citizens be creat
ed to work to bring closer under
standing between the district
and the people. He pointed out
that while such an election
would not be binding upon the
commissioners, it might serve to
help guide them in determining
the wishes of the majority.
Following the presentations of
invited speakers, the discussion
was thrown open to the floor
and many people voiced opinions
on the broad issues/ of public
health as well as specific servic
es performed or not performed
by the district personnel.
John French, Ronan, criticized
the law in general stating it was
expansion of bureaucracy and
an invasion of local control and
local determinations of needs.
He was particularly critical of
the overall health expenditures
in the county including not only
public health by the Indian and
county welfare programs citing
that Indian health cost $450,000
last year on the reservation. He
questioned wheher we needed
that much and whether or not
we could afford such a program.
A majority of the over 50
persons present spoke briefly in
the discussion period. Maxwell
Horizon club meets
at Joe Mahe home
The Twilight Horizon club met
at the. Joe Mahe home Tuesday
night, .March 13, to sew on their
skirts. Three took their skirts
home.
They discussed display win
dow for Camp Fire Week, March
17-24, to be placed in the for
mer jewelry shop window. No
members can attend the Great
Falls Horizon Winter Camp be
cause of the district music fes
tival in Missoula on the same
dates.
Shirley Shaw, a newcomer
here, was a guest.
Beverly Brown and Audrey
Campbell had charge of a five
senses game.
4-H News
Blue Ribbon Hustlers
The sixth meeting of the Blue
Ribbon Rustlers 4-H club was
held at the Cotrell home on
March 14 with two guests, two
leaders and 19 members pres
ent.
It was decided to see if they
could use the St. Ignatius gym
to sell the rest of the candy and
a committee was appointed for
that project.
A committee was appointed to
obtain information about maga
zines for the St. Ignatius public
library for Library Week.
David Roseleip and Linda Ri
der gave demonstrations. It was
decided to meet on every third
Wednesday of^ every month.—
Dennis Roseleip, reporter.
and others answered specific
questions where possible. Dr.
Jack Robertson, public health
officer, answered questions con
cerning the Indian health pro
gram and district operations
Schoonover summarized the
meeting by stating he felt that it
indicated that public health was
a vital issue in the county and
that many people on both sides
of the issue had given the mat
ter serious thought and consider
ation. He felt that it was im
portant to give serious consider
ation to what we want in a pub
lis health program and voiced
the opinion that we should be
thinking about improving it in
stead of going backwards.
The meeting stated at 2 p.m.
and ended about 5:15 p.m.
Dr Gordon G. Fisher
Optometrist
217 Main St., POLSON
In Ronan Every Friday
At Dr. McGreevey’s Office ••
MAIN STREET
Yes! We have new h
NOCULIZED <
Alfalfa Seed
Now from Northrup King
Already inoculated with nitrogen- X \
fixing bacteria to save you time, trouble, \
muss... and insure proper root nodula
tion. Supplies limited ... See us today!
Consolidated Dairies of Lake County, Inc.
Ronan ELEVATOR DIVISION Polson \
Camp Fire News
Aowikiya Camp Fire
The Aowikiya Camp Fire
group met Monday,. March 19,
at the Methodist church. Pre
sident Marilyn Callahan called
the meeting to order.
Discussion was held on the
Community Cleanup day and
they decided to clean around
the Methodist church and for
the rest of of the year as their
project.
Each girl received the name
of a pen pal in other foreign
countries and will write to them.
Mrs Mary Maass and Mrs
Harvey Krantz, leaders accom
panied the Camp Fire girls to
Methodist Church services, on
Sunday, March 18, in observance
of Go-to church Sunday.
Mrs Dan Callahan took two
Camp Fire girls to services at
the Catholic church and after
church the group met at the
Mission Drug store where they
put up their display for Camp
Fire Week in the window. They
decided to meet Saturday,
March 24, to take down the
display. Kay Axtell served re
freshments.
Jolly Blue Birds
The Jolly Blue Birds met
Monday at the Lawrence Decker
home. Lunch was served by
Pam Richardson.
They played hop scotch with
a bean bag while the three new
members worked on their yarn
covered coat hangers. Two girls
are to be assigned each week
to cleanup after lunch. They
dicussed their window display
THE TALK IS ALWAYS . . . •
“MONTAUK”
GOOD EATING
Ph. SH 5-2594
WANTED!!
Equipment, Trucks,
Mowers, etc.
CLEAN-UP DAY
April 7
FOR SALE
MODERN 3-RM. HOUSE
(One bedroom)
Mostly furnished
Contact
CARL ENEROTH
St. Ignatius
Royal Neighbors
meet at Bloods
Mrs Georage Blood wars hos
tess to the Mission Valley Royal
Neighbor of America Camp No.
8628 at her home last Friday.
They discussed the District and
State RNA conventions.
All money from the recent
lea sale was turned in. Means
of raising funds for local use
was discussed. Five new mem
bers have had insurance written
up. It was decided the group
will help with food at the April
7th Community clean-up project.
Mrs Joseph Mahe was crown
ed Queen for the day and opened
the gifts.
Mrs Mahe will entertain the
group April 20.
and most of them attended
church on Camp Fire Sunday.
Jamie Howlett, Dawn Lester
and Monica Vanllaverbeke
brought their membership dues
and cards.
at the
HSWiiF
THUR. — FRI. — SAT.
Spencer Tracy and
Frank Sinatra in
The Devil
at
4 o'Clock
SUN. — MON. — TUES.
Susan Slade
Troy Donahue
Connie Stevens
— WEDNESDAY —
Scream
of Fear
Beginning April 1, shows at the
Park Theatre will be shown Fri
day, Saturday, Sunday, Monday
and Wednesday. There will be
no shows Tuesday or Thursday
Effective April Box Office prices
will be
Adults 70c
Students 50c
Children 25c