The Independent-Record from Helena, Montana • 1

r'i uMb G-eflgeni's Man sets cuiness record for vfVIv, stacking cigar boxes on his chin Last year's baseball favorites now live in the cellar SATURdAY MORNING July 12, 1986 Helena, Montana Vol. 42 No. 233 Single copy 35c Home delivery for less than 29c Li Vbb JS IFedls jjoirk Pros mean more bucks at E.H. Rodeo rod 19-year-old drinking-age law could cost state $5.6 million i CHmmr" aJt i I I iS t. T1" II I kl, li 1m By STEVE SHIRLEY IR State Bureau Montana will lose $5.6 million in federal highway funds in the upcoming fiscal year because it doesn't comply with a national 21-year-old drinking-age law, state officials were told Friday.

Spokesmen for Montana congressional offices said Federal Highway Administration officials notified them that Gov. Ted Sch-winden is being sent a letter regarding the funding loss. They added that the funds would be restored if Montana changes its legal drinking age from 19 to 21. A representative of the federal agency said the letter probably will be sent early next week. Officials in Helena said they weren't surprised by the news because of earlier warnings that the state faced loss of funds.

The loss represents 5 percent of the state's federal highway funding for federal fiscal year 1987, which starts Oct. 1. A spokesman for Montana GOP Rep. Ron Marlenee criticized the federal action, describing it as "blackmail." "Whatever happened to state's rights?" he said, adding that By ROY PACE IR Sports Editor Rodeo is rodeo, and the more cowboys the merrier. Actually, the more cowboys the more money in the pot to be won, and that is one of the reasons a lot of rodeo cowboys like the ruling that allows PRCA cowboys the so-called professionals to compete in any rodeo they want to such as the East Helena Rodeo being held this weekend.

The courts decided last fall that the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association could no longer fine or discipline its members for particiating in rodeos not sanctioned by the PRCA, or for becoming members of other rodeo associations. As a result, many of the pro cowboys are now competing in rodeos approved by other associations, like the Northern Rodeo Association which covers Montana and part of Wyoming. That means more cowboys are entering most of the rodeos in Montana, and the general feeling is that this is good for rodeo. "This is good for Montana," said Don Jacobs of Great Falls, who is in East Helena this weekend with his Jacobs Livestock and Rodeo Co. to produce the rodeo.

"Montana needed that." And it has been beneficial in more ways than one. The more cowboys who enter a rodeo, the more money there is to be won. It also means more people in the stands and more momey spent downtown. And the cowboys have benefited by being able to enter more rodeos without having to travel so far. Many pro cowboys working the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit have joined the NRA and now compete at rodeos approved by both associations, as well as some open rodeos that aren't approved by any association.

Over the long Fourth of July weekend all of the NRA rodeos held around the state had record entry lists and record payoffs, and the addition of some pros was one of the reasons. But the NRA rodeos aren't, the only ones to benefit. The PRCA should also benefit. As a matter of fact, Rodger Nordahl, president of the East Helena Rodeo Association, believes in the long run the PRCA will benefit more from the change than the NRA. Any cowboy can buy a permit from the PRCA which allows him to compete in most of the pro rodeos.

But once he has won enough money to fill that permit, he either has to become a member or quit competing in PRCA rodeos. In the past a lot of cowboys, especially in Montana, just quit competing in the pro rodeos once they filled their Board OKs power line to Big Sky 4 4' for some cowboys to bounce around. (Staff photos by states should be allowed to determine what drinking ages they want. Congress, at the urging of Montana Democratic Sen. Max Bau-cus, did make an exception for Montana since it will be voting on the drinking-age issue this fall.

The 1985 Legislature put on the November ballot a proposed constitutional amendment that allows the state's drinking age to be changed. If that amendment passes and the 1987 Legislature then raises the drinking age to 21, Montana could recover the lost highway funds. "Now it's up to the state to decide what it's going to do," a Baucus aide said. "Certainly the loss of funds would hurt the highway program." If the drinking-age change is rejected, Montana could lose 10 percent of its highway funds in fiscal 1988, the aide said. Six other states don't comply with the federal law that forces them to set drinking ages no lower than 21 or face cutbacks.

Montana is unique among (More on FEDS, back page) cessions from Montana Power, and we can live with it." MPC has agreed to mitigate the environmental and visual impacts of the line by doing such things as planting trees along it and using special towers to decrease the swath of forest they will have to cut for the line. "It is the most stringent mitigation package ever imposed on a transmission line," DNRC Director Larry Fasbender said. Combs, who runs a guest ranch in the valley, said he is confident that MPC will continue to work with landowners to minimize impacts. "We realize the board had it's hands tied," he said. "They couldn't just say 'king's X' and stop the thing." DNRC Board Chairman Gordon Holte said that once initial approval of a two-mile corridor (More on POWER, back page) Mathews was killed when a flare ignited his waterfront hideout on Whidbey Island, north of Seattle.

Supremacy leaders scheduled a news conference Friday evening, and a night cross burning will close Saturday's session. The meeting will be at Butler's Church of Jesus Christ Christian- (More on WHITE, back page) craft in the area, and anyone entering the area will be dealt with appropriately by the Air Force," the sheriff's office said. Gen. Michael McRaney, head of public affairs for the Air Force, said from the Pentagaon that the plane had only one crew member and "was definitely not a bomber." No weapons of any kind were 6us Easf Helena calmly wait George Lane) 1st r- 4 BY TOM COOK IR State Bureau Montana Power Company was given the go ahead to erect a power line from Ennis through Jack Creek Canyon to Big Sky Friday apparently ending a controversy that has raged in the Madison Valley for 10 years. The Board of Natural Resources and Conservation approved the final route for the power line, which essentially follows that prefered by MPC and recommended by the board's staff.

Some landowners along the route had threatened suit if the board approved it, but Tim Combs, spokesman for Jack Creek landowners, said after the meeting he doesn't think that will happen. "There's still some landowners in the valley not happy with the decision," Combs said. "But I feel like we got some major con permits because they didn't want to be limited to the pro circuit. Now they can fill their permits, join the PRCA and go right on competing in any rodeo they want to. About the only reservations voiced about the new set-up in rodeo involves the young cowboys just getting started and the so-called "weekend cowboy" who has to work Monday through Friday so he can afford to rodeo on the weekend.

It will now be harder for them to win money, although the PRCA (More on PROS, back page) Aryans rally HAYDEN LAKE, Idaho (AP) White supremacy leaders gathered Friday for an Aryan Nations Congress to unite their efforts to establish a "whites only" homeland in the Northwest. The white supremacists' meeting is their first gathering in the Northwest since an FBI investigation led to last December's racketeering convictions of 10 members of The Order, a mili Easf Helena's rodeo arena is ready for its big weekend. to form 'white homeland' incIex Algae blooms again as cattle die at Hebgen tant, right-wing group blamed for two murders, more than $4 million in robberies, counterfeiting and other crimes. Many Order members had met through the Aryan Nations and its leader, the Rev. Richard Butler.

The Order was smashed when its founder, former Aryan Nations member Robert Mathews, died during a Dec. 8, 1984, standoff with FBI agents. Mystery Air Force jet crashes Helena boy killed in traffic accident. 14A Manson disciple denied parole. 2A 2nd buffalo season now open near park.

4A One Section Church 6A Markets 5A Comics 10A People 2A Sports 7A Montana 4A Movies 6A WEAKER Mostly cloudy and cool with scattered showers and thunder-showers mainly in the afternoons today and Sunday. Gusty west winds at times both days. High today and Sunday, 72. Low tonight, 48. from the reservoir near Grayling Arm.

One of the three water samples taken from the area proved to be toxic, he said. The lake is being posted with signs warning people that blue-green algae, that looks like pea soup, can be toxic. The signs instruct people not to swim or boat in the area where the algae is growing. Last summer, the algae was blamed for 17 cattle deaths. The algae blooms move from one location to another on the water, so there is no way to predict where it will be from day to day, King said.

Nor is there any way to tell whether algae is toxic without a laboratory test. Boiling or other means of disinfection will not make water containing the algae safe, he said. WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. (AP) Four cattle have been found dead on Hie shore of Hebgen Lake, about one-quarter mile from where three cows died of algae poisoning last summer, Last summer, blue-green algae was blamed for the deaths of 17 cattle according to Gallatin County Health Officer Dr. Edward King.

King said he does not know whether the cattle, which were discovered Monday, died from algae poisoning. However, he said he received word Friday from the Livestock Diagnostic Laboratory that mice had died as a result of being injected with water samples taken BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) A mystery Air Force plane crashed in Sequoia National Forest early Friday, killing the pilot, igniting a 45-acre brush fire, and triggering a cordon of Air Force secrecy. The Air Force refused to say what type of airplane crashed or whether it was an experimental craft from, the flight center at Edwards Air Force Base, about 80 miles southeast of the crash site. Public affairs officials at Edwards, who read brief statements to reporters, confirmed that the crash occurred about 2 a.m.

and killed one person. The pilot's name was not released. "The whole area has been restricted, including the air space above the crash site," the Kern County Sheriff's Office said, stressing that it was relaying information from the Air Force. "There will be military air (More on PLANE, back page).