October 2 - 3, 2007 bridge inspectors were again examining the Heron bridge. For more information go to Latest Development News.
Roads and Bridges:
The road system
serves a "rural" environment. Secondary roads are paved (Highway 200
Heron Road, Railroad Avenue and 2 others). The remaining roads are graveled and narrow. Roads
are slippery during wet/snowy weather conditions, and dusty as they dry
out, producing the classic Heron brown car.
The
Heron Bridge is fifty-four years old, weight restricted and one lane.
There is limited visibility from both approaches. It is classified by
the Montana Department of Transportation as needing replacement.
According to a bridge study prepared for the county in October 2006 the
engineering firm stated "it would not be safe to continue with no long
term management plan to address the deficiencies of the bridge" To date
no improvements have been made to the Heron Bridge.
Heron Bridge - Notice old wood supports
Power:
Power is provided locally by Northern Lights. Power often goes out during thunder storms, wind storms or heavy wet snow storms and can last anywhere from 5 minutes to 12+ hours.
To bring electricity into a property it presently costs $8 a foot with a minimum fee of $2,705. There are additional costs for grounding units and/or poles. Prices are available on the application form at http://www.norlight.org.
Communications:
Telephone service land-line is provided by Blackfoot Communications. The basic monthly fee is about $26.
Cell phone service is unreliable and at present requires analog capability.
Local television and radio reception is spotty. There are two satellite providers.
To assure telephone service when power is out one must have direct land line connection to Blackfoot.
Transportation:
The closest passenger train service is in Libby, MT, and Sandpoint, ID. Both stations are served in the middle of the night.
The nearest large airports are in Missoula, MT (150 miles east) and Spokane, WA (125 miles west). There are small noncommercial airports in Sandpoint, ID (40 miles west), Thompson Falls, MT (45 miles east), and Plains, MT (70 miles east).
A small bus serves the Senior Citizens in our area (although anyone can ride on it) that helps folks get to medical appointments and large grocery stores.
There is no taxi service.
Mail Service:
The rural carrier delivers to the existing rural route as determined by the post office. Mailboxes are placed at the end of the driveway. Customers should check with the post office and request the service available or desired.
Retail Stores:
The Heron Store is the only retail store in Heron.
There are small stores at the Bull River Highway 56 Junction and in Clark Fork, ID.
Major supermarkets are located in LIbby and Ponderay, just north of Sandpoint.
There is a mall in Ponderay offering some major retail stores.
Heron Store on Railroad Avenue
Library/Resource building
Heron-CRD
Heron Citizens for Responsible Development Heron, Montana
