Page 8 - Flathead Beacon // 6.24.15

COUNTY BEAT 14 CITY BEAT 14 Newsworthy
Classics Cruising on Whitefish Lake Whitefish Woody Weekend IV to take place June 26-28
BY MOLLY PRIDDY
WHITEFISH – The wooden boat sit- ting in Lorne Kermath’s driveway last week shone as the sunshine hit its lac- quered surface, but the real sparkle about the boat came from Kermath.
The 14-foot 1955 Curly Craft is made from mahogany, with blonde panels running up the bow to complement the wood’s natural, darker color used on the rest of the boat.
When he bought it in the early 1990s, it was a workable husk. He added the seats, the original hardware and the antique motor. And when asked how many hours it took him to get the boat back into per- fect shape, Kermath could only laugh.
“I can’t even guess,” he said.
The boat is beautiful, and Kermath said it looks even better in the water, like it will be during the fourth annual Whitefish Woody Weekend, which takes place from June 26-28 and is put on by the Big Sky Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society.
The weekend event begins with a wooden boat cruise on Flathead Lake on June 26, starting at 8 p.m., followed by all 36 boats on public display at the Lodge at
Lorne Kermath of Whitefish displays his historic wooden boat that he will exhibit at the Whitefish Woody Weekend starting June 26. JUSTIN FRANZ | FLATHEAD BEACON
“We’re real proud of the diversity that we have in the boats,” Salt said.
Both Salt and Kermath, who is also a member of ACBS, said the show hits the organization’s top three missions, which are to preserve, restore, and educate about wooden boats.
“Every boat (in the show) has a little different facet to it,” Kermath said. “The boats are different and there are all walks of life participating.”
And while the boats are nice to look at, they are even more impressive when used for their original purpose, Kermath said, because it shows off the elegance, craftsmanship and essence of a wooden watercraft.
For Kermath, putting in the work on the boat is a labor of love, but it’s also worth the blissful freedom of boating on the water.
“Going out in the evening and cruising the lakeshore, whether you’re going fast or slow, is just one of the coolest things I know,” he said.
For more information on Whitefish Woody Weekend IV, call 406-871-4195 or contact whitefishwoodyweekend.iv@ gmail.com.
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Whitefish Lake on June 27 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. On June 28, the boats will par- ticipate in a poker run around Whitefish Lake.
Whitefish Woody Weekend came to the Flathead four years ago, when the local chapter of the ACBS realized they
needed to spur more involvement in their group. Event director Tim Salt said the show has been a success thus far, with the number of entries steadily growing each year.
The first show saw 22 boats, and this year it sold out of space at 36 boats.
Record Dry Conditions Persist, Raising Fire Danger and Dropping River Levels
Upcoming week is expected to see temperatures surpassing 100 degrees
BY DILLON TABISH OF THE BEACON
Western Montana is in the clutches of an historic dry spell with triple-digit temperatures on the horizon, worsening the threat of fire danger and severely low- ering stream flows.
Open burning season is being closed a week early due to heightened fire condi- tions, according to state officials. The last day to burn debris in Flathead County is June 23.
Managers from multiple agencies will meet June 25 to discuss possible restric- tions entering the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Fire danger is higher than normal and continues to increase with little relief in sight.
The upcoming week is expected to see temperatures surpassing 100 degrees. Kalispell is forecast to hit 102-103
degrees June 28-30. The relative humid- ity levels are expected to be extremely low, adding to the troublesome scenario.
Local crews have already responded to multiple incidents in recent weeks, includ- ing a 2-acre fire near the Jewel Basin last weekend. Nearly 20 resources responded on June 21 and by Monday afternoon, the fire was 50 percent contained.
The Flathead County Office of Emer- gency Services is asking residents to take precautions as the holiday week- end approaches. Authorities are seeing a large number of human-caused incidents from leftover campfires and ditch fires. Dry conditions can lead to rapid wild- fires, OES officials said.
The rivers in this corner of the state are dropping to record lows entering the final week of June, according to National Weather Service officials. Flat- head Lake was able to reach its normal
pool levels after NorthWestern Energy officials expressed concern over possible drought management.
Kalispell experienced its driest May on record last month. The stretch from early spring to summer is on pace to be equally historic. The city has received 20 percent of normal precipitation, accord- ing to the National Weather Service. West Glacier has received only 45 per- cent of normal precipitation. From May 1 to June 22, Kalispell received only 0.82 inches of rain. The 30-year average is 4.54 inches. West Glacier, which typically receives 6.11 inches of rain, has received 2.82 inches in that same span.
“That’s the last thing we needed after having our snowpack melt so early,” said Ray Nickless, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service.
Comparisons are already being made to 2001, when Montana suffered an
extreme wildfire season.
“We haven’t seen it this bad in a long
time,” Nickless said of the current dry conditions.
The state’s 31 Snotel sites are report- ing zero remaining snow, the first time that has ever happened this early, accord- ing to records by the Department of Agriculture.
Montana is distressed enough to have been included in a June 12 drought con- versation between President Barack Obama and the governors of six western states, and temperatures are predicted to spike this week
“It’s not looking good,” Montana Direct Protection Fire Coordinator Har- old Gemmell said after the Governor’s Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee meeting.
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JUNE 24, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM