Ledger Looking Back 25 Years: 6/24/1998

JUNE 24, 1998

The Department of Justice sent warning letters to three Whitehall entities - including the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Department - and is proposed to impose $250 fines on three Whitehall taverns as a result of gambling infractions stemming from the Whitehall Fire Department’s 1997 Casino Night.

The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) jointly issued an emergency order prohibiting motorized vehicles from driving off established roads and trails in the Delmoe Lake area northwest of Whitehall, between Whitetail Reservoir and Homestake Pass. The Forest Service and BLM said the emergency order was necessary to protect historical and cultural sites in the area and diminish soil erosion and the spread of weeds.

The Northern Parks Limited, a specially chartered passenger train, made a brief stop in Whitehall on June 21. The train, a special edition tourist train comprised of vintage 1940s and 1950s rail cars, was chartered by a group of Stanford University alumni who toured western Montana.

Hannah Warfield of Whitehall took first place in both the javelin and the discus at the Regional Junior Olympics and will compete in the National Junior Olympics scheduled for Seattle beginning in July.

Whitehall received an $8,000.00 grant from the U.S. Forest Service to help fund the construction of a concession stand and restroom facility at the rodeo grounds/ball fields complex. The grant, submitted by Scott Mendenhall and the Whitehall Vision 2010 Committee of the Whitehall Business Association, will fund a portion of the concession stand and restroom project.

Whitehall Reader of the Week was Ben Wideman. Eight-year-old Ben read 11 hours during The Good, The Bad, The Bugly summer reading program. Ben says, “Reading is exciting,” and especially likes Hardy Boy mystery books. Ben was the first reader in the program to read for eight hours - and he did it in one day!