The power company will first pursue the project’s sale, a PacifiCorp spokesperson said. However, if there are no interested buyers, the project, which is also known as the Bigfork Dam, will undergo a years-long process of decommissioning.

“PacifiCorp has notified the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) about its intent to pursue the disposition of the Bigfork Hydroelectric Project after determining required dam safety upgrades would not be cost effective for our customers,” PacifiCorp spokesperson Drew Marine said in a statement to the Beacon. “Disposition may include sale of the project or project decommissioning.”

The disposition process is expected to take several years and will not prompt immediate changes to dam operations or public access to Sliter Memorial Park, Marine said.

According to a Bigfork Hydroelectric Project Disposition FAQ posted on PacifiCorp’s website, the energy company has begun taking steps to remove the infrastructure from its generation portfolio as federal safety criteria becomes more stringent and costs prohibitive.

As the initial part of the disposition process, PacifiCorp will launch a request for interest, seeking potential buyers for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-licensed hydroelectric project, which includes 277 acres of land around the dam.

“PacifiCorp anticipates it will take some time to first explore selling the project,” Marine said in an email to the Beacon. “If a sale is not attainable or appropriate for our customers, the company can then consider decommissioning the project.”

According to Drew, a decommission process would follow FERC criteria involving public input and a specific set of proposed actions during a time frame that would take at least five years to complete.

Disposition of the property would take place after federal regulators approve the decommissioning plan, the company completes site restoration, and the commission signs off on completed actions in accordance with the plan.

As of June 12, Flathead Electric Cooperative (FEC) spokesperson Dillon Tabish said the public utility has not begun any process to acquire the project. However, he said they are “monitoring the situation and reviewing available information,” including evaluating criteria like safety, regulatory requirements and community benefit.

“Hydroelectric facilities can carry complex obligations, including dam-safety requirements, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensing conditions, environmental and historic-preservation responsibilities, recreation access, operational costs, and long-term liability,” Tabish said in a statement to the Beacon. “Any serious consideration would require careful due diligence and review.”

According to PacifiCorp, the current license conditions for recreation sites and access would remain in place if the project is sold to a new operator. Public access includes the 2.5-mile Swan River Trail, Powerhouse, Pacific and Sliter parks, and Kearney Rapids Boat Launch.

PacifiCorp also releases water flows capable of supporting whitewater boaters on the Swan River’s Class IV “Wild Mile” section from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in July and August, which is a requirement under the federal license.

But Bigfork Chamber of Commerce President Rebekah King said she’s concerned about what will happen to the public access if the dam is decommissioned and a private developer buys the property.

King also wonders how a possible dam removal will impact invasive species migration along with the potential changes to the whitewater section of the Swan River known as the “Wild Mile,” which has the Bigfork Whitewater Festival for more than 50 years.

Embedded in Bigfork’s identity since the townsite was platted by Everit Sliter in 1901, the hydroelectric project launched in 1902 when Lafayette Tinkel established a hydroelectric power plant. Crews constructed a concrete diversion dam, a flume and a brick powerhouse, which were finished by 1910 along with additional improvements in the following years — infrastructure that remains largely unchanged since the 1930s.

Today, the Bigfork Hydroelectric Project features a 12-foot-high, 300-foot-long concrete diversion dam with a 235-foot-long spillway generating 4.15 megawatts (MW) of electricity from the 1900s-era generator and turbine sets. The project operates a run-of-river facility, which diverts water from the Swan River and creates a one-mile-long bypassed reach instead of flooding the area into a reservoir.

“The dam is just part of Bigfork,” King said. “It’s the Wild Mile. It’s Sliter’s Park. It’s the nature trail. I think we’ve just sat here naively, not reckoning the impact PacifiCorp has on the community.”

maggie@flatheadbeacon.com

The post PacifiCorp to Power Down Bigfork Dam Unless Buyer Steps Forward appeared first on Flathead Beacon.

These words, adapted from an iconic rallying cry to protect Lake Tahoe, carry profound weight in the Flathead Valley today. We live in an extraordinary place, defined by world-class water clarity. Yet, as our valley experiences unprecedented population growth, we stand at a critical infrastructure crossroads. The choices we make right now regarding our county’s septic, sewage, and biosolids waste will map out the environmental reality our children inherit.

The scale of our challenge is immense. There are an estimated 50,000 decentralized septic systems in Flathead County. Regional data shows roughly 30 percent of these systems are over 50 years old, and 20 percent are thought to be failing. This is the defining water quality issue of our decade. Relying on an ever-increasing density of standard septic installations is fundamentally unsustainable. When aging infrastructure fails, it threatens our shared drinking water, our local economy, and the ecological lifeblood of the region.

Too often, environmental planning is top-down. Government mandates drop from above, placement decisions are made behind closed doors, and local communities face the fallout. We see the limits of this model right now as the Lakeside County Water and Sewer District prepares to advance a wastewater treatment facility expansion in a location presenting dangerous proximity and ecological harm to Flathead Lake.

There is a better way. Rather than dwelling on past placement friction, a coalition of local conservation organizations—including Citizens for a Better Flathead, the North Shore Water Alliance, and the Upper West Shore Alliance—is turning the traditional paradigm upside down. Following a successful public kickoff on May 26, we initiated a valley-wide, community-led “Community Treasure Hunt” to crowdsource the most environmentally sound ground for the county’s future waste treatment facility.

To lead this effort, we are forming a dedicated, independent Flathead Clean Water Task Force. We are seeking individuals with a true passion for protecting Flathead Lake to step up, serve on, and lead the work of this Task Force. We are particularly interested in inviting students and young leaders in our community to be a part of this effort, ensuring the next generation has a direct hand in shaping local solutions. To support these community leaders, we are bringing in outside technical experts—including hydrogeologists, environmental engineers, and soil scientists—to educate, inform, and provide science-backed guidance to the Task Force.

By pairing local community leadership with scientific review, the Task Force will ensure every suggested land parcel is grounded in sound science and engineering potential. We will study advanced national models, including the cutting-edge Sedron/Varcor resource recovery systems, which purify waste and recover clean water without threatening local water bodies.

The Task Force will also address vital local questions: How do we alleviate economic challenges for local septic pumpers? How do we prevent landfill odor and chemical reactions from high-moisture waste? Can we implement waste-to-energy technologies to transform sewage into clean electricity?

We need your voice, your local knowledge, and your love for the lake. Participation is accessible and open to all. Whether you wish to join the Task Force leadership, submit a potential land parcel suggestion from your laptop, or support the work through computer-based research assignments, your involvement is vital. Let us choose to act deliberately, transparently, and collaboratively so that when future generations look at Flathead Lake, they do so with deep gratitude for the choices we make today.

You can get involved right now by visiting www.FlatheadCitizens.org or emailing Citizens@Flatheadcitizens.org to sign up as a community member, student leader, or technical expert. Online forms are readily available to submit potential land parcels for review or to sign up directly to join the Task Force leadership and help guide the future of our watershed.

The post Our Water, Our Future appeared first on Flathead Beacon.

My daughter just turned one year old. When I think about the Montana she will inherit, I think about the places that have shaped me—places like the Lolo National Forest and countless other wild landscapes across our state. These forests are more than scenery. They are where we hike, breathe, reflect, and remember what matters.

This should not be a partisan issue. I know Montanans from across the political spectrum—Democrats, Republicans, independents—who may disagree on many things but share a deep love for our forests and public lands. We all understand that once wild places are fragmented by roads and development, they are extraordinarily difficult—if not impossible—to restore.

The Roadless Rule protects what cannot be replaced. We should preserve these lands not only for ourselves, but for our children.

I want my daughter to grow up in a Montana where she can walk beneath old trees, hear silence broken only by wind and birds, and experience the same wild beauty that has shaped generations before her. That future is worth protecting.

We must keep the Roadless Rule in place.

Philip Nordeck
Missoula

The post Don’t Rescind the Roadless Rule appeared first on Flathead Beacon.

“From our perspective, the trial and the information that’s going to come forward is the most important part,” said Avery Field, an attorney with Bliven Law Firm representing the plaintiffs. “A verdict in plaintiffs’ favor in this case, I think, would be an important showing to the community that we need to pay closer attention to our schools and what’s going on in our schools; that we all have a responsibility to work together as a community to make sure that students are safe; and that we have to be vigilant about those placed in charge of our schools.”

He added his clients’ hope is that parents and students can feel safe to make reports of sexual harassment to the school district in the future.

The Nances’ case, originally filed in January of 2025, alleges the district took retaliatory action against Clifford Nance, who was on the wrestling team, and his father, Kirk Nance, after Kirk reported the sexual assault of wrestlers to the school district and police department.

The suit claims the school barred Kirk from observing Clifford’s wrestling practices after reporting the assault. It also details an incident at a hotel in Missoula where wrestling coaches accused Kirk of “interrogating” students. The incident ultimately ended in Kirk receiving a disorderly conduct charge, and the district trespassing him from school property.

Clifford, the suit claims, was removed from certain activities and spaces, that the amount and quality of coaching Clifford received decreased after his father reported the assault, and states the district opposed his request to transfer to Flathead High School’s wrestling team the following year.  

The school district has previously said it views the Nances’ suit as a “parent issue, not a student issue.” When the lawsuit was originally filed last January, KPS superintendent Matt Jensen said Kirk Nance had “tried to interfere with our investigation and the regular operations of schools and programs,” and coaches and administrators had the “responsibility and right” to hold both students and Kirk Nance accountable for their actions. It has also adopted the posturing it appropriately disciplined wrestlers involved in the incident. Jensen in April doubled down on those sentiments in comments to the Beacon.

Field said at the trial, plaintiffs will aim to show the school district acted in a retaliatory manner. It will be a goal to show the Nances engaged in protected activity, experienced an adverse action, and that there was a causal link between the two. He added both direct and circumstantial evidence — like the time frame the school district’s actions occurred in — will be part of his clients’ argument.

“We do think that we have some direct evidence in this case,” Field said. “However, most cases like this fall on circumstantial evidence, which, from our perspective, there’s a bounty of circumstantial evidence in this case.”

The trial will be open to the public and will take place at the federal courthouse in Missoula, located at 201 E. Broadway St.

Proceedings are slated to wrap by Thursday afternoon, Field said, so the jury can deliberate and hand down a verdict ahead of June 19, which is a federal holiday. But Field said the timing of trials is notoriously unpredictable and that schedule could veer off-track as the week presses on.

A federal lawsuit separate from the Nances’ was filed by a parent in October 2023. It accused the school district’s administrators and athletics officials of failing to address the assault of the plaintiff’s son and permitting a culture of hazing and violence within the school’s wrestling team. That suit was dismissed for “lack of subject matter jurisdiction” in January of 2025.

Field’s firm is also representing a former athlete who filed a lawsuit against the district in January alleging fellow wrestlers sexually assaulted and harassed him in a Billings hotel room during a wrestling trip in 2022. That suit has a pretrial conference set for July 8 in Missoula.  

mariah@flatheadbeacon.com  

The post Glacier High Wrestling Lawsuit Headed for Trial in Missoula appeared first on Flathead Beacon.

“One of Chef Joel’s nephews was like, ‘Hey, I have someone who might be interested in running Casa Luna,’” Valera recalled.

Though they’d never met, Valera and “Chef Joel” discovered, serendipitously, that they hailed from the same small town of Ayutla in Jalisco, Mexico. “We’re basically like two blocks down,” Valera said. “We’re neighbors. It’s crazy.” 

After a few phone calls, Chef Joel Lepe was flying from Florida to Montana for a visit; a few months after that, he had moved his life up to Montana.

When he arrived at Casa Luna, Lepe imagined he’d be creating menus and cooking for wedding rehearsals, baby showers, banquets, and other private events. But when the construction of the dining area was completed early mid-winter, and with summer banquet season still months away, he approached Valera.

“He’s like, ‘What if we just open it as a restaurant or do breakfast?’” she recalled.

Valera contemplated a breakfast or brunch service, but aesthetically it just wasn’t right. “It’s kind of too nice for one thing in the morning,” she said. “So, let’s do a restaurant.” 

What kind of restaurant was the next question. Mexican seemed the obvious fit — both Valera and Lepe have extensive backgrounds in them — but Casa Luna and Casa Mexico share the same building, and Valera wanted the two dining establishments to complement one another, but not to clash.

A self-described foodie, Valera has lived in San Francisco and London, seeking out novel and exciting gastronomical experiences, and eschewing parties and nightlife. London was especially invigorating, affording her the ability to travel easily to culinary meccas like France, Italy and Spain, and allowing her the freedom to experience the cultures firsthand. 

“I always followed food,” she said. 

The experiences helped Valera create a catalog of inspiring ideas she could bring back home to Kalispell. The cuisine of Spain and, specifically, its atmosphere and culture of eating — patrons communing together, sharing plates and flavors — were compelling. 

“It’s another way to be united,” she said. “It’s another way to communicate. You slow down and eat. You’re experiencing every bite.”

She envisioned not only what a new style of food would bring to a growing Kalispell, but also how she might show people a different way to enjoy it. 

When she brought the idea to Lepe, he immediately recognized its creative and culinary potential.

“I said, yeah, because Spain’s cuisine is very regional,” Lepe said. “You have Andalucia, Basque, Valencia. Andalucia is kind of more Mediterranean. We can do that. A little bit of Spain and a little bit of Mediterranean. It can be possible.”

It would also present the new chef with a new challenge.

“We can’t be 100 percent Spain because we don’t have all the ingredients,” he said.

But as he began sourcing products, a concept began to emerge. A menu featuring traditional Spanish-Mediterranean dishes — croquetas, patatas bravas, steak, grilled seafood, and seasonal tapas — guided by a Montanan framework that incorporates locally sourced ingredients and rustic regional touches.

“Okay. This is something,” Lepe said. “I want something fresh. Seasonal. Our menu can be changing. We can offer something local, but Casa Luna Style.”

Twenty-five years ago, Lepe  started, as many people do, in the dish-pit of a Mexican restaurant. Working his way up the ranks from dishwasher to chef, he had an awakening.

“I was finding something inside me. Like, ‘I like this,’” he said. “I was feeling passionate about it. I had a curiosity to learn more.”

After five years in the restaurant, he made his way to Orlando, Florida, enrolling in the famous French culinary school, Le Cordon Bleu. He wanted to find a way to continue to develop his skills and cultivate his passion, and the opportunity to learn under some of the best chefs from around the world delivered.

“Boom. That was what I was looking for,” he said.

 While in school, he was asked to work for an executive chef at the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando. For 12 years, he worked in the famous hotel, which is located in a large hotel and convention center complex. That location offered him ample opportunities to learn and grow. During that period, Lepe said he was constantly working special events and cooked in every single kitchen on site. Always eager to push himself, he utilized his free mornings and evenings to refine his skills. He became a chef in the Isleworth Golf and Country Club, and also took advantage of the more than 200 restaurants in nearby Disneyland to stretch his imagination and diversify his palate.

“My personal idea was to look for different concepts and cuisines, getting experience and learning,” he said.

When his nephew reached out about Casa Luna, Lepe felt it was the right time to put that experience to use on something of his own.

“This is a new beginning,” he said. “I don’t know where we’re gonna go. I don’t know the end, but to share my food, my flavors, and my skills — it’s more than food. You learn it’s not just a plate on the table. It’s more than that.”

Lepe employs a tone of reverence when talking about certain dishes and their cultural origins. 

“When I make something new I try to respect the line,” he said. “It’s Spanish cuisine and Mediterranean cuisine.” 

But the diversity of Spanish food combined with the culinary and creative possibilities provided by his new home in Montana is clearly exciting. 

“It’s huge,” he said. “You got a lot of elements to create different dishes in different ways. Respect the story, with a few additions, you know, just a little tweak.”

Casa Luna’s patatas bravas are a great example. One of the most popular tapas in Spain, patatas bravas are boiled potatoes, pan fried and covered with bravas sauce. They are a staple throughout the country. Although each region has its own variant, they are widely recognized as a snack to share while socializing.

“My way? I don’t cook the potatoes in water. I confit my potatoes,” Lepe said. “I use Yukon potatoes, cut in small pieces and cooked in olive oil with some peppercorns, and garlic cloves, rosemary, thyme. And then I bake it in oil. Super juicy and flavorful and tender. If you pan fry, it can be crispy outside, but super tender inside.”

“Bravas sauce can be a little spicy but it’s really flavorful,” he continued. “Smoky paprika, roasted tomatoes, piquillo peppers in olive oil and garlic. You blend it, spoon the sauce on top of the potatoes, then sprinkle garnishing with garlic crema and a smoked paprika aioli. All those flavors together? It’s really good!”

Meanwhile, Casa Luna’s bar complements the menu with a lineup of handcrafted cocktails that showcase its Spanish influence, with signature drinks like the Spanish gin and tonic, Negroni eclipse, the Carahillo, and the Vesper. A curated wine list also features Old World classics alongside sangrias, spritzes and spirit-free options.

Spanish dining is known for gatherings with friends, sharing plates and enjoying each bite, as well as each other; Spanish cuisine is known for its diversity, vibrancy and creativity. For Valera and her staff, Lepe was the missing ingredient in their quest to bring something fresh to Kalispell. 

For Lepe, the opening chapter at Casa Luna offers him the prospect to fuse all his cultural and culinary skills and interests. Although much of it came by chance, he couldn’t have scripted it better.

“I had this opportunity with a new concept, and a place where I can express myself and try to share with the community everything I’ve been learning for 20 years?” Lepe said. “This is a perfect place for a new story.”  

The post Meet the Chef: Casa Luna’s Joel Lepe appeared first on Flathead Beacon.

I wanted to reach out to everyone in the Lakeside and Somers communities who is served by or impacted by the Lakeside County Water and Sewer District (LCWSD). Many of you have likely been following the ongoing discussions regarding the modernization and expansion of our wastewater treatment infrastructure. I would like to provide some context and ask for your support.

As many residents know, Lakeside has relied on land application and groundwater discharge for treated wastewater since the 1980s. The current projects being undertaken by LCWSD are not introducing a new wastewater management approach. Rather, they are focused on improving and modernizing existing systems to meet current environmental standards, increase treatment capacity, and ensure long-term reliability for our community.

These improvements include upgrades to treatment processes, expansion of treatment facilities, and enhancements to the infrastructure that transports wastewater from Lakeside to the treatment site near Somers. These investments are essential to protecting public health, safeguarding water quality, and ensuring the community has the infrastructure necessary to support future needs.

Reliable wastewater infrastructure is a critical component of any thriving community. Without it, development opportunities become limited, costs increase, and uncertainty can affect homeowners, businesses, and future investments throughout the region. The existing system has served the community well, but it will not meet our long-term needs without significant upgrades.

Public participation and oversight are important parts of the process. However, much of the public discussion has been driven by a relatively small number of individuals and organizations. While all perspectives deserve consideration, it is equally important that decision-makers hear from residents who recognize the value of maintaining and improving essential public infrastructure.

The continued challenges to permits, approvals, water rights, and infrastructure projects have resulted in additional costs, delays, and uncertainty. These impacts ultimately affect the entire community. The benefits of these projects extend beyond Lakeside and Somers, supporting housing, local businesses, employment opportunities, environmental protection, and economic stability throughout the Flathead Valley.

I understand that many residents prefer to avoid public meetings or political discussions. However, there is a growing need for broader community participation so that local and state decision-makers can better understand the full range of community perspectives.

I encourage residents to consider becoming involved by:

• Attending public hearings and community meetings when important decisions are being discussed.

• Supporting reasonable, science-based infrastructure improvements that protect public health and the environment.

• Encouraging friends and neighbors to stay informed about these projects.

• Sharing constructive feedback with elected officials, regulatory agencies, and decision-makers.

• Submitting letters to the editor or other public comments when appropriate.

While no project is perfect, communities move forward through constructive dialogue, collaboration, and informed decision-making. With your support, we can help ensure that Lakeside, Somers, and the surrounding region continue to grow responsibly while preserving the quality of life that makes this area such a special place to live.

To learn more about LCWSD projects and stay informed, please visit our project webpage: https://lcwsd.com/current-projects

Thank you for your time, consideration, and continued engagement.

Marc Liechti is the president of the Lakeside County Water and Sewer District.

The post LCWSD: Support ‘Essential’ Wastewater Infrastructure Upgrades appeared first on Flathead Beacon.

This is one of the greatest challenges Alfieri and the lacrosse community has faced as they’ve taken steps to grow the sport in the Flathead Valley and throughout the state over the last decade.

However, Alfieri said the gap between kids who grew up playing the sport and those who didn’t is starting to close at Northwest Avalanche Lacrosse — with this year’s senior class being the greatest evidence of this. 

“I saw a friend at school and he came to school with a lacrosse stick,” senior Cruz Grace, who began playing lacrosse in elementary school, said. “I saw the lacrosse stick and I thought it looked really cool, and I begged my dad to get one. Then I joined the team the next year, and it’s been the best decision I’ve made.”

“My cousin brought over a lacrosse stick one day at a family reunion and that’s basically how it started … from then on I’ve just been playing lacrosse,” fellow senior Elijah Copping, who joined the program in third grade, said. 

For many of the seniors on both the boys and girls varsity teams, all it took was picking up a lacrosse stick and they never looked back, immediately falling in love with “the fastest sport on two feet.”

“I tell everyone, you play lacrosse once and you’re addicted,” Grace said.

Since lacrosse isn’t a Montana High School Association sanctioned sport, Northwest Avalanche Lacrosse offers opportunities for players grades 9-12 to compete, with the girls playing in the Montana High School Lacrosse Association’s league and the boys competing in the Great Northwestern Lacrosse League (GWLL), which consists of teams from Montana, Idaho, Washington and Wyoming. The program also offers youth teams through its affiliate, the Northwest Sharpshooters. 

With a bulk of this year’s senior class getting their start in the sport as young Sharpshooters, the players across both teams have built an unbreakable and unspoken bond that has taken the Northwest Avalanche to new heights — from dozens of all-state selections, to the program’s first-ever NCAA Division I and II commitments, to an undefeated GWLL championship season for the boys team this year. 

“We’ve had [teammates from] literally almost everywhere in the valley,” senior Hannah Cantrell said. “To be able to all come in together, you would not be able to tell. You would think it was a school team.”

While lacrosse is one of the oldest team sports in North America, much of its popularity in the United States has been confined to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, although the sport has started to gain traction and quickly grow west over the last two decades. 

So what’s it like growing up playing lacrosse in a state with some of the lowest participation rates?

“You definitely get some weird looks,” senior Oliver Buzzell said.

“Every time you tell them you play lacrosse, you kind of have to explain the sport a little bit as well, which is not typical with a lot of sports,” Grace added. “You often have to describe it as like a soccer-hockey mix.”

Luckily, both head coaches, Alfieri and girls varsity coach Joni Petro, can relate to the experience, with Alfieri playing his most formative lacrosse years in Texas and Petro growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio at a time the sport wasn’t yet sanctioned. 

“My family moved from New York to Texas, so this area is kind of nice because it reminds me a little bit of what lacrosse was when I was growing up; hard to get recruited,” Alfieri said. “So I was one of the first players out of that area to get recruited to go play college.”  

Similar to when Alfieri and Petro were younger, lacrosse players in Montana face many of the same challenges, such as traveling across state lines just to be able to play against other organizations and the high costs associated with the sport and travel.

“When trying to maintain that buy-in for lacrosse, I think the first thing that really is the hook is the community, which makes the culture piece so important,” Petro said. “We hold [our players] to such a high standard. We sacrifice our weekends. It’s a lot of money, but when you have that mutual accountability that everybody’s being held to the same standard, there’s that buy-in, and I think that’s where a lot of the trust starts being built too.”

Northwest Avalanche Lacrosse has put a focus on their youth program to grow the sport in the valley — whether that be “learn-to-plays” at local elementary schools or having older players stop by practices for their younger teams — but the program has also turned to the multi-sport athlete pool the Flathead boasts. 

“Kids want to follow their peers, so it helps sometimes when you have Glacier’s two quarterbacks, or the backup quarterback who’s potentially gonna be the starter next year, playing for us,” Alfieri said. 

Lacrosse can be a great “cross-over sport” for athletes looking to round out their athletic abilities, Alfieri said. 

“You have to have a high understanding of the game, so basketball players transition well into lacrosse players,” Alfieri said. “They have good footwork, they understand defensive rotation zones, pick and roll, similar things we do in lacrosse. Hockey players are similar because it’s still looking for backside looks; soccer as well. It’s still about passing the ball and finding your open look.”

No player represents this better than senior Madi Matson, who, like her head coach, played “every sport” before finding lacrosse late in her high school athletic career. Only joining the Avalanche in her junior year, Matson has earned a spot on Point Park’s women’s lacrosse team — a Division II university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

“I don’t think there was ever a point where anyone left me alone my first game,” Matson said. “I had everyone around me being like, ‘hey, you can’t cross this line; do this; you got it.’ I never felt alone or anything on the field.”

“I think I want to leave the legacy of you can start at any time and if you try and show up with the intention to be a good player, you can do good things if you have the drive,” she added.

Despite the obstacles faced, both teams have built a culture of success over the last few years, with the boys varsity team piecing together an undefeated season this year that culminated in a GWLL title. 

After defeating in-state foe Bozeman —who recently claimed victory over the Avalanche in two consecutive state title games — the Avalanche’s varsity boys squad capped off the historic season with a 5-3 victory over Jackson Hole in the championship game.

“The first relief was getting over the Bozeman hump; the first playoff win against Bozeman,” Alfieri said. “Then going to that championship game … it’s hard because how do you stay focused when all season long you don’t lose a game?

“In that regional championship game, we were down by four goals at one point, the first time we’ve been down all year, and we came back and we won. Then we started playing where the mentality was always we’re going into the game down four points, and that energy and that effort, that’s what changed.”

Following the team’s state final loss last season, the Avalanche approached this year with a “different mindset,” traveling across the West to play top competition all fall and winter to prepare for the spring finale. 

“The coaches really wanted it,” Copping said. “We really wanted it, so it kind of just pushed us to get it a little bit more.”

Avalanche’s varsity girls team’s 2026 season also came to conclusion in a championship game, with the squad falling in a tight 4-3 contest against a dominant, formidable Jackson Hole team. 

“It was exactly like Remember the Titans, except we lost,” Petro said. “Everything else was awesome. We spent so much time all season long talking about what it means to be big and the things that nobody can take from you … whether it’s speaking up and advocating when you need to or being willing to take up space and own who you are and what your gifts and your roles are.

“These girls going into state were like, we are not going to get rattled. We’re going to play for each other and then the outcome is going to take care of itself. Even though we still lost by one, I don’t know that [they] really would have felt any better with a trophy.”

The championship loss wrapped up a four-year stint that included 27 all-state awards, two state final appearances, one state semi-final appearance, nine players selected to represent the region in the USA Lacrosse’s national tournament and four players committed to playing in college at both the Division I and II levels. 

With Avalanche’s and Sharpshooter’s girls programs barely 10 years old — and many of this year’s seniors among the program’s first ever players — the path to success was largely an uncharted one.

“I think the biggest thing for us was, [Joni] started the girls program here, so coming up … we didn’t go to the older girl’s games because there weren’t any,” senior and University of Vermont signee Hannah-Gray Petro said. “There were no mentors.

“The whole way up, it’s just been us kind of figuring out what we wanted it to be, which … makes it harder, but I think that also made us feel like we chose what we wanted our culture and our legacy to be.”

After years of playing games a player down because of insufficient roster numbers or flying across the country for tournaments, the seniors have built a legacy of selflessness, sacrifice and striving to achieve any goal set. 

“I do think this year everyone did a good job of setting up the program for success in the future, and everyone really wants to just work towards keeping the culture high,” senior Brynnlea Toren, who will play lacrosse at Fort Lewis College in Colorado next year, said. “I think the biggest thing was we were able to help everyone else create a goal for the team.”

With one of the program’s largest senior classes now having walked across the graduation stage, focus will turn even more toward the future and continuing to grow lacrosse in Montana. 

“With my little brother playing, it would be really sweet to see it just grow even more than it already is right now,” Buzzell said. “My dad coached a little bit last year, and he’s telling his kids, because he’s a teacher, about lacrosse and more and more kids are wondering about it and getting curious. It’s nice to see that because you don’t want the sport to die. I would like to come back here in 20 years and see it absolutely booming.”

Both head coaches said the key to sustained growth will be through the youth program, with Petro saying she hopes there’s eventually enough interest for a local recreational league for younger ages. 

“The youth program has to be treated with extreme white gloves in every sense, making sure we’re a positive culture and kids are having fun,” Petro said. “Adults kill the fun too early. If your kid loves it, they’re gonna make it more serious on their own. So, if we can keep it as fun for as long as possible, then naturally, their appetite is gonna increase. How do we keep it fun, and then how do we keep providing more food?” 

Alfieri also noted lacrosse becoming sanctioned under MHSA, like baseball did in 2022, would be beneficial for the growth of the sport.

“If we can take a step like baseball did … we’re still funding ourselves right now, but at least have an association with a high school,” Alfieri said. “I think there’s still a lot we could be doing to grow it at the high school level and at the base level and kind of tag team that.”

And Alfieri’s players agree.

“As much as I like playing with all these guys, if it was a Montana varsity sport, suiting up for my high school would be amazing,” senior Andrew Jacobson said. 

lauren@flatheadbeacon.com

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Developer Michael Maddy is seeking a Natural Streambed and Land Preservation Act (NSLPA)/310 permit from the Flathead Conservation District (FCD) for the Bigfork Bay Marina, which the board of supervisors has tabled until additional required information is submitted by a July 6 deadline.

According to the application submitted by Cougar Ridge Development, LLC and Water Source, LLC, Maddy plans to build a floating dock facility with boardwalk access to the Flathead County Public Dock, a large scale project proposed in the northeast area of Bigfork Bay on the Swan River.

According to FCD Resource Conservationist Samantha Tappenbeck, Cougar Ridge Development, LLC submitted the application for the proposal on April 6 and an onsite inspection was completed on April 26, as part of standard protocol.

During the onsite inspection, the FCD board of supervisors and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials met with the applicant to review the details, and the findings were presented at a special meeting on May 22 where public comment was heard.

At the meeting, the board of supervisors tabled the application and requested specific geotechnological information and a hydrologic report to determine if the design specifications meet the FCD’s minimum standards. The information must be submitted by July 6, at which point another special meeting will be scheduled with additional opportunity for public comment.

“This is a really large-scale and jurisdictionally complex project,” Tappenbeck said.

Tappenbeck said when considering projects of this scale and scope, the district typically invites agencies with concurrent jurisdiction to join and review the proposed project from the start.

Historically, Bigfork Bay has been at the center of jurisdiction disputes at the location where the Swan River and Flathead Lake meet, raising the question over whether the property owner receives a NSLPA/310 permit from FCD or a Lakeshore Protection Act/Lakeshore Construction Permit from Flathead County.

In 2004, the Montana Supreme Court upheld a district court ruling that the FCD had statutory authority to determine property owners’ rights to construct a waterfront project where another agency had concurrent jurisdiction.

In Paulson v. Flathead Conservation District, the plaintiff received a permit to construct a waterfront project on Flathead Lake from the Flathead Regional Development Office. The property owners were later notified the project was also in the Swan River and subject to FCD’s jurisdiction. After petitioning for a new permit, which was denied by the FCD, the Paulsons sought to determine which agency had jurisdiction over the project.

An arbitration panel determined the project was located on a flowing stream, granting FCD jurisdiction over the project.  

Following this ruling, Tappenbeck said the Montana Highway 35 bridge became the marker for the jurisdictional delineation between Flathead Lake and the Swan River, with everything upstream to the east of the bridge requiring a NSLPA/310 permit and everything downstream and west requiring a Lakeshore Construction Permit, Tappenbeck said.

“The characteristic of the Swan River through the Bigfork Bay constituted as a river all the way to Wayfarers State Park,” Tappenbeck said. “Hydrology-wise, that’s where the Swan River meets the lake.”

Because Flathead Lake is regulated by a dam, Tappenbeck said the water backflows into Bigfork Bay, adding complexities to the area’s definition.

“It has a big lake effect – it’s a big body of water and there is a lake influence,” Tappenbeck said. “But the dominant feature is inarguably the Swan River from what I understand in the current, velocity and flow dynamics.”

maggie@flatheadbeacon.com

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The development would include 95 single family homes, including townhomes, single family residences and cottages, with home prices likely ranging from $350,000 to $800,000, Habitat’s Executive Director MaryBeth Morand said during a Kalispell Planning Commission work session on the project Tuesday evening.

“To be clear, about 30 of the homes in this development will be Habitat,” Morand said. “But there is a significant affordable component and that’s part of our partnership with the private sector developers.”

The 21-acre parcel of land is situated between Northland Drive and the U.S. Highway 93 Alternative, south of Four Mile Drive. Habitat for Humanity bought the property in an auction from the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) last year.

Morand described the development as an opportunity to “co-build neighborhoods” with private developers, with Habitat acquiring the land below market value and selling lots to private developers that agree to offer affordability tools to homebuyers such as buying down mortgage interest rates. The Birchwood development does not include long- or short-term rentals.

During the work session, planning commission members and city staff reviewed the development’s annexation, initial zoning, and PUD framework.

The geotechnical report prepared by engineers at Alpine Geotechnical, LLC found that the property presents significant concerns for design and construction due to its use as a fill site for MDT during the construction of the U.S. 93 bypass. Due to the site’s topography and existing conditions, the report notes that significant engineering considerations will need to be made related to fill management, foundation design, roadway construction, and grading.

Because of the site’s proximity to the bypass, a noise analysis also recommends construction of an eight foot sound wall and berm to mitigate highway sounds.

City planner Donnie McBath noted that while the geotechnical and noise concerns will need to be addressed, none of the reports included flaws fatal for the project.

The proposal also includes several deviation requests, including no road connections to the east or west property line, allowance for the alley to provide primary access to lots that front on shared yards, and smaller lot sizes.

“You can do that because of those shared front yards,” Director of Development Services PJ Sorensen said, referencing the smaller lot sizes and alleyway access. “You just get a lot more houses on that same street frontage with this type of configuration.”  

During public comment, several residents living off Northland Drive including commission member Cate Walker said they were concerned about impacts from increased traffic on the drive, which is estimated to generate 1,014 average trips per day, according to a traffic impact study.

“This is a neighborhood that has a lot of kids, and you know, mine is one of them,” Walker said. “It’s a little concerning that we’re going to add another thousand trips on this road every day.”  

City staff said there is a third party analysis on the traffic impact study currently in the works. The development will come before the planning commission with requested materials for a public hearing on July 14.

In future meetings, staff will review the subdivision, engineering, parkland and utilities, per the city’s recently adopted land use plan established by the Montana Land Use Planning Act (MLUPA). The proposal is one of the first major developments to make its way through the new reviewal process.

zoe@flatheadbeacon.com

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This recipe makes a fairly simple buttery, vanilla-tinged batter. But these cupcakes aren’t so buttery that buttercream frosting becomes overpowering. They support the weight of the jam yet have a light, fluffy texture. That’s mainly because the batter is so thin you could pour it into the muffin cups. I spoon it in so that I’m less likely to dribble across the muffin tray.

I mix the batter by hand or use an electric mixer with care. It’s easy to overbeat this batter and produce flat, gummy cupcakes.

Any fruit jam fills these cupcakes nicely. I prefer fruit-forward, low-sugar jams, so I make canner batches with Pomona’s Universal Pectin, which creates soft-set jam with little to no sweetener. If you use a thickly gelled jam instead, warm it briefly so that it’s easier to tuck into the cupcake centers.

If you don’t can at home, consider a freezer or quick refrigerator jam recipe with seasonal fruit and herbs. Some of my favorite combinations that taste delicious in these cupcakes include rhubarb with Earl Grey tea, strawberry with lavender, strawberry with tequila and agave, raspberry plus white currant, cherry plus raspberry and plum with basil and mint.

Buttery Jam-Filled Cupcakes

Makes 12

2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup low-fat or whole milk

1-1/2 teaspoons Homemade Vanilla Extract

About 1/4 cup jam, any flavor

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Measure out the milk. In alternating batches, beat the flour mixture and the milk into the butter mixture. Stir in the vanilla until just combined.

Fit paper or silicone cupcake liners into 12 regular-size (about 2-3/4 inch diameter) muffin cups. Spoon the batter into the lined cups until about three-quarters full.

Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for five minutes before removing them to cool completely on the rack.

Carefully core a small hole in the top of each cupcake. Fill each hole with about 1 teaspoon of jam, letting it mound slightly if you will serve the cupcakes as is or making the jam flush with the top if you will add frosting.

Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger. Learn more about this month’s grilling and camp-meal workshops at TwiceAsTasty.com.

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