A cowboy stays on top of a bucking saddle bronc during the Bucking Horse Sale. Photo by Steve Allison

Tuesday, May 21

Council updated on dike

By Elaine Forman
The study of possible solutions to fix or replace the dike, thereby lowering flood insurance requirements for residents, is moving slowly until grant money is received.
Flood Plain Adminstrator Samantha Malenovsky and Public Utilities Director Allen Kelm explained where the city is on dike issues at the May 14 Miles City Council meeting.
Malenovsky said if some of the work is started earlier, the city takes the risk of not getting a grant.
Kelm said the city had a meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers about doing some studies on the dike.
The city wants to incorporate a contract it has with engineers Kadrmas, Lee and Jackson (KLJ) with what the Corps is going to require.
For the study, Malenovsky said there will be a 50-50 match with the Corps, and the city’s match can include in-kind services.
The study can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000.
Both the Corps and the city/KLJ are doing a study.
The Corps study is more of a technical study, Malenovsky said. The city’s study with KLJ is also a technical study but will have a lot of public involvement.
The city’s study cannot begin until the grants begin to open up.
Councilman Dwayne Andrews said there is no money available until mid to late August.
He expressed frustration that nothing will be done until then.
Mayor Butch Grenz said if KLJ does its study sooner, it will not count as part of an in-kind match.
Malenovsky said that is true of the Community Development Block Grant, which is one of the funding sources.
Kelm said if the city has “all its ducks in a row,” it can use all the grant dollars and in-kind services. If the Corps decides it is a worthwhile project, the Corps will pay 65 percent of the project costs (which has to be approved by Congress), and the city will have to come up with 35 percent.
The Corps and Federal Emergency Management Agency work hand in hand on these types of projects.
The Corps and Carl Jackson of KLJ are working together.
Malenovsky added that Jackson has done some work free of charge up to this point.
“That’s been very generous of him to do that,” she said.
Also at the meeting:
— Linda Wildman announced she will retire from the city clerk’s office on June 14 after 38 years in the department. She had previously retired but came back to work part time to help out the city.
Wildman also welcomed the new city clerk, Lorrie Pearce, in her comments.
“Thank you very much, Linda, for your service,” Andrews said during the council comment period, which was met with applause.
— Jean Stewart and Spencer Haynes were appointed to the Planning Board.
— Jerry Smith, Carol Hardesty Cherry, Sandy Hays and Mike Schmitz were appointed to the Miles City Housing Authority.
— The Safety Culture Committee had existed in the past, and the council voted to start it up again with a $1,000 budget.
Miles City Fire and Rescue Chief Dale Berg said the Montana Municipal Insurance Authority requires the city to have the committee.
The committee’s role is to promote a safe work environment for city employees and to put together and review the safety policy handbook, promote training, review accident claims, determine how the claims could have been prevented and try to keep the number of claims down.
Berg said 2010 was the last time the city had a safety culture committee.
Kelm said the committee is required by the Montana Department of Labor, and every department has a representative on the committee.
Councilwoman Susanne Galbraith was elected to serve on the committee.
— Work on Strevell Avenue is moving along well, Kelm said.
Engineer for the project, Andy Marum, said the subgrade (dirt base) of the street was much worse than expected, so more dirt had to be removed to build it back up again. The condition of the subgrade helped explain why the street had so many problems over the years.
That problem increased the costs about $34,000, which was considered minor for the $2.4 million project.
Marum said the rest of the water main work was going along according to schedule and sometimes ahead of schedule. He added that he thought Jackson Contractors had been overly optimistic when they submitted the expected time line.
— Kelm reported the new roof trusses are up on the city’s pool house and Seabolt Construction expects all the improvements to be completed by the end of the month.
June 3 is the tentative opening date for the pool.
— The new Haynes Avenue lift station is completed and is working.
Kelm said Anderson Construction did “a super job.”
The station is located on Valley Drive East and Haynes Avenue.
Grenz said the city received a letter from Mac’s Frontierland, which has land adjacent to the lift station, saying the crew was very professional and were appreciated for how the workers conducted themselves.
Work continues on the influent building at the waste water treatment plant and is expected to be done in July or August.
Williams Brothers Construction is working on that project.
Both projects are part of the waste water treatment plant upgrade.
Grenz said the city received a $500,000 construction grant from the Transportation State Endowment Program for the waste water treatment plant upgrades.
— Councilman Jerry Partridge said it appears nothing is being done with the site of the former Miles City Ready Mix.
The site has been discussed before and safety concerns were voiced.
Grenz said the police chief sent out a letter two or three days ago. If the landowner does not comply, it could become a court issue.
— Galbraith commended Kelm for wearing so many hats and getting so much done for the city.
— Councilman John Uden said dirt is being hauled in for problem areas on the dike.
— The council unanimously approved changing the words on the “jake brakes” signs to “un-muffled compression brakes prohibited,” and placement of the signs in town, if the Montana Department of Transportation has no objection.
— The council unanimously approved moving a no parking sign in front of 121 S. Center Ave. to the other side of the driveway. Currently people are parking in a way that is blocking the driveway.

 

 

Monday, May 20

Record rain on BHS Saturday

By Amorette Allison and Elaine Forman
People got in nearly three days of Bucking Horse Sale festivities before a torrential downpour early Saturday evening put a little wrench in things.
A new record for precipitation for that date was set with 1.32 inches. Of that, nearly one inch, .96 of an inch, fell in just 20 minutes, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record for May 18 was set two years ago when .51 inches of rain fell in one day.
The rain started shortly before 6 p.m., just as Saturday’s activities were close to wrapping up at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds.
The r ain caused the last horse race, the feature race, and all of Sunday’s horse races to be postponed until next Saturday, according to Don Richard of the Bucking Horse Sale Board of Governors. The Wild Horse Race was still held in the sloppy conditions.
“The horse races went really good,” Richard said. “The pari-mutuel handle (total amount people bet) was a little over $35,000 and was headed for a record.”
Richard believes that if the last race on Saturday had been run, they would have broken the record of $43,000 for a day.
Before the rains hit Saturday, one race horse unfortunately broke its leg and had to be put down.
There will be no admission charged for Saturday’s rescheduled races, but programs will be for sale. Saturday will have a number of thoroughbred races, which are always popular.
“The Bucking Horse Sale futurity had really good horses - top breeding,” Richard said, referring to the event introduced this year.
There were 36 horses featured in a sanctioned futurity through the World Class Bucking Horse Association showcasing top breeding stock.
The weather also affected activities elsewhere around town. The Main Street underpass was closed early Saturday evening, flooding with water nearly up to the sidewalks, making it difficult to navigate the downtown area. Several intersections were flooded briefly.
The moisture woes have decided to stay past Bucking Horse Sale weekend. There are flash flood and high water warnings throughout southeastern Montana for today and tonight, particularly in areas burned by wildfires last year.
Although the rivers in the area have already reached their maximum flows, the National Weather Service expects some smaller creeks and streams to experience rises.
Rain fall is expected to continue throughout the day, but clearing weather will begin on Tuesday.
For more results on Bucking Horse Sale, see today’s Sports section, and continue to watch for coverage in this week’s editions of the Miles City Star.

 

 

Friday, May 17

Futurity added to BHS Saturday

By Josh Samuelson
While there are plenty of other rodeo activities involved in the World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale, the sale itself remains the bedrock of activities on Saturday at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds.
More than 75 horses will take their turn in the arena before the action is done. Some are untried stock, some have bucked out a few times, and others are spoiled saddle horses. The sale will be the proving ground to see if they have potential in the rodeo world. It’s also a chance for cowboys to get on a lot of horses and see if they have what it takes to advance in the sport.
Immediately after the rides, the horses are auctioned and the cowboys are scored for their efforts.
This year, the Bucking Horse Sale will feature a sanctioned Futurity for the World Class Bucking Horse Association. That event will feature 36 horses and is a qualifier for the finals. According to the WCBHA website, the futurities “are an incredible avenue initiated to give breeders and contractors, large and small, a remarkable option to showcase their top-of-the-line bucking horses and the breeding programs they came from.”
Following the Futurity will be the open Bucking Horse Sale.
There will be around 40 horses bucked out in the open sale. Those horses are coming from Canada, North Dakota and around Montana.
The World Class Bucking Horse Futurity is set to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, followed by the Bucking Horse Sale.
Action gets started at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds at 1 p.m. with the first horse race. The rodeo grand entry will be held at 1:15 p.m., followed by the first Wild Horse Race.
The second Wild Horse Race will be held following the open Bucking Horse Sale.

 

 

Wild Horse Race bigger and better this year

By Josh Samuelson
For years the Wild Horse Race has been one of the more popular events at the World Famous Bucking Horse Sale. This year, the Wild Horse Race is bigger and better.
The field has expanded to 16 teams, and there will be a total of five Wild Horse Races on the weekend.
Friday and Saturday will feature two races, one to start the action and one to end the action, at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds.
Each of the 16 teams will be guaranteed two races, one each on Friday and Saturday. The top eight teams from the four races will advance to the finals on Sunday, where they will compete for the Casper Schaefer Championship Buckles.
The Wild Horse Race is simple in its idea, but difficult in execution. Each team consists of three members, who have to saddle and ride the horse around the track and back into the arena. But several other teams are trying to do the same thing at the same time, and the horses seldom cooperate.
Contestants in the Wild Horse Race come from all over the West, including teams from Nebraska, Wyoming, Arizona, Colorado and South Dakota.
Teams from Montana include: Glasgow, Wolf Point, two from Frazer, Brusett, Forsyth and Jordan.
The first Wild Horse Race will be held tonight at 5:45, with the second starting after the second round of Mutton Bustin.
On Saturday, the first Wild Horse Race is set for 1:30 p.m., and will end the day’s action at 6:30 p.m.
The finals is set for 6 p.m. on Sunday evening.

 

 

Honor Flight vets to serve as parade marshals

By Denise Hartse
When the annual Bucking Horse Sale Parade heads down Main Street on Saturday morning, there will be a change in the lineup at the beginning of the parade.
This year, instead of only one grand marshal of the parade, there will be several. Each is a Miles City or area resident who served in the armed forces during World War II and had the opportunity to participate in one of the three Big Sky Honor Flights. These flights have transported WWII veterans from Montana to Washington, D.C., to view the World War II Memorial on the National Mall. This monument is the newest memorial on the mall.
The local and area veterans who have participated in the honor flights and who have been invited to serve as grand marshals of the 2013 BHS Parade are Dennis Scranton, Lawrence Shipp, Ruben Oberlander, Paul “Casey” Stengel, Tom Hanel, Pete Mangen, Paul Ringling, Robert Tillery, Theo Norgaard and Robert Frankforter.
The Big Sky Honor Flight program’s mission is to recognize American veterans for their military sacrifices and achievement by flying them, at no cost, to Washington, D.C., so they can view their memorial. Veterans receiving top priority are those who served in World War II and veterans from all wars who are terminally ill.
The veterans who will ride in the parade will gather on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the Iron Horse Restaurant to board their float, which will be pulled by the Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home Clydesdales, driven by Chet Holmes.

 

 

Thursday, May 16

Friday: Bring on the Bulls

By Josh Samuelson
Friday evening at the World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse will be plenty busy at the Eastern Montana Fairgrounds.
Action gets started on Friday night with the coronation of Miss Southeastern Montana Rodeo Royalty prior to the Grand Entry at 5:30 pm
Grand Entry at 5:30 p.m. The first of two Wild Horse Races kicks things off at 5:45 p.m.
The highlight of the evening will be the popular Bucking Bull Sale, which begins around 6 p.m.
The bull riding will have roughly 50 bulls. Half of those bulls will be in the open bull sale, and half will be in the Bull Showdown.
The Bull Showdown, in its third year at the Bucking Horse Sale, has bulls that are entered by stock contractors and compete against the other bulls.
Bull riders are also scored by judges, similar to a standard bull riding event.
The Open Sale, following the Showdown, will feature another 25 bulls that will be sold, in the same manner as the bucking horse sale on Saturday.
Friday night will also feature two sections of Mutton Bustin’. The Mutton Bustin, for kids aged 4-6, will run between the Bull Sale. For more information on the Mutton Bustin’, see page 11 of today’s edition.
The action concludes on Friday night with another Wild Horse Race, at approximately 7 p.m.
Save for the Wild Horse Race, there won’t actually be any bucking horses in the arena until Saturday and Sunday, and they will be interspersed among sections of horse racing.

 

 

BHS tickets sales steady

By Amorette Allison
Bucking Horse Sale tickets are “right where we typically are at this point,” according to Terri Newby of the Miles City Area Chamber of Commerce. While sales are going well, Newby has noticed fewer foreign visitors requesting tickets.
All tickets are still available at the Chamber office at 511 Pleasant and will be through noon on Friday, says Newby, or by calling 234-2890 or email at tickets@buckinghorsesale.com. General seating is $12 and reserved seat tickets are $17.
For exact location of available seats, go to the Bucking Horse Sale website, click on TICKETS and check seating availability for Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets for the Jerrod Niemann concert are also still available through the Chamber or at Stockman Bank, Murdoch’s Ranch and Home or the Texas Club. Tickets are all general admission and are $30. Andy Wemmer is the warm-up act starting at 5:50 p.m. on Thursday, with Copper Mountain Band the opening act at 6:30 and the main concert starting at 8:00.
Concert tickets can also be ordered at concert@buckinghorsesale.com.

 

 

Wednesday, May 15

New city clerk hired on a tie-breaker vote

By Elaine Forman
Montana Department of Transportation’s local payroll benefits technician, Lorrie Pearce, was appointed as the new city clerk at the Miles City Council meeting Tuesday night after Mayor Butch Grenz broke a tie vote.
“She had everything we were looking for,” Grenz said.
Four council members voted to hire Pearce, the lone applicant by the posting deadline, but the remaining four council members opposed the hiring on qualifications. The mayor tipped the scales in Pearce’s favor.
Councilwoman Susanne Galbraith questioned the decision, saying she went over Pearce’s application and the job description, and “she doesn’t meet the minimum qualifications for the job.”
Among the requirements for the job, the clerk must have a working knowledge of administrative and financial practices and procedures, accounting procedures, state and local laws, personnel management, procurement duties and budget preparation and implementation.
Also, the clerk must have the education and experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration and/or public administration with a minimum of four years experience in public finance and municipal administration or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Galbraith said a month and a half ago the city had two internal applicants who didn’t meet the qualifications for the Public Utilities Director position, so the city continued looking.
Councilman Mark Ahner immediately made a motion to appoint Pearce as the city clerk, and Councilwoman Roxanna Brush seconded it.
Councilman Jerry Partridge noted that Pearce had no accounting experience.
“How can you have a city clerk without accounting?” he asked. “You’re going to hire her and then expect the city clerk staff to train her? Mayor, you don’t seem to like those people, and yet you’re putting the full city into the hands of two people. How can you hire someone with no accounting?”
Grenz said the last two city clerks had no previous training either.
Galbraith said former city clerk Becky Stanton had a degree in accounting and worked many years as an accountant at Peabody Coal, which Galbraith called “tons of experience.”
Councilman John Hollowell agreed that he didn’t understand how the city is looking at hiring someone who doesn’t meet the minimum requirements.
Ahner said Pearce had more experience with government accounting, with claims, with auditing, with complicated software in regards to budgeting than did the previous city clerk, prior to her hiring.
Ahner said Pearce’s references were “very generous as far as her performance and in what she’s done working for the State of Montana, especially with audits.”
He added that the two internal applicants for the Public Utilities Director position have been interviewed twice and will be interviewed a third time.
Galbraith asked the mayor why the council just went through the whole process of writing a job description. “What’s the purpose of it?”
She said her second problem is that “anyone familiar with the job wasn’t even on the interview board,” Galbraith said, noting that no one from the clerk’s office was on the hiring committee.
“It’s a complicated job,” Partridge said, adding that if she had experience, she didn’t put it on her resume. “I guess it all boils down to the job of the people that are here now to train. And that’s not right. ... Dog-gone-it, they have a tough job.”
Hollowell said Pearce “sounds like a very capable and extremely hard-working person, but we turne down people who are qualified (for other jobs) and hire someone who isn’t qualified. I think we’re setting ourselves up for something.”
Voting in favor of Pearce were Ahner, Roxanna Brush, Bill Melnik and John Uden. Ahner, Brush and Uden were on the hiring committee, along with the mayor.
Voting against were Hollowell, Dwayne Andrews, Galbraith and Partridge.