Why is the Eastside entrance to Arrowstone Park locked? That’s a good question.
Landowner Larry Rennfield says he locked the gate. “I pay the taxes on the property, and I am waiting for the County Commissioners to come and talk to me.”
The County Commissioners say, “the situation is being pursued by the Arrowstone Park Board and Lewis Smith (County Attorney).”
The County Attorney said “no comment.”
Two letters were written by Arrowstone Park Board President, Sandy Salisbury, in regard to the closure. The first was written Jan.
6 to the County Commissioners asking them to “intervene in the recent situation where Larry Renfield decided to close a portion of
Arrowstone Park by locking a gate and placing no trespassing/private property signage on the gate.
Salisbury then wrote a second letter last week to Rennfield, asking him to “unlock the gate.”
At press time no response had been received.
In January of 1996, a Land Use Agreement was made between the Powell County Commissioners and Lawrence J. Rennfield to provide Powell County with the sole right of surface uses of Rennfield’s property for the purpose of allowing and accommodating public use as described in the attached development plan.” The attachment was a schematic of the Arrowstone Park long-range plan.
The agreement further states that it would be in effect for 30 years. It also provides that “the agreement may be renewed for subsequent ten (10) year periods by Powell County if the county determines that public use of the area is sufficient to warrant
continued expenses for maintenance.”
“Should Lawrence J. Rennfield, his heirs, successors, or assigns wish to terminate the agreement during any subsequent renewal period, Lawrence Rennfield, his heirs successors, or assigns will reimburse the County for the appraised value of the improvements as of that date. County commissioners at the time the document was signed were Gail Jones, Don Valiton and Kenneth P. Fleming.
After the agreement was signed by the parties above, a community volunteer task force cleaned up trash, old cars and shacks from the land prior to Arco’s construction of a trail system, boat launch and other amenities on the south entrance to Deer Lodge.
The locked property has a turnaround a boat launch area and trails as a companion piece to the west side of the highway.
Most recently, new fencing and improvement projects on both sides of the road were...

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A pack of business cards from Montana
Third Judicial District Judge Ray Dayton’s former private practice sit in a small box on some shelves across from his desk. He hopes to never use them again–and he
hopes people of Powell, Granite and Deer Lodge counties agree.
Dayton’s first term is district judge ends this
year. He took over the job five years ago after former Judge Ted Mizner did not seek re-election.
“I’m damn glad I did. I’m proud to serve as a judge,” Dayton said. “I’m one of those lawyers who from an early age wanted
to be a judge should the...

Chris Bogers, the newly named Director of Nursing at Deer Lodge Medical Center has been in the nursing profession for 29 years.
She holds a master’s degree in Health Care Administration and she is a strong advocate of rural medicine.
“I think rural hospitals are treasures to hold on to,” she said. And, her life experience, so far, gives her a unique vantage point.”
After growing up on a ranch in Wyoming, Bogers played volleyball and basketball at MSU-Northern in Havre. Following  graduation, the competitive spirit and focus of collegiate sports brought forth her enthusiasm to the nursing profession and the challenges it presents.
She began as a flight nurse for Columbus Hospital in Great Falls. She worked White Sulphur Springs where she was Director of Nursing; Kalispell Regional Hospital where
she was involved in outlying clinic development and...