Page 8 - Flathead Beacon // 2.19.14

8 | FEBRUARY 19, 2014 NEWS
FLATHEADBEACON.COM

Skiers ride the T-
Just
Sayin’.
bar at Whiteish
Mountain Resort.

GREG LINDSTROM
FLATHEAD BEACON

“I said, ‘It’s none of
your business what I
do and, respectfully,

you are not part of
state government. I am
the governor, and this

is the decision that I
make.’”

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock
on what he said to U.S. Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid
when Reid called to give input
on whom Bullock should
choose to replace Sen. Max
Baucus.

“I resigned (from the
PAC) weeks before we

announced. I wanted to
make sure everything
was aboveboard and

squeaky clean.”
Skier Dies in Tree Well at Whiteish Mountain Resort
U.S. House hopeful Ryan
Zinke on the political action
committee he created, SOFA
PAC, to back Mitt Romney Thomas Podivinsky of when the pair became separated around The holiday weekend was the second
in 2012; the PAC has spent 12:30 p.m. After he failed to meet his par- busiest this winter, with more than 7,000
$70,000 on advertising Calgary was found dead at ty the group reported him missing to the skiers on Saturday and roughly 6,400 on
supporting Zinke’s current mountain’s ski patrol around 1 p.m. Po- Sunday, Polumbus said. The resort set a
campaign.
the base of a tree on the
divinsky was discovered shortly after and daily record for total skiers near Christ-
north side of Big Mountain
attempts to resuscitate him were unsuc- mas with 7,654 skiers on Dec. 30. There
“A clean debt cessful, according to Curry.
were three days with more than 7,000 ski-
ceiling is a complete “We are deeply saddened by this trag- ers between Dec. 28 and Dec. 31.
capitulation on the By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
edy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Last weekend’s death was the second
family and friends as they cope during this this winter at the resort involving tree
speaker’s part and A 48-year-old Canadian man died in a diicult time,” the resort said in a state- wells, which are holes in the snow that
demonstrates that tree well while skiing at Whiteish Moun- ment. “This accident is another unfortu- form around the base of a tree.
he has lost the ability
tain Resort on Sunday, marking the sec- nate reminder that tree wells are an in- A 54-year-old California man died
to lead the House of ond fatal accident this winter.
herent risk of the sport. We encourage our Jan. 11 in a tree well near the ski runs Gray
Representatives.”
Thomas Podivinsky, 48, of Calgary, guests to take extra caution when skiing Wolf and Bighorn on the north side of the
Alberta was found dead at the base of a in the trees, ski with a partner, and call ski mountain. The death occurred almost ex-
Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder tree on the north side of Big Mountain, ac- patrol immediately if someone is missing. actly three years after two other separate
of the Tea Party Patriots, to cording to Flathead County Sherif Chuck We will continue to help our guests un- tragedies involving tree wells.
the New York Times on House Curry.
derstand the risks and encourage educat- The family of Niclas Waschle, who
Speaking John Boehner and
the House’s vote to raise the Resort spokesperson Riley Polumbus ing themselves on this subject. An excel- died in a tree well while skiing, iled a
government’s borrowing limit said the fatality occurred in a steep, treed lent resource for learning more about tree lawsuit in late December in U.S. District
until March 2015, without any area between the Hollywood and Silvertip wells and deep snow safety is the website Court against Whiteish Mountain Resort
conditions.
runs near Chair 7.
deepsnowsafety.org, which can be linked over the death.
Podivinsky was skiing with a friend
to from the tree well page of our website.”
[email protected]

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