1988-03-02 Char-Koosta News

              I Char-H(òosta
A news -publication of the Salish and %gotenai Tribes
of the Jlathead Indian Reservation
Chief Charlo of the Salish VOLUME 16, NUMBER 41
THE MONTH OF THE GEESE
Chief Koostatah of the Kootenai MARCH 2, 1988
Fire Control to help clean up homesite areas
Unattended small fire almost claims home; burning rules outlined
You know it's spring around here when the ground is bare of snow, and the skies are full of smoke from folks setting fire to their yards and fields. (Potholes are another sign, but that's another story...)
Springs seems to have come early this year, causing a lot of people to begin their burning programs earlier than usual, too, in advance of the legal season
for such activity. The season runs from March 1 through November 30 each year.
Already this year—last week, in fact —an un watched can of burning garbage resulted in a ground fire that came within five feet of claiming a home in the Mission Dam Homesites area, a few miles east of St. Ignatius.
The owner of the almost-scortched home says this is the fourth year in a row that he's had such a close call.
The Tribal Air Quality and Forestry programs remind everyone of the fol-
lowing: (1) The legal time period during which burning is allowed begins March 1st and ends November 30th, with permits required from May 1st through November; and (2), burners are responsible for all damage done when a fire escapes, and are subject to punishment which may include a fine and jail time.
DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO BURN?
The first thing to do is ask yourself whether or not a burn is even necessary. Organic matter — weeds, leaves, small branches and the like — is designed to (Continues on page two)
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Meetings set to discuss health-care issues
"Where are we going with health care?" will be the topic at a series of public meetings, which began last week in Elmo.
With a number of health-care matters up in the air these days — the closure of the hospital in St. Ignatius Feb. 28, tighter proposed IHS eligibility requirements, the loss of baby-delivery services across the state due to malpractice insurance rate jumps — the Tribes is co-sponsoring a comprehensive study with the IHS to discover alternatives. This series of meetings is part of that effort.
By the time this issue gets in the mail, Arlee's and Hot Springs' meetings (Feb. 29 and March 1) will have already taken place. Yet to come are: WEDNESDAY, March 2: Ronan senior citizens center THURSDAY, March 3: Flathead Lake Senior Citizens Center SATURDAY, March 6: St. Ignatius community center. All meetings will begin at 6 p.m., and dinner will be served.