Ledger Looking Back 25 Years: 2/11/1997

FEBRUARY 11, 1997

During the February 9th council meeting, a division between the Whitehall Town Council and Whitehall Mayor Dale Davis produced a standoff on the appointment of a town attorney. The council and mayor were unable to agree on a town attorney resulting in a chaotic legal and procedural situation. The meeting adjourned without a consensus on the town attorney position. Davis, in making his nomination to appoint Leonard Haxby, an attorney in Butte who owned property in the Whitehall area, said the mayor had the legal right to make town employee appointments. The council directed Jack Morris to seek a Montana Attorney General's legal opinion of the matter and to remain town attorney until the AG’s opinion was received.

The Whitehall Board of Trustees decided not to seek a 1998 mill levy increase for the elementary school. The board also discussed briefly the first reading of a new policy for use of school facilities. The subject had generated large crowds and significant interest at previous board meetings. The proposed policy prohibited the use of school facilities for individual or commercial profit prohibited the use of the school by non-community groups, and required nonschool groups to pay for custodial time.

Whitehall Student of the Week was Kyle Ross. Kyle, a junior, was nominated by Ken Kinzer for being the top chemistry student for the first semester. Kyle is the son of Terry and Kathy Ross. He planned to attend college after graduation and enjoys soccer, reading, and computers.

Whitehall Athletes of the Week were the members of the WHS wrestling team who earned the right at Divisionals to compete in the State Wrestling Tournament in Billings: Josh Trudgeon, Caleb Powers, Jamie Reiff, Karl Andersen, Travis McCloskey, Augie Brower, and Bill Battaiola.