The Missoulian from Missoula, Montana • 11

NEWSROOM 523-5240 Montana Missoi 1 1 Si ction Community Calendar Obituaries B3 B3 Tuesday, Octohlr 15. 2002 blasts Democir ats for Taylor aea Driscoll enters race as write-in By BOB ANEZ Associated Press HELENA The Democratic Party damaged the political process and betrayed its own principles in airing a TV ad that attempted to portray a GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate as a homosexual, Republican National Committee Chairman Marc Racicot said Monday. In a telephone interview, the former Montana governor said the commercial was probably intended to convey that message in showing 20-year-old pictures of Mike Taylor as a former beauty school owner massaging another man's face. people, he added.

"What is particularly insidious is that Democratic Party has tried to present itself as a champion of fair and equal treatment of everyone, including those who are victims of judgment based on sexual orientation," he said. Racicot also condemned the ad as an unnecessary and vindictive strategy that discourages citizens from becoming candidates. "It will add to the reticence people have to run for office," he said. "It corrodes our capacity to communicate, to carry on political discourse in a civil way. See RACICOT, Page B2 Right to Life Association backs Taylor Page B2 "It was meant to communicate precisely what it did," Racicot said in his first comment on Taylor's decision last week to drop out of the Senate race against incumbent Democratic Sen.

Max Baucus because of the ad. With the Montana Human Rights Network sharing Taylor's concern about the ad's gay undertone, it's likely many Montanans got the same message from the commercial, Racicot said. The ad played on the homophobia of some Bush the authority to use U.S. forces to take on Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. "I just felt with this last vote to permit the characters in Washington to go to war if they want to do it was the last straw for me," Driscoll said.

"1 was really disappointed to see the Democrats roll on that. If you're in office and something like this conies up, this is the reason you're there." Driscoll, who spent the last three years working on the staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, said: "'I See DRISCOLL, to B2 By CHARLES S. JOHNSON Missoulian State Bureau HELENA John Driscoll, a former speaker of the Montana House of Representatives and member of the Public Service Commission, said Monday he will be an independent write-in candidate for the U.S. Senate in the Nov. 5 election.

Driscoll, 56, has held office in the past as a Democrat but said he decided to run this time as an independent because he is upset Democrats joined Republicans in voting to give President In the air, on the ground a Lincoln County Candidates: Asbestos is concern 1 eS ni TT i iV By MICHAEL JAMISON ot the MissouNan LIBBY- Lincoln County Commissioner Rita Windom says six years wasn't enough time to inish all the work she came to do. and Gary Huntsberger is pretty much satisfied with her efforts to date. But that didn't stop Huntsberger from challenging incumbent Republican Windom in the upcoming general election. 'it's really a personal challenge," the retired businessman and Democrat said. "I have no negative feelings about the current commissioner; I just have reached a stage in my life where I'm ready to take on the challenge of making Lincoln County a better place to live." Windom has been trying to meet that challenge for the past six years, ever since she was elected to Lincoln County's board of commissioners on a conservative platform.

"But there are still so many issues facing the county." Windom said. "We still have a lot of work to do." Work on public health and Superfund issues, related to asbestos contamination left by a defunct mining operation. Work on natural resource issues, related to diminishing timber and mining industries. Work on infrastructure, related to airports and schools and jails and health clinics. See ASBESTOS, Page B2 Lincoln County commission i ERIN BERZEL Missoulian Jim Corn, a Museum of Mountain Flying board member, stands beside the most recent addition to the museum's collection of aviation-related artifacts.

The open-air bus was built by White Motor Co. in 1925. Bus bu Mountain Flying museum adds to collection A I Republican Rita Windom, 60 Hometown: Libby Occupation: Lincoln County commissioner Political experience: one If you're interested The Museum of Mountain Flying will hold a grand opening of its expansive hangar at Missoula International Airport on Saturday. The museum, east of the main passenger terminal, will be open all day starting at 10 a.m. At 7 p.m., the flagpole on the north end of the building will be dedicated.

Following the dedication, six men will be inducted into the museum's Hall of Fame. Honored this year will be Warren Ellison, a longtime Johnson Flying Service pilot and chief pilot for Albertson's Dale Gyles, a longtime Johnson mechanic specializing in helicopters; Maurice "Mo" Owen, a 52-year pilot for Johnson and the U.S. Forest Service; Clyde "Chubb" Riggleman, a maintenance supervisor for Johnson's DC-3s and chief inspector for Forest Service contractor aircraft in Region 1 Frank Rosich, a master mechanic-welder for Johnson; and Rod Snider, a Johnson helicopter pilot who won the Carnegie medal for his actions in saving smokejumpers at Higgins Ridge in Idaho in 1 961 The public is invited to all of Saturday's festivities. Windom dorms at Montana State University, now the University of Montana, to Hale Field for civilian flight training, according to museum board member Jim Corn. The bus brought students to Johnson Flying Service as part of a nationwide program to train pilots.

That's what makes it significant to the museum. The museum's nonprofit group also wants to buy a J-3 training airplane like the ones used here during those days. "After Pearl Harbor there was a huge demand for pilots, and the military of course was not geared up for that," said Corn. The bus is "a cornerstone of a display for the Civilian Pilot Training Program." Corn set out to find one of the buses by distributing fliers with a picture of the bus Johnson Flying Service used. Soon, news surfaced of two buses that could be for sale.

One, owned by the Goeppingcr See BUS, Page B3 By MICK HOLIEN of the Missoulian The Museum of Mountain Flying in Missoula this week added a jewel to its growing crown of aviation-related artifacts with the arrival of a touring bus similar to one used by Johnson Flying Service before World War II. The open-air bus painted yellow with black trim was one of about 425 built by White Motor Co. for the Yellowstone Park Transportation Co. in 1925. The bodies were built to Yellowstone Park Transportation specifications, and during the 1930s, as park tourism increased, a fleet of more weather-tight buses was manufactured.

But the open-air models continued to be used in good weather because they provided a much better view. Just before World War II, Johnson Flying Service in Missoula bought one of the fourseater buses to transport students from the term, Lincoln County commissioner Community activities: recipient "Woman of Distinction" award. Libby Business and Professional Women, 1984; recipient "Outstanding Citizen" award, Libby Area Chamber of Commerce, 1992; former board member, president, Christian Women's Council; board member Recovery Northwest; former president Libby Business and Professional Women; former president Kootenai Volunteer Hospice: boaid membei Koocanusa International Coalition, board member Libby Snowcats Snomobile Club. Area dogs, handlers advance to Outdoor Games Democrat Gary Huntsberger, 57 Hometown: Libby Occupation: retired businessman, currently Daisy June's record jump all but guarantees her a berth in the games. The retriever trial portion of the event is designed to test dogs and their handlers in a simulated hunting situation, which requires the dogs to make long-distance retrieves over varied terrain and across water.

Sunday's final round was set up as a particularly demanding test, according to ESPN Super Retriever Scries producers. "The test was billed as a way to force retriever-handler teams to lose control," wrote Steve Bowman of the Great Outdoor Games staff on the ESPN Web GAMES, Page IU By DARYL GADBOW of the Missoulian Two western Montana dogs stole the show Sunday in the finals of the ESPN Super Retriever Scries, a made-for-TV competition held in Missoula, and earned spots in the television network's annual Great Outdoor Games. Ritz, a black Labrador handled by Eric Fangsrud of Ronan, captured first place in the four-day retriever-trial portion of the event. In fact, Ritz was the only one of six dogs in Sunday's final round of competition that was able to complete the difficult challenge posed by the show's producers. Also Sunday, Wil Gutman of Missoula and his black Labrador retriever Daisy June topped the (ifl-dog field in the Big Air competition, in which dogs jump for distance into water from a dock.

Daisy June not only won the contest but also jumped her way into the record book, sailing 23 feet, 4 inches to tie the longest leap in Super Retriever Series history. With his victory, Ritz automatically qualified to compete in ESPN's Great Outdoor Games, scheduled in Lake Placid, N.Y., in July 2003. The competition in Missoula, which was held at the Western Montana Retriever Club on Lower Miller Creek Road, will be televised several limes by the network leading up to the national games, starting next June. Top dogs, handlers Western Montana dogs and handlers advancing to ESPN's Great Outdoor Games in July 2003 after the Super Retriever Series held in Missoula: Ritz, a black Labrador retriever; and handler Eric Fangsrud of Ronan; took first place in the retriever trial Daisy June, a black Labrador retriever, and handler Wil Gutman of Missoula; won Big Air event with a record-tying jump of 23 feet, 4 inches Huntsberger Political experience: none Community activities: i.ix-year member of Libby School current chairman Libby School Board: member Libby area Resource Advisory Committee; member Kootenai Heritage Council..