Flathead Courier, Oct. 8, 1963

Cat in belfry disturbs choir

Some places may have bats in the belfry, but last Sunday morning the Polson Presbyterian church had a cat in the belfry – and what’s worse it was singing in a different key than was the choir.

The feline was removed by the fire department rescue members Chief Bud Morse and Jim and Tom Funke.

Swan Lake fire still burning

Unseasonably warm weather and high winds Tuesday night kept the 1,300-acre forest fire burning in the Swan Lake area out of control. Some 500 men plus airplanes, helicopters, and bulldozers are battling the blaze located between the lake and the south fork of the Flathead River.

Much of the fire is burning through timber of potentially high commercial value. Major concentration of fire-fighting efforts was placed along the north and east ridges where spot fires had skipped across the ridge and into the Connor Creek drainage on the South Fork side of the ridge.

Control of the fire was expected to be attained possibly by late Wednesday.

In view of the fire hazards caused by unusually warm and dry fall weather, State Forester Gareth C. Moon has proclaimed an extension of the season through Oct. 15. This means that the “ax, bucket and shovel” policy is in effect for those traveling on forest lands.

Ronan Pioneer, Oct. 5, 1963

Reduced phone rates for local subscribers too

Chairman Paul T. Smith of the Montana Public Service commission this week announced the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company had been ordered to file a new rate schedule for intrastate telephone calls to become effective Oct. 1, 1963.

The new schedule will provide a reduction in rates of $136,000 annually. The new rates will permit telephone users to make three-minute station-to-station calls anywhere in Montana for 75 cents or less between 9 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. The reductions – of particular benefit to residential subscribers – are as much as 40 per cent.

Jay Preston of the Ronan Telephone Company said that the same rates reductions will be available to subscribers of this system. He said the purpose of the reductions was to provide a rate structure which would encourage greater use of the systems during normally quiet hours and of the capital investment of the phone companies.

The rates for “After 9” calling provides decreases ranging from five to 50 cents and apply the station-to-station calls made between any two cities in Montana. Reductions begin on calls over 3 minutes.

The rates affected presently range from 45 cents to $1.25 for three minutes. The same rates under the new schedule will range from 40 to 75 cents for three minutes. There will be a corresponding reduction in rates for time used over three minutes.

Mission Valley News, Oct. 8, 1983

Air Force offers to pay for glass

The latest development in the matter of Dr. Gordon and Marion Gerrish of Post Creek versus the United States Air Force and sonic boom damage (see Aug. 31 MVN) is that the Air Force made an offer and Gerrish turned it down.

After consulting with the contractor who put glass in the Gerrish greenhouse – which the couple say was broken by sonic booms – Major Dan Hass at Malmstrom AFB offered the cost of new Thermopane, $549.80, last week.

“Not enough,” replied Dr. Gerrish. He said that he had been advised that only tempered glass will survive further sonic racket, and that tempered glass will cost an additional $345. So the battle continues, but may be important to the numerous other residents who believe they have also suffered damage by sonic booms.

Of additional interest, with high-flying aircraft much in the international news this week, is a description from the Air Force of the remarkable aircraft which causes all the bangs in the Mission Valley. As Major Hass told the MVN last week, “People there probably don’t even know what the aircraft looks like. All they see is a contrail in the sky.”

The culprit is the Air Force SR-71, a sinister looking black reconnaissance craft which took over spying duties from the old U2.