☛ ☛ NTERPRISEt h e l i v i n g s t o n E Tuesday, May 25, 2021 •฀Livingston,฀Montana฀•฀Vol.฀115 No.฀111฀ $1.00 2021 THE PBR IS BACK & Home Garden INSIDE: Blake Nursery has plants for where we live – Page 3 Local resident learns backyard project lesson – Page 7 Exterior lighting – Page 8 Sod or seed? – Page 10 Controlling backyard mosquitoes – Page 11 A special publication of The Livingston Enterprise and The Big Timber Pioneer Inside today’s Enterprise Commission reappoints Desnick as health officer By Sam Klomhaus Enterprise Staff Writer The Park County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to con- tinue with Dr. Laurel Desnick as Park County’s Health Officer. Desnick has served as health offi- cer through the COVID-19 pandem- ic. The Montana Legislature recently stripped local health boards of deci- sion-making powers. Deputy County Attorney Shannan Piccolo told the commissioners the Board of Health now recommends a choice for health officer, and the commission votes whether to appoint them. Enterprise photo The Board of A bull rider gets tossed in the air in this image from a previous Livingston Classic PBR event. Health voted May LAUREL 17 to recommend DESNICK the county com- missioners vote to continue with No crowd size restrictions for the July 17 event Desnick. According to the Montana State Code, health officers are charged By Jason Bacaj bull riders, stock from Chad Berger Buck- one more ride. The highest cumulative with protecting the public health Enterprise Staff Writer ing Bulls and popular rodeo clown Flint score after those two rides wins the Clas- from imminent threats, including Rasmussen. The competition will be a dif- sic. ordering the closure of buildings or he Livingston Classic PBR is com- ferent format from the last Livingston Watson said he fully expects the bulls to events; making public health inspec- ing back for 2021. make it a challenging night for the cow- tions, and issuing orders for compli- T It’s scheduled for July 17 at the boys. Chad Berger and his business part- ance or correction of the issue; Park County Fairgrounds, with “The PBR is one of the ner, Clay Struve, have won the title of PBR reporting communicable diseases to doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and the show Stock Contractor of the Year a record nine the Health Department; establishing beginning at 7 p.m. many things that encom- times. and maintaining quarantine and iso- There will be no restrictions on crowd passes a wonderful Saturday Anticipation among the community is lation measures as ordered by the size in this Professional Bull Riders event, high for the Livingston Classic, said Leslie county; and pursuing action in court though some changes are in the works to event, and then downtown Feigel, CEO of the Livingston Area Cham- if county health orders are violated. spread out foot traffic during the event. ber of Commerce. She noted that there will A few members of the public Additional entry and exit locations are comes alive.” be an official after party at the Office objected to reappointing Desnick, planned, and possibly additional bar loca- Lounge following the Classic. citing her involvement with Park – Leslie Fiegel tions, said Andy Watson, of Three Forks, “The PBR is one of the many things that County’s mask mandate and vaccine who produces the event with his wife, Jac- Livingston Area Chamber of Commerce CEO encompasses a wonderful Saturday event, rollout. ey. and then downtown comes alive,” Feigel The mask mandate was enacted “The cowboys are super excited to come Classic in 2019 — and all new compared to said. by the Board of Health, of which back and spend some time in Montana,” last year, since it’s actually happening, Tickets are available online now at Liv- Desnick is not a voting member. The Watson said. “Tickets are going faster than joked Watson. ingstonClassicPBR.com, and will soon be board voted May 17 to remove the normal — shows that people are excited to Each bull rider will get one chance to go available for in-person purchase at the Liv- mandate. get back out there and start living life eight seconds and post a score. The 10 rid- ingston Area Chamber of Commerce, the “From my personal perspective, again.” ers with the highest scores will qualify for Spur Line and all area Murdoch’s Ranch & Dr. Desnick has been very respon- This year’s PBR is expected to feature 35 the championship round, where they’ll get Home Supply locations. sive,” Commissioner Clint Tinsley said before saying he would be very supportive of Desnick continuing to serve as health officer. Commission Chairman Steve Caldwell said he wasn’t sure Desn- Fifth Street crossing to be closed for repairs ick’s decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic have been any different By Enterprise Staff day, the city of Livingston North Seventh Street and North fic is recommended not to make a than those previous county health announced in a news release. The Yellowstone Street using Chinook left-hand turn on to Park Street to officers would have made. Montana Rail Link will close the crossing will be open to traffic on Street, are recommended to travel help flow of traffic. “I’m glad we’ve got her on board,” North Fifth Street railroad cross- Thursday. down East Gallatin Street to the The city has requested that Commissioner Bill Berg said. ing between Park and Front Street The traffic light at B and Park Bennett Street crossing, the MRL install a no-left-turn sign at The commission also voted unani- to do repairs on the railroad Street has been lengthened for release said. B and Park for the sound-bound mously to approve a purchase order tracks. north- and south-bound traffic. Star Edition and Fleshman lane. for a van to be used by the health The closures are planned for 9 Residents who live east of North Creek residents using Front For immediate updates follow department to serve as a mobile a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, and Main Street and those in the North Street are recommended to use the city of Livingston’s Public vaccine clinic and testing site, as again from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fri- hill area who are traveling down the underpass. South-bound traf- Works Facebook page. well as help with outreach to more far-flung parts of Park County. Park County Emergency Services Director Greg Coleman said the Health Department has a goal of administering 2,000 more vaccina- tions in the county in six weeks, It’s not just in Arizona: The push which would get the county to a 60-70% vaccination rate. One part of that plan is to go mobile, Coleman said. Desnick told the commissioners to review 2020 ballots is spreading the van will be used to conduct COVID-19 vaccination and testing ATLANTA (AP) — Six months after Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. The clinics during the COVID-19 pan- Donald Trump’s loss, conspiracy theo- votes have been counted — and often demic. rists and Trump backers are continuing recounted — and certified by local offi- The Health Department has been their push for repeated examinations of cials. Still, the lingering debate and making an effort to get to all parts ballots and finding limited successes. legal wrangling have propelled suspi- of the county, Desnick said, and A Georgia judge last week awarded a cions and advanced debunked theories. would use the van to provide regu- group the chance to review mail ballots And their sometimes misleading con- lar Health Department services to in a large Georgia county that includes clusions have been amplified by Trump, more rural parts of the county once Atlanta. Officials in a rural Michigan whose false allegations of election the pandemic is over. county have expressed interest in a fraud sparked the push. The estimated cost for a van review of their voting machines. A sim- The profusion of audits alarms elec- would be about $13,000 for a used ilar debate has caused sharp divisions tion experts, who note that the Arizona one and $25,000 for a new one, Cole- in a New Hampshire town. In some cas- audit has set a troubling new precedent man said, and the van would be es, the efforts have been inspired by an of third-party, partisan review of the funded through money disbursed to audit of the votes in Arizona’s Maricopa ballots, long after elections are over. the county through the American County, an elaborate exercise engi- “This is bad enough to see it happen Rescue Plan. neered by the GOP-led state Senate. “The important thing is we get it The efforts are unlikely to yield any as soon as possible so we can get out new revelations about President Joe See Ballot review, Page 5 in the community,” Coleman said. Page 2, Livingston Enterprise Tuesday, May 25, 2021 BRIEFS OBITUARIES ฀ •฀ The Livingston-Park Participants can sign up for ric softener, dish soap, sham- ment rural address numbers, Eva Clelland County Public Library early multiple weeks, but can poo/conditioner, body wash, call the Park County Rural literacy programs, Books & attend only one program each paper towels, toilet paper, Addressing Office at 222- Eva May (Ashton) Clelland, 62, came Babies meets at 10:30-10:50 week, due to space concerns. women/children’s socks, 4100, ext. 4275 or email sjay@ to the end of her journey here on a.m. on Wednesdays and If the library has more par- cleaning supplies, women’s parkcounty.org.