Preservation Committee Sued!

[Diane Merkel]

Thanks to an old friend for the link to this article about the continuing wars in Garryowen. Here's an excerpt, but you need to read the entire article.

Janice Smith claims in a lawsuit filed June 25 in U.S. District Court in Billings that the Custer Battle Preservation Committee has struck a sweetheart deal with her competition in violation of its charter to maintain and keep pristine the land surrounding the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.

Smith and her partner, Robert Nightengale, own the Fort Custer building in Garryowen, where they hope to open a museum. Their property is a half-mile from the Custer Battlefield Museum, owned by Chris Kortlander, a well-known Garryowen resident. The property owners have been feuding since 2002, when Smith and Nightengale opposed Kortlander's bid to become Big Horn County sheriff.

Kortlander, who declined comment Friday, is named as a defendant in the lawsuit filed by Smith. Other individuals named in the lawsuit include Harold Stanton, president of the preservation committee, and his wife; preservation committee board members Ron Nichols and Jim Court, and Court's wife; Rich Solberg, a journalist for the Big Sky Briefs, a publication based in Hardin; and Chip and Sandy Watts, members of the preservation committee and Smith's neighbors.

Article: www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/06/30/news/local/30-battlefield.txt

[bk]

This lawsuit filed by Janice Smith occurred on the same day that her live-in companion, Bob Nightengale, was arrested by local police for felony stalking. A coincidence?

[Diane Merkel]

June 25 is a popular day!

I think it takes a while to prepare such a lawsuit, so it probably was a coincidence. I'm wondering how all of those who live out of the area were served. Would you happen to know, bloodyknife?

[Tricia]

Now I don't want to appear biased or anything, but I've heard from other somewhat died-in-the-wool Custer folks that Jim Court has cut himself quite a sweetheart deal because of his former position with the battlefield. Does he make a profit from our erstwhile contributions? His private tours appear to be more expensive than taking the Queen Mary II to Britain! I tend to admire the gang that is buying up the privately-owned parts at the battlefield, to potentially donate them the NPS, but not just for any cost or for one person's benefit.

Ohh, Nightengale arrested for stalking? I don't believe CSS would admire him now ... I can't believe I missed the bust.

--trish the dish

[Diane Merkel]

I'm not sure the stalking arrest is true, Trish. I've challenged "bloodyknife" to prove it (see the thread in Battle Basics). I don't like people using/misusing these boards to slander someone.

[Montana Bab]

Sounds to me like politics as usual in ole' Montana! I can remember a many a tale in my younger days, only then they were usually solved with guns! (And I'm not kidding!)

I would say that I definately do not favor an "organization" gathering money to buy up private land with the supposed purpose of turning it over to the NPS. Seems to me that there are too many issues and personal agendas going on to make it a viable thing. This again, my buffalo nickel's worth......

"Charter member of the BABBLE Society" (sorry Trish!)

[Jas. Watson]

bro9mari9 said:

I would say that I definately do not favor an "organization" gathering money to buy up private land with the supposed purpose of turning it over to the NPS. Seems to me that there are too many issues and personal agendas going on to make it a viable thing. This again, my buffalo nickel's worth......
quote]

Oh I don't know...the Civil War Preservation Trust is just such an organization and has successfully contributed thousands of acres of historic land to the parks and also purchased historic preservation easements to thousands more. But then again it is a rather high profile organization among Civil War circles. There should be an Indian Wars organization as effective.

Jas~

[bk]

admin said:

I'm not sure the stalking arrest is true, Trish. I've challenged "bloodyknife" to prove it (see the thread in Battle Basics). I don't like people using/misusing these boards to slander someone.

Here's where I got the information about Nightengale's arrest Diane: www.bigskybriefs.net/big_sky_briefs/070626_08pg.pdf

This is the June 26 issue of the Big Sky Briefs on page 5.

[Tricia]

admin said:

I'm not sure the stalking arrest is true, Trish. I've challenged "bloodyknife" to prove it (see the thread in Battle Basics). I don't like people using/misusing these boards to slander someone.

Absolutely. I mean it's one thing to hate the guy's--imaginative--writings, but just to say stuff just to say something mean about a dude is ridiculous. And we all must remember that until proven guilty--or pleads no contest--by a jury means he's presumed innocent until that is changed beyond a reasonable doubt. People get arrested for a long of dumb reasons and stalking is one of those things that is often seen through the passionate eyes of its so-called victim.

--t.

[bk]

ricemclean said:

admin said:

I'm not sure the stalking arrest is true, Trish. I've challenged "bloodyknife" to prove it (see the thread in Battle Basics). I don't like people using/misusing these boards to slander someone.

Absolutely. I mean it's one thing to hate the guy's--imaginative--writings, but just to say stuff just to say something mean about a dude is ridiculous. And we all must remember that until proven guilty--or pleads no contest--by a jury means he's presumed innocent until that is changed beyond a reasonable doubt. People get arrested for a long of dumb reasons and stalking is one of those things that is often seen through the passionate eyes of its so-called victim.

--t.

No one said anything bad about the man, nor slandered him. I just reported that he had been arrested on the same day that a lawsuit was filed against the Battlefield Preservation Committee. You can draw your own conclusions to that.....coincidence or not?

[Tricia]

Just remember an arrest does not mean guilt. As the fellow was released on his on recognizance, I doubt he is a serious, serious threat to society.

[Melani]

I was still there on the 26th, and heard about all this from one of the locals. The stalking charge as I heard about it seems to be related to the lawsuit.

In my personal opinion (she said carefully), Fort Custer looks like it escaped from Disneyland, and the landscape would be much better off without it. But that's just from the point of view of aesthetics.

[Rabble]

If I remember correctly, the land has been offered to the NPS on a few occasions but the offer has been rejected with the usual NPS hype of not being able to afford the staff required to look after it.

Ron

[Melani]

rabble said:

If I remember correctly, the land has been offered to the NPS on a few occasions but the offer has been rejected with the usual NPS hype of not being able to afford the staff required to look after it.

Ron

That sounds about right.

[jellybean]

ricemclean said:

Now I don't want to appear biased or anything, but I've heard from other somewhat died-in-the-wool Custer folks that Jim Court has cut himself quite a sweetheart deal because of his former position with the battlefield. Does he make a profit from our erstwhile contributions? His private tours appear to be more expensive than taking the Queen Mary II to Britain! I tend to admire the gang that is buying up the privately-owned parts at the battlefield, to potentially donate them the NPS, but not just for any cost or for one person's benef

--trish the dish

Trish, your statement implies shady dealings by Jim Court. Can you back up your statement? If so, as a member of the Custer Battlefield Preservation Committee, I would like to hear about any "sweetheart deal".
Thanks.