Local Pride Coalition Shares a Vision for Livingston

☛ ☛ NTERPRISEt h e l i v i n g s t o n E Wednesday, June 30, 2021 •฀Livingston,฀Montana฀•฀Vol.฀115 No.฀136฀฀ $1.00 Bill Cosby NO FISHING freed from prison, his sex conviction overturned PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pennsyl- vania’s highest court threw out Bill Cosby’s sexual assault conviction and released him from prison Wednesday in a stunning reversal of fortune for the comedian once known as “Ameri- ca’s Dad,” ruling that the prosecutor who brought the case was bound by his predecessor’s agreement not to charge Cosby. Cosby, 83, has served nearly three years of a three- to 10-year sentence after being found guilty of drugging and violating Temple University sports administrator Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He was the first celebrity tried and convicted in the #MeToo era. The former “Cosby Show” star was arrested in 2015, when a district attorney armed with newly unsealed evidence — the comic’s damaging deposi- tion in a lawsuit brought by Constand — brought charges against him days before the 12-year statute of limita- tions ran out. But the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said that District Attorney Kev- in Steele, who made the decision to arrest Cosby, was obligated to stand by his predecessor’s promise not to charge Cosby. There was no evidence that promise was ever put in writing. Enterprise photo by Lydia Ely Justice David Wecht, writing for a The Shields River flows under the Convict Grade Road bridge on Tuesday. split court, said Cosby had relied on the former district attorney’s decision not to charge him when the comedian gave his potentially incriminating tes- Heat shuts down lower Shields River to anglers timony in Constand’s civil case. The court called Cosby’s arrest “an By Jason Bacaj Rivers with “hoot owl” restrictions — to create a higher chance for the fish to affront to fundamental fairness, par- Enterprise Staff Writer which means fishing is closed from 2 p.m. come into contact with the parasite that ticularly when it results in a criminal until midnight — include the Beaverhead, causes PKD, Tetracapsuloides bryosalmo- prosecution that was forgone for he lower Shields River Smith, lower Big Hole, Jefferson and Sun. nae, or “Tbryo.” more than a decade.” The upper Big Hole River is fully closed Sweetwater has many fishing trips The justices said that overturning was fully closed to fishing to angling from Saginaw Bridge on Skin- booked for later in the season and already the conviction, and barring any fur- this week by Montana ner Meadow Road to the North Fork Big people are wondering if they’ll be able to ther prosecution, “is the only remedy T Hole River. fish the rivers in late July, Butler said. If that comports with society’s reason- Fish, Wildlife and Parks as Lemon said he believes the Yellowstone river conditions continue to deteriorate, able expectations of its elected prose- unusually hot and dry condi- River is “in good shape.” Flows are drop- he said it could lead to increased fishing cutors and our criminal justice sys- ping, but water temperature this morning pressure on lakes and spring creeks, tem.” tions persist across the state in the Yellowstone near Livingston and which typically have more consistently As Cosby was set free from the Big Timber was 61 and 64 degrees, cool temperatures. and the West. respectively, according to data from the The closure is in effect for the stretch U.S. Geological Survey. Forecast: hot See Cosby, Page 6 of the Shields from where it meets the Still, concerns are starting to ripple The current hot and dry conditions are Yellowstone River to Rock Creek. The clo- through the local fly fishing community. expected to persist for the near future, sure is due to forecasted hot daily temper- “It’s just a shame to see (closures and said Krista Carrothers, meteorologist with atures and existing low flows, according restrictions) so early like this,” said Brew- the National Weather Service in Billings. to an FWP release announcing fishing er Butler, a guide with Sweetwater Fly She noted that Livingston has received restrictions for seven rivers across the Shop. “People are worried about making 5.11 inches of precipitation since Jan. 1, state. their money, but the major concern is for which makes this the third driest six- FWP drought policy dictates that rivers the fish.” month period in the area’s recorded histo- close to angling when flows drop below Butler said people are concerned about ry. critical levels for fish, when water quality whether the confluence of low water and A high pressure system sitting over the is diminished or when daily water temper- high temperatures could bring about an Pacific Northwest causing record-break- atures hit 73 degrees or more for three outbreak of proliferative kidney disease ing high temperatures in Washington and consecutive days. and a fish kill, like was seen in 2016 when Oregon is expected to move north into While it’s not unusual for fishing restric- an outbreak of PKD led the FWP to close Canada, which means the heat could stick tions to crop up over the summer, FWP 183 miles of the Yellowstone. around for “an extensive length of time,” AP spokesman Greg Lemon said the amount At that time, The Enterprise spoke with Carrothers said. In this April 26, 2018 photo, actor of restrictions and early timing are unusu- an FWP biologist who explained that low While there’s no relief from the heat and comedian Bill Cosby departs the al. water levels and high temperatures weak- forecasted, she said that Livingston courthouse after he was found “It’s abnormal to be this soon,” Lemon en the fish immune systems and cause should see afternoon showers and thun- guilty in his sexual assault retrial, at said. “Normal conditions, we’d still be in fish to crowd together in a limited number derstorms starting Thursday and running the Montgomery County Courthouse runoff or just starting to come down.” of cool pockets. Those situations combine through the middle of next week. in Norristown, Pa. Local Pride Coalition shares a vision for Livingston By Lydia Ely today’s activists and a way to look to the future, especially Enterprise staff writer showcase the joy and diversi- as the next generation of the ty of the LGBTQ+ community. LGBTQ+ community begins In 2019, five friends got The LPC is working to bring to bring new energy and ideas together with a common goal: that celebration and visibility to the movement. In 2022, bring visibility to LGBTQ+ to the greater Livingston area. Puckett and Platt said they members of the Livingston “The mission of the LPC is are hoping to bring back the community. to create awareness about a drag show, as well as expand Together, they formed the thriving queer community in to a more diverse slate of pro- Livingston Pride Coalition to Livingston through events gramming. “create that physical space” and other productions,” said “In five years, we definitely for LGBTQ+ residents of the Platt. see, like a more self-sustain- area to find a community with Puckett added, “When you ing queer community, instead shared experiences, said see your 3-year-old self or of having to push ourselves Spencer Puckett. He, Kay Pot- your 7-year-old self, like what into the spotlight. Like, wheth- ter and Caleb Platt, are the would you tell that boy or er it’s a drag show or a float founding members still in girl? (LPC is) kind of like that or some other event,” said town. — almost like what would we Platt, adding that he hopes Wednesday is the final day have wanted as young gay that one day “you can walk of Pride month, a celebration boys, closeted, coming up. down the sidewalk and see a surrounding the anniversary Now we just produce it for pride flag hanging and no one of the Stonewall riots of 1969. them.” thinks anything of it. People The riots were a response to a That first year, the LPC can walk around in like, wigs police raid of the Stonewall organized a Pride month drag or heels.” Inn, an underground gay bar show in the Elks Lodge. Puckett finished the in New York, in a police effort Between selling tickets to the thought, adding, “It’s not mak- to drive the gay community show and a raffle, they were ing a scene ... It’s just exist- out of Greenwich Village. The able to raise about $5,000 for ing.” events of Stonewall are the Abuse Support & Preven- For more information on remembered as a catalyst for tion Education Network Enterprise photo by Lydia Ely Livingston Pride Coalition and the gay liberation movement (ASPEN), said Platt. Spencer Puckett, left, and Caleb Platt work on the Livingston Pride Coalition’s Roundup to be notified of upcoming of the ’70s and ’80s, paving Like many events, the LPC’s Parade float on Tuesday. events, contact them through the way for other notable civil hopes of hosting another drag their Facebook page of the rights achievements such as show in 2020 were dashed that float is a work in prog- closet, said Puckett. sidewalk sees it and he’s (able same name. the legalization of gay mar- when the COVID-19 pandemic ress — all chicken wire and On his hopes for the float, to) breathe a sigh of relief,” “We exist, we’re here, riage. hit Montana. paper mâché — but come Fri- Platt commented on the he said. “Like, OK, there are you’re not alone.

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