Looking back at a year in Bigfork

This week residents will say goodbye to 2009 and hello to a new year.

As locals prepare to move forward, the Bigfork Eagle is taking a look back to give you snapshots of the biggest stories of the year and hints at what is to come.

ECONOMY

Bigfork businesses tried to stay optimistic this year and sought new ways to bring in tourists to the area.

With new tenants in buildings that had been sporting "For Rent" signs and a slate of remodeling and construction projects finished up in June, downtown was full and ready for the influx of visitors during the Village's peak time.

Business from summer tourism in the Bigfork and Lakeside areas was down slightly this year, but still higher than anticipated, according to local business owners.

However, many business owners had expected this summer's spending and tourism to be even lower than it actually was, especially given the current state of the economy and the fact that the season started later than normal because of wet weather.

The cherry market saw a tough year. A glut of cherries in Washington, as well as some new varieties in that state that compete with the late-ripening Flathead cherries — combined with a sour economy overall — created a tough year for local growers. A few growers decided to leave some Flathead Lake cherries unpicked this season

The Bigfork Gallery Group looked to revive some of Bigfork's Christmas traditions by taking over the production of the Bigfork Christmas card from the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce to help advertise the Village.

To help struggling local businesses and to bring more people to the area, the Chamber vowed to start a new marketing strategy for 2010 at its December dinner.

The economic struggles of local residents were also seen at the Bigfork Food Pantry, which saw demand on its regular distribution days double in 2009.

The food bank was used to seeing the number of people seeking the food bank's services drop between March and August, but that didn't happen this year.

NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN

After four years and nearly 100 public meetings, the Bigfork Neighborhood Plan was finally approved in June, but not before a final change that had some locals upset.

The commissioners made a switch from a suburban agricultural designation to light industrial for three properties along Montana Highways 83 and 35 on the plan's future land use map during the 30-day public comment period that began after they passed a resolution of intent to adopt the plan on April 23.

Members of the two Bigfork committees that helped produce, revise and finalize the updated plan appealed to the Flathead County Commissioners, requesting the commission reverse a decision, but it was upheld. This decision came after an request to the commissioners by a representative of Mike Touris and Chuck Sneed, who were denied a zone change in 2008.

The applicants then submitted another application seeking a zone change from "SAG-5" to "Light Industrial," which was approved in September.

The zone change will allow Touris, a Bigfork resident, to build a storage facility for his plumbing business on his property, which is nestled between two existing businesses. United Tool Property on Sneed's property is one of them.

A lawsuit filed by Touris and Sneed against the county planning office and BLUAC, alleging a number of violations in the 2008 denial, is still in progress. The part of the suit against the commissioners has been dropped.

PLAYHOUSE

The Bigfork Summer Playhouse celebrated its 50th anniversary this year with a renovation and expansion of the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts lobby.

The work, which was completed in the spring and summer, included more than doubling the amount of square footage in theater's lobby, creating an improved and recessed concessions area, a new tech/control center and separate sound room, updated men's restrooms, new office space and designing and constructing a covered area in front of the entrance and installing decorative signage on the front of the building. Security cameras and a new sound control board were also purchased and installed.

The expanded lobby and decorative glass front for the theater make it more of a prominent feature in the downtown area and more easily recognized as a theater those who visit Bigfork during the summer.

ARTS CENTER

The Bigfork Playhouse Children's Theatre's latest endeavor, an after-school performing arts center for Bigfork youth, opened its doors earlier in September with a handful of children from Swan River School and Bigfork schools among the first beneficiaries of its programs.

The center officially opened Sept. 15, in the space formerly occupied by the Flathead Industries Thrift Store after receiving a conditional use permit to operate a community center in R-1 zoning and a trio of parking variances.

BPCT Art Director Brach Thomson conceived the idea for a performing arts center a couple of years ago, when he realized that most of his theater kids had to travel to Kalispell to take voice, dance or music lessons.

Property owner Walter Kuhn, who is also the head of the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts Foundation, purchased the property specifically to hold on to it until Thomson could get the programming and funding together to purchase it and start the center.

TOURISM CHARGE

Since the possibility of a resort tax was ruled out without incorporation or creating a tax district, local merchants and businesses decided to give a voluntary tourism charge, currently called the Bigfork Enhancement Contribution, a chance at a May meeting.

It had its trial run this summer, as many local merchants and businesses opted to either pay a flat fee of $250 for the year or add on a 1 percent voluntary tax on bills to their customers. The money raised goes to promote Bigfork as a whole.

Those that spearheaded the "contribution" are now meeting regularly working to develop a group of business owners to provide oversight to the contribution.

BOAT CRASH

A late-night August boat crash on Flathead Lake injured five people, including U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg.

State Sen. Greg Barkus was later charged with three felony counts, including one count of criminal endangerment and two counts of negligent vehicular assault for the crash. Barkus was driving his 22-foot speedboat when it crashed onto the rocks Aug. 27 as the party of five returned from a dinner in Lakeside on their way to Marina Cay Resort, where Rehberg was staying.

Barkus pleaded not guilty to the charges this fall. The case then went through a slew of different judges.

Phillips County District Judge John McKeon is presiding over the case after three Flathead County district judges removed themselves from the case because of their relationships with the senator. Two other judges were removed by motions from the prosecutor and defense attorney.

If convicted on all counts, Barkus could face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and $70,000 in fines. His trail date is now scheduled for April 5, 2010.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS

There was plenty of racket this summer at Bigfork High School as multiple construction projects got underway.

The exterior of BHS got a face lift with some new paint. The new brown and maroon color scheme closely matches the recently remodeled elementary and middle schools, giving the campus a more uniform look. The school also got new windows and a new "arctic entry" with two sets of doors.

The school upgraded technology as well with new computers, interactive instruction tools and double the band-width for its wireless network.

A stormwater control system was also installed. Superintendent Russ Kinzer said the system proved itself in the fall's wet weather and was capturing all runoff.

FIRE TRAINING FACILITY

After two years of fund raising, work has begun on a training facility for the Bigfork Volunteer Fire Department.

The three-story concrete structure at the department's Echo Lake station will provide firefighters with a place to train in live fire situations.

Members of the Friends of the Bigfork Fire Department used September's "Brats, Burgers and Band" fundraiser to continue fronting the costs of the three-year project.

The Bigfork Volunteer Fire Department, hoped to have full use of the building by January, according to fire chief Wayne Loeffler.

Phase one of construction, which entailed building the structure's three-story concrete and steel shell, was completed in October. That portion of the project cost a little more than $100,000.

Phase two involved installing windows and frames, interior stairways and handrails on the top of the building and cost around $17,000. Prior to starting phase two, the group has about $20,000 remaining to fund the project, Loeffler said. More will have to be raised for phase three, which will come sometime next year and involve adding external stairwells for $26,000 or more.

SEWER UPGRADES

The Bigfork Water and Sewer Department unveiled its several million-dollar equipment upgrade early in the year.

The district received notice in November that its Treatment Plant Headworks Replacement Project won two "Engineering Excellence" Awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Montana, one in the water and wastewater category and the other the grand project award, in recognition of their recent work.

This recognizes the work done at the wastewater treatment plant that involved construction of the fine screening headworks facility, the first of its type in the state. It is designed to provide pre-treatment for an advanced treatment system using membrane filtration.

The membrane filtration system itself is in design and the next construction phase will begin in the spring or summer of 2010.

HIGHWAY SAFETY

Two new large truck crashes in 2009 made East Shore residents relive an April 2008 accident where a gas tanker crash spilled 60,000 gallons of fuel onto properties lining the highway resulting in millions of dollars in cleanup. As a result, the Montana Department of Transportation, at the urging of residents, looked into banning trucks from Highway 35.

At a November public meeting, MDT Director Jim Lynch told East and West Shore residents that further restricting large truck traffic on Montana Highway 35 between Bigfork and Polson is not an option, but there are ways MDT, the trucking industry and the community could make the road safer, including increased signage, more pullouts and a possible community road watch network.

PROPERTY TAXES

Residents were incensed about the latest round of property tax reappraisals, as many saw near the lake saw their property values double or triple. The most recent reappraisal cycle, which ran from Jan. 1, 2002, through July 1, 2008, saw taxable values significantly raised for some residents in Flathead County. Residential property increased roughly 73 percent in value overall in the county.

Town hall meetings in Bigfork and then in Kalispell held by area Republican legislators this fall gave residents a chance to air their concerns and express frustration with the process. Legislators promised they would seek solutions and recognized the system was "broken."

STORMWATER

The Bigfork Stormwater Advisory Committee moved closer to updating the Village's infrastructure to prevent property flooding and discharged into Flathead Lake.

Engineers finished up work on preliminary engineering for the Bigfork Stormwater Project this month. The initial phase of the project focuses on some of the more problematic areas, including Grand Drive, River Street, Bridge Street North and Bridge Street South.

Want more snapshots of 2009? Pick up a copy of the Dec. 31 print edition of the Bigfork Eagle.