The Frontier Elementary School board voted to offer a contract to an applicant for the principal’s position, which will be vacant after the current school year, during the monthly board meeting Thursday, April 10.
Mike Maples of Tennessee was the top choice by a committee that narrowed the field of applicants to seven and chose four finalists to interview. One accepted another position before an interview could be held.
Maples has 11 years experience as a principal and has worked in Montana, but not in the northeastern part of the state.
“I think he would be a good fit for the community,” board member Jim Jerome said.
If Maples does not accept the position, the district will extend an offer to Mark Lee of Post Falls, Idaho. The board approved Lee as the second choice.
Maples’ salary would be about $54,000 annually plus benefits based on a base of $45,000, plus $3,000 for his degree and additional compensation for each year of experience as a principal. If Maples does not accept the position, Lee, who has not previously worked as a principal, would earn $48,000.
The new principal will begin working before the start of the 2014-15 school year and will replace dean of students Jeff Whitmus, who tendered his resignation for the end of the current school year.
In other business, the board voted to ask voters to renew the building reserve levy for 15 years and the technology levy for 10 years. If voters approve both levies Tuesday, May 6, renewals would be offset by five years.
With renewal of both existing levies, there would be no tax increase.
The two levies bring in $60,000 annually. One, for the building reserve fund, nets $50,000 each year and the district gets $10,000 per year for technology.
There is a 10-year limit on renewals of the technology levy and 20 years on the building reserve levy.
The board voted 2-1 to approve a request by teacher Rebecca Houg for reimbursement for classes she needs for certification for special education. Board chair Brandon Babb cast the dissenting vote and Mark Zilkoski was absent.
Houg said she wants to take the courses in a shorter amount of time requiring the school district to change policy. The reimbursement would be the same amount of money as taking classes over a longer period.
“This is a good happy medium, I think. She would like more money. It would allow her to do a huge chunk in the summer when she is not working,” superintendent Christine Eggar said.
Houg must remain employed by the district for at least two years after completing the courses.
In other business, the board approved a housing policy where the district would lease houses and sublet them to teachers.
“If we could get good people and keep good people, that’s worth something,” Eggar said.

Staying ahead of the curve for Clean Sweep, members of the Northside Elementary School Junior Optimist Club picked up trash in a vacant lot on Highway 2 Thursday, April 3, several days ahead of the Clean Sweep clean-up project of Wolf Point and Poplar.

The clean-up was held in Poplar Monday and Tuesday, April 7-8. The project moved to Wolf Point Wednesday and Thursday, April 9-10.

Western Bank presented movie tickets to each of the fifth- and six-graders for doing their part in cleaning up Wolf Point. Pictured  (front row, left to right) Tia Owens, Hailey Longtree, Darnelle Fourstar, (back row) Aaron Kurokawa of Western Bank and Northside teacher Barbara Olson.

(Editor’s Note: The following blotter is a partial list of activities involving the Wolf Point police department and fire department between April 7 and 13. All those arrested or cited are presumed innocent.)
April 7
2:50 p.m., officers responded to Wolf Point High School for a report of delinquent youth and arrested a 13-year-old Wolf Point female for disorderly conduct and youth in need of supervision and cited a 13-year-old Wolf Point male for disorderly conduct.
5:21 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Custer Street for a report of a burglary with a reported loss valued under $1,000. The incident is under investigation.
April 8
8:39 a.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Benton Street for a report of a theft from a vehicle with a reported loss valued under $1,000. The incident is under investigation.
5:38 p.m., firefighters responded to a grass fire on Windy Hill Road with two trucks and six firefighters. The WPVFD reported that 1½ acres of prairie  burned.
7:10 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Idaho Street for a report of an attempted burglary. Officers arrested Don Sharp Jr., 24, of Wolf Point, for criminal trespass and possession of drug paraphernalia.
9:27 p.m., officers responded to the 400 block of Granville Street for a report of a theft from a residence with a reported loss valued under $1,000. The incident is under investigation.
April 9
12:45 a.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Main Street and cited Delano Longtree, 43, of Poplar, for littering and public intoxication.
2:07 a.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Main Street and arrested James Brown, 21, of Wolf Point, on a warrant.
8:09 a.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Third Avenue South for a report of vandalism to a vehicle with a reported loss valued under $1,000. The incident is under investigation.
5:51 p.m., firefighters responded to a small fire involving wood scraps on BIA Route 1. Three trucks and six firefighters responded.
6:45 p.m., officers responded to Albertson’s for a report of theft from a vehicle with a reported loss valued under $1,000. The incident is under investigation.
8:50 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Custer Street for a report of a delinquent youth and arrested a 13-year-old Wolf Point female for disorderly conduct and criminal contempt.
10:51 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Anaconda Street for a report of vandalism to a vehicle with a reported loss valued under $1,000. The incident is under investigation.
April 10
7:02 a.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on Third Avenue South and Helena Street as a result of a complaint called into dispatch. Officers arrested Eric Bush, 29, of Poplar on a warrant.
12:15 p.m., officers responded to the 900 block of West Blaine Street and arrested Daryl Buckelk Jr., 20, of Wolf Point, on a warrant.
4:27 p.m., officers responded to the 300 block of Front Street and arrested Arianna Black Dog, 19, of Brockton, on a warrant.
5:22 p.m., officers responded to the 400 block of Eureka Street for a report of a theft from a residence with a reported loss valued over $1,000. Charges are pending.
6:51 p.m., officers responded to the 300 block of Second Avenue South for a report of a theft from a residence with a reported loss valued under $1,000. The incident is under investigation.
8:15 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Granville Street for a report of an assault with a 13-year-old female sustaining minor injuries. Charges are pending.
April 11
12:32 a.m., officers responded to the 300 block of Fairweather Street for a report of a residential burglary with a reported loss valued under $1,000. The incident is under investigation.
3:41 a.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Edgar Street for a report of suspicious activity by several individuals. As a result of the police department responding to an area where several individuals were walking and entering unlocked vehicles, officers arrested Kaylob Trowbridge, 22, of Wolf Point, for theft, criminal mischief, criminal trespass to a vehicle, unlawful transactions with children and disorderly conduct; Valen Manternach, 19, of Wolf Point, for theft, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, and contributing to the delinquency of minors; a 13-year-old Wolf Point male for theft, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and curfew violation; a 13-year-old Wolf Point female for theft, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and curfew violation; and a 15-year-old Wolf Point male for theft, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and curfew violation.
10:55 a.m., officers responded to D&J’s Trading for a report of a shoplifter and cited Joshua McGeshick-Higgins, 20, of Wolf Point, for theft.
12:55 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Garfield Street for a report of a disturbance in progress and arrested Journey Wienke, 19, of Wolf Point, on a warrant.
10 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Edgar Street for a report of vandalism to a residence with a reported loss valued under $1,000. The incident is under investigation.
10:03 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Fairweather Street and located and cited Keaton Wolff, 19, and Mervin Garfield Jr., 18, both Wolf Point males, for minor in possession of alcohol.
10:13 p.m., officers responded to Albertson’s for a report of a shoplifter and cited Brett Morales, 20, of Wolf Point, for theft.
11:47 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Anaconda Street for a report of a minor traffic accident and cited Michael Vandall, 30, of Wolf Point, for driving without a license and failure to carry insurance.
April 12
2:21 p.m., officers responded to the 900 block of Fourth Avenue South for a report of criminal trespass to a vehicle. It remains under investigation.
2:28 p.m., officers responded to Arlo’s Bar for a report of an unwanted individual and arrested Nathan Dumont, 46, of Wolf Point, for disorderly conduct and public intoxication.
April 13
12:06 a.m., officers responded to The Water Hole for a report of a fight with minor injuries to two local males. The incident remains under investigation.
2:14 a.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Custer Street for a report of a theft from a residence with a reported loss valued under $1,000. The incident is under investigation.
7:14 p.m., officers responded to Stockman’s 220 Club for a report of a theft and cited Don Sharp Jr., 24, of Wolf Point, for theft.
Other calls
In addition to the above calls, the WPPD responded to the following calls between April 7 and 14: checks of wellbeing, seven; civil standby, seven; domestic disturbance, 12; public assistance, 12; motor vehicle accidents, three; removal of unwanted individuals, eight; animal complaints, six; fire assistance, one; alarm, two; assist other agency, three; unfounded report, eight; driving complaints, four; and school-requested assistance, one.

Service organizations including Junior Optimists fromk Northside School, school groups and others took part in the annual Clean Sweep laast week, this year in Poplar and Wolf Point during the same week.
In the picture is Nicole Huber, who along with several Sherman Inn employees, picked up trash along Rodeo Road east of the Sherman Inn.