Larry Kline
Havre Daily News
lkline@havredailynews.com
RUDYARD - The Eagles' final flight was one to remember.
Gov. Brian Schweitzer delivered the commencement speech for the final graduating class of Blue Sky Eagles on Saturday. The speech was delivered in conjunction with the awarding of more than $500,000 for improvements to the Rudyard sewer and water system.
During his speech, Schweitzer told the 14 Blue Sky graduates that education is an endeavor that should stretch over the course of one's life.
"It is a continuous process," Schweitzer said. "Today is a step in a very long journey. With public education, you can make it all around the bases. You can make it anywhere you want to go."
He said he knew some of the graduates would be leaving Montana for college, jobs or the military. He asked them to remember two things.
"First, be great ambassadors," Schweitzer said. "Show them what's great about Montana. Second, after you travel across this great country, across the world - after you learn many great things, come back to Montana. We need you."
Blue Sky is consolidating with the KG school district. KG had its final graduation on Sunday.
Prior to the ceremony, Schweitzer presented a check for $524,503 in Treasure State Endowment Program funds to the water and sewer district.
An engineering firm identified more than $880,000 worth of improvements that needed to be made to the sewer system in Rudyard, Bear Paw Development Corp. official and project coordinator Annmarie Robinson said. The system is made up of clay tile sewer lines that were installed in the 1950s. Sections of the pipes are now missing.
The project will replace more than 6,700 feet of the lines, and includes work on a lift station and a section of the pipe that connects the treatment plant to the station, Robinson said.
The funding was approved by the Legislature.
Hill County also applied for and received a Community Development Block Grant on behalf of the community for more than $344,000 in December to help pay for the project, Robinson said.
