The Missoulian from Missoula, Montana • 7

Aiissoulian TUESDAY September 11, 1990 Moot ana 1 1 1 win Hi ill OtCCb'J ses in court -Ut) mts buttle bu irzirvTrfcl PrH Pr By DON BATY of the Missoulian dents who testified were former City Attorney Fred Root; former Bonner School Superintendent Leo Musburger; Gerry Brenner, a University of Montana professor; Raymond Somerset, a fourth-grade teacher; and Andy Kulla, a Forest Service employee. In addition to the safety and health concerns, the residents testified to a lack of satisfactory response from Mountain Line officials. Every one of the 15 households on the block is represented in the lawsuit, residents said. Mountain Line moved the bus dren playing on the sidewalks. Bruce Hussey, a block resident and the plaintiffs' attorney, testified that he saw a Mountain Line bus narrowly miss a child on Aug.

29. Hussey, his wife and 19 other block residents filed a motion on Aug. 24 asking that the buses be halted. After three hours of testimony Monday from block residents and Mountain Line officials, the case was continued until Friday at 10 a.m. Monday's testimony came despite a recommendation from Judge John Henson that the residents enter formal talks with Mountain Line to end the dispute out of court.

In a straw vote just outside the courtroom door, the North Avenue residents, along with residents from two other affected blocks, decided to go ahead with the court action. Hussey told the residents that "the judge would rather have us settle it," but his wife, Jodette, replied that "I think we need to get in there right now and make a stand." Beside Bruce Hussey, the resi route to Avenue in mid-1 June to serve the University of Montana's Married Student ing. But after strenuous opposition from the North Avenue residents, the Mountain Line' board voted 2-1 on Aug. 8 to return the route to its original location, effective Aug. 27.

On Aug. 20, however, the board rescinded that decision. The Aug. 20 decision came after a formal protest was filed with the federal Urban Mass Transportation Administration on behalf of disabled people living in Married Student Housing. Two names, one plea A group of Missoula residents seeking to block a Mountain Line bus route had their day in court Monday, arguing that the four buses an hour running down their street pose health and safety problems.

Six residents of the 600 block of North Avenue East testified in Missoula District Court that the buses speed, create noise and noxious fumes and often run up against the curb, endangering chil V. Python. as pet Poison pair attracts loads of attention I ft1 1 1 p'Jjj Mil -i i Ik. llit, Mr a lip I i'1 By DENNIS G. JONES for the Missoulian All OLSON Their relationship has gotten a lot of attention; it's even caused some long skid marks on the 1 I i I fJ tar" Af'-WV CCNNIS JONESMissoulian i Mm 3 pavement in front of the city park where Mike Roullier and Buster hang out.

Quite a few passing motorists lock the brakes when they spot the 9-foot-long snake stretched out and sunning itself in the grass mere feet from the highway. Others gawk at the big Burmese python draped around Roullier's neck as he lounges in the park. Roullier, 21, who "gets the creeps around spiders and bugs," has become very comfortable with Buster. But he knows not everyone shares his enthusiasm for the snake. After observing the startled reactions his pet has provoked at the park, Roullier said he decided to maintain a bit of a lower profile.

Lately he has been leaving Buster at home in his 4- by 8- foot cage or in the duffel bag in the back of his Volkswagen bug. People are curious, he said, adding that men seem more leery of the python than women. He has taken Buster to the schools where he has been a real attraction. Roullier said the 24-pound reptile is just a juvenile that becomes more valuable by the day. The breed is valued at $100 a foot.

"He's just a puppy. He may grow to 30 feet long and could, I'm told, out-live me," Roullier said. Roullier said pythons are tropical rainforest reptiles so he takes time to "mist" Buster a few times each day. The cage he shares with a big lizard is heated for half the day to nearly 90 degrees and at night allowed to cool to 75 degrees. The snake lounges on a couple of tree branches and a heating pad in the cage and likes the environment so well that at times refuses to come out.

Roullier routinely carries Buster around draped over his shoulders. Knowing that pythons squeeze their prey may leave some PAWSABILITIES Center gets initial grant hearing-dog program, PawsAbilities, based at Missoula Community Medical Center has received a $111,142 grant to pay for the first year of a three-year program. The grant, through the federal Department of Education, will begin Oct. 1, said Linda Fifer, the program director. The first year will be devoted to developing a model program for screening and training dogs to respond to sounds such as the whistle of a teakettle, a baby's cry, a door knock, a microwave, a smoke alarm and the telephone.

The dogs serve as "ears" for people with hearing problems. The second year, for which the program will have to re-apply for a $130,000 grant, would be used to expand training to other service dogs, such as those used by people in wheelchairs or with arthritis. The third year, using a $140,000 grant, would be devoted to training dogs and trainers throughout the state to make the program more accessible to people with disabilities. In addition, five or six dogs would be trained each year, Fifer said. Dogs for the programs come from the Humane Society Animal Shelter and must be screened before they are trained, Fifer said.

The original hearing and service dogs came from the American Humane Society in an effort to use homeless dogs, Fifer said. Until receiving the grant, the program was supported by donations and by proceeds from the sale of a cookbook. The grant will allow Fifer, who is a speech and language pathologist, to work half-time on the project. Donna Syvertson LOTTO Jackpot climbs ELENA No ticket matched all six numbers to claim Saturday's $2.5 million Lotto America prize, the Montana Lottery announced. The jackpot for Wednesday's drawing climbs to an estimated $5 million.

Nationally, 58 tickets matched five of six numbers to claim a prize of $1,362 each, and 4,539 tickets matched four numbers for a prize of $42 each. In Montana, one player matched five numbers while 155 matched four. Montana sales for the drawing were $126,170. The winning numbers were 12, 16, 33, 41, 44 and 54. r- Associated Press -v SECOND CHANCE Polls open on bond issue oters in the Florence-Carlton School District getv aVcond chance Tuesday to decide whether or not to pass a $1.7 million bond issue for improvements at the high school.

Polls will be open in the Florence-Carlton High School lobby from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The bond issue was defeated by a count of 338-301 on May 1. Voters passed a similar bond for the elementary school at that time by a 16-vote margin, 341-325. If successful, the money would be used to add classrooms, enlarge the library and build a lunchroom and gymnasium.

Gary Jahrig Hall to cheating state fund By MICHAEL MOORE of the Missoulian A Missoula man with a double identity pleaded guilty Monday to bilking the state's workers' compensation fund of almost $27,000 under one name while continuing, to work under another. Darrell L. Hall, who also used the name Michael C. Dawson, alsj pleaded guilty to felony bail-' jumping, a charge filed after he': skipped town on a trial date last, November. Hall's pleas came as part of a plea bargain that in-! II Couple pleads innocent to marijuana charges.

Page B-2 eludes a 20-year sentence, with 10 years suspended, and full restitution to the state. Hall was on the lam from November until Feb. 6, when he was arrested in Portland for allegedly using the name of a deceasecr Portland teen-ager to apply for a Social Security card. Asked Monday by District Judge Douglas Harkin why he didn't show up for trial, Hall "I was afraid." '-j Hall initially was charged with, felony theft in July 1989 after-state investigators determined he was receiving workers'-compensa-tion benefits while working other jobs. Hall, using the name Dawson, was injured in an October 1986 accident while working for Cliff Reed Inc.

of Corvallis. I As Dawson, Hall began receive ing state benefits shortly thereaf-. ter. County Attorney Robert L. Deschamps, however, claimed Hall worked at other jobs while receiving state money, and Hall admitted as much Monday.

Harkin will sentence Hall on Oct. 15. troubles officials Tanner may originally be from Texas and is a Vietnam War veteran who may have been a prisoner of war. Yet without knowing Tanner's true identity, information on him cannot be verified, Ogle said. Tanner left his Polebridge home last Tuesday morning and was to meet with sheriff's detective Pat Walsh in Kalispell.

Ogle said Tanner made a bank deposit in Columbia Falls, bought some clothes there, but never showed up for the appointment with Walsh. When Tanner didn't return home that evening, his wife called the sheriff's office, only to learn he'd failed to keep that appointment. An extensive search by ground and air of the Polebridge area ensued teens hurt POLSON RESIDENT he doesn't much like MIKE Roullier holds Buster, his 9-foot pet python. Roullier says bugs and spiders, but Buster doesn't bother him a bit. wondering if that's smart.

But Roullier isn't concerned; Buster is well fed so the chance of him turning on his owner are remote. The snake receives the standard fare for meals: Rabbits and rats. "Sometimes it's four to five rats a week, one every other day. Occasionaly he skips eating for several days at a time. That's common for snakes." Roullier has always had a facination for snakes and has owned several different species.

Roullier's only advice to folks trying to relate with snakes is to move very slowly. "Snakes don't like surprises," he said. B1W LrOyrBCBU shows ffaoth in sewer pBairo Missing curious KALISPELL (AP) Flathead County authorities say they want to question Polebridge-area minister Robert "Bo" Tanner about incidents that include a burned church and threats against his life, but they still can't find him. "We still have crimes that were committed, and we want to solve them," sheriff's detective Lynn Ogle said late last week. County authorities had mounted a full-scale search for Tanner last week after he failed to show up for an appointment with another deputy in Kalispell.

Then Tanner's wife, Debbie, reported Friday that her husband had contacted her by letter from Texas, but she refused to reveal where he was. The Tanners opened the Wreck kills Missoulian ST. IGNATIUS An Arlee man was killed and two Ronan teen-agers were injured Monday in a single-vehicle accident near St. Ignatius, authorities reported. According to the Montana Highway Patrol, a 1982 Ford Escort driven by Ronan resident Brenda Hammer went out of control and rolled off St.

Mary's Lake Road about two-tenths of a minister Flathead Polebridge Alliance Church a year ago. Since then, a tent housing the church has been shredded, another church was burned to the ground by an arsonist several weeks ago, the Tanners' home has been vandalized, and Robert Tanner's life has been threatened, authorities said. Ogle said his office wants to talk to Tanner to sort out the facts. The detective also said that Robert Tanner is a false name. "We know Bo Tanner is not his real name, but we don't know who he is," Ogle said.

"Whether the fact he disappeared is because of our investigation or for some other reason, we don't know." The detective said he believes Arlee man; mile east of town. The Arlee man, whose name has not been released pending notification of relatives, was ejected from the car and died after being taken by helicopter to St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, authorities said. Hammer and Jason Julius, another passenger in the were taken to St. Luke Community Hospital in Ronan.

Julius was treated and released, while Hammer was admitted for observation, STEP sewer to get people to vote against annexation. "This resolution is the city's promise that if there are unforeseen problems that come about because of the STEP sewer system, the cost of that will be spread throughout the city." About 900 resident property owners in the Wapikiya and Bellevue areas have a chance to vote by next Monday on a sewer proposal the city has put together for the two areas. Under an out-of-court settlement worked out between the city and 31 plaintiffs in an annexation lawsuit, if a majority of the people who vote reject the sewer plan, the Dec. 21 annexations of the two areas will be withdrawn. The mail-in ballots will be counted by a team of city representatives and plaintiffs on Sept.

20. Councilman Doug Harrison, who is office manager for Mountain Water urged a yes vote. "The impacts of not connecting those in the urban area to the sewer are too great to consider," Harrison said in reference to potential contamination of Missoula's sole-source underground water supply. By DON BATY of the Missoulian The Missoula City Council acted Monday night to. show its faith in the sewer system proposed for the Wapikiya and Bcllevue areas.

The council unanimously approved a resolution prohibiting any increase in sewer rates aimed specifically at city residents who are on septic tank effluent pump (STEP) sewer systems. The council passed the resolution in response to a letter being circulated in the Wapikiya and Bellevue areas questioning the viability Of the STEP system. "The city has the power legally to differentiate between types of sewer system users," the letter says. "If the STEP system turns out to be more costly to operate and maintain than originally thought, will that cost differential be shared by other neighborhoods, or will the 'guinea pig' neighborhoods have to pay all the costs from the mistake?" Mayor Dan Kemmis said, "There docs continue to be a group of people opposed to annexation at all costs and they have used concerns about the hospitabiOffjcitls, said. A fourth, person, Ronan resident Eli 5 was nottj" injured.

'Lake CoiMyt; Aornev Larry 'Mistier, the vehi-y cfcfs oPs hddeCTiTit'rtling'4 from a parti at Mrsslbn 'kestrvoir-'. when thi, aAflTCclird at; about 6 a.m." "Alcohol WaS Nistlcr! said. MWvaBaclTargc'-toU-: filed in Youth Court.".