Across the Fence

By Erin Nicholes of the Montana Standard - 04/08/2008

Erin Nicholes

Bridal business: A new business has brought a bridal glow to downtown Anaconda.

Heavenly Creations Bridal has filled a storefront at 116½ E. Park Ave. with tulle and lace.

“I’m specializing in accessories … and I’m starting to expand a line of young girls’ dresses for flower girls and First Communion,” owner Brenda McDonald said. “Eventually I’m hoping to expand to bridal gowns, but right now space is limited.” McDonald, originally of Philipsburg, focuses on customizing the finishing wedding touches — toasting flutes, cake serving sets, unity candles — to fit couples and themes. She began dabbling in the wedding market after her own nuptials by selling customized wedding-cake charms on eBay.

“I added my unity candle sets; I have about 10 different styles of unity candles from Western to Celtic,” she said. “Last year I expanded to flutes and servers, guest books and pens.” In addition to wedding details, Heavenly Creations carries bridal accessories, including tiaras and bridesmaid jewelry.

The store is next door to Hoyal Jewelry and is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. “If customers have something in mind that I don’t (carry), I’m happy to do something custom for them,” McDonald said.

River rats: They say business and pleasure don’t mix, but one Anaconda family is turning a favorite pastime into a moneymaker.

Local electrician Dave Colbert — along with his dad, wife and other family members — has purchased Idaho Afloat, a river adventure company. The business, headquartered in Grangeville, Idaho, an hour south of Lewiston, guides whitewater and fishing trips on the Salmon, Clark Fork, Blackfoot and Clearwater Rivers; including the thrill-rich Alberton Gorge and Hell’s Canyon.

“My dad is retired from the electrical business, and we’ve talked about doing a rafting and guiding business for a few years,” Colbert said. The business “is all in place — the guides are there, it has the river managers and all the equipment. All we have to do is fill the trips.” The business has a staff of 15 to 20 river guides and holds permits for 10 trips down the main Salmon River, 13 trips down Hell’s Canyon and unlimited fishing trips on the lower Salmon River and the Clearwater River and elsewhere.

Although the business is a long ways from Anaconda, Colbert said he plans to continue living here and may even be able to provide jobs for a few water-loving locals.

“We’re always looking for people who might want to have a summertime job of taking people down the river,” Colbert said. For more information, check out www.idahoafloat.com.

Fire to fungi: Most people don’t consider forest fires helpful, except those who like wild mushrooms.

Fires, such as those that burned last year in the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest, tend to make way for bumper mushroom crops the following year. And people hoping to make a little money off this year’s yield may be in luck.

The U.S. Forest Service is considering allowing commercial mushroom harvesting at the sites of the Fisher Point fire north of Philipsburg and the Rat Creek fire near Wisdom.

“Otherwise, there will be no commercial harvesting of mushrooms allowed anywhere else in the forest,” a news release said.

The possible harvest is the subject of a public comment period through May 5. If it’s a go, officials would sell commercial permits to harvesters at $20 a week, $40 for two weeks, $60 for three weeks, $75 for a month and $100 for the season.

Sellers aside, anyone wanting to gather mushrooms for use in their own kitchens can do so. You’ll need a Forest Service permit, but it’s free and allows you to collect five gallons of mushrooms a day and up to 20 a year. The catch: You have to cut the mushrooms in half to prevent sale.

If you have a feeling one way or another on the idea of a commercial mushroom harvest, send comments to Bruce Schuelke, 1820 Meadowlark Lane, Butte, MT 59701.

Across the Fence is a weekly column featuring lighthearted news from throughout the Standard’s circulation area, especially small towns and rural communities. What do you and your neighbor talk about across the fence? To submit a story idea, contact Erin Nicholes at erin.nicholes@lee.net.