Helena city commissioner Dan Ellison was the guest speaker Monday night at the annual Boy Scout and parent dinner held at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds. Eighteen troops were in attendance, listening to the tale of Donnie Priest, a 10-year-old boy who survived a plane crash in the Sierra Nevada in 1982.

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More information on Donnie Priest and the helicopter rescue can be found on the 2009 Campaign web site.

With its annual budget process looming on the horizon, the Helena City Commission on Wednesday bandied several ideas for bolstering recycling in and around Helena, either through city programs or by assisting to some degree the private sector businesses already involved in recycling.

After several months of discussions, there’s still little firm direction on how much to increase recycling in the city, and how quickly. A sticking point is that depending on the material, recycling can be more costly up-front than not, but over the long term, everyone agrees recycling is beneficial.

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The City Commission on Monday night approved two land acquisitions that will better connect Helena’s prestigious trail system and further protect the scenic natural landscape surrounding the Capital City.

Commissioners accepted a grant from the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust for $75,000 to purchase a parcel along the north face of Mount Ascension from the Prickly Pear Land Trust. The land trust purchased the 21-acre parcel from Grant Porter in 2009 for $90,000 — $80,000 through a conservation trust loan and the remaining money through donations from supporters.

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City commissioners on Monday night awarded a $2.527 million contract to Swank Enterprises to build a new transit station north of Malfunction Junction.

The Valier-based construction business put in a base bid of $2.198 million — below the engineering estimate of $2.67 million — which will allow for the construction of some additional amenities, including a cold storage building, a hydraulic bus lift and a bus wash system.

“It builds everything we had asked for in our specifications,” said Helena Area Transit System fleet manager Ed Robinson.

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Dan Ellison takes the oath of office and becomes a Helena City Commissioner.

The mood and words Monday morning were both light and serious as Helena Judge Bob Wood swore in new city commissioners Dan Ellison and Dick Thweatt and kicked off Mayor Jim Smith’s third term.

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Dan Ellison takes the oath of office and becomes a Helena City Commissioner.

Dick Thweat is sworn in as a Helena City Commissioner as Dan Ellison and Mayor Jim Smith look on.

Dan Ellison addresses the crowd after being sworn in as a Helena City Commissioner.

Dan Ellison poses with his father A.C., mother Jean and wife Jane Fournier after the swearing in ceremony.

Mayor Jim Smith being sworn in for a third term.