Legion Park Appeal Makes State Supreme Court

The Montana Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal in Culbertson’s Legion Park case. Access to the park has been blocked by Knudsen Family Limited Partnership, preventing use by scouting groups and the public. Miles and Rhonda Knudsen are listed as registered agents for the partnership.

District Court Judge David Cybulski ruled on cross motions for summary judgment in Feb. 18 that the Town of Culbertson and Thomas Mann Post 81 of the American Legion may now resume administering easement-based access to the 40-acre Legion Park near the Missouri River. The town and legion filed the lawsuit in 2016. The site is accessed via Road 1020 at mile maker 2 on the south side of Culbertson on Highway 16.

The Knudsens filed their appeal Sept. 8, 2021. According to Culbertson’s Pete Olson, local residents will have to wait for word about access to the site.

“The earliest we can expect a ruling is three months,” said Olson.

Olson said there isn’t a time estimate available for the court’s plans with the case.

“It’s not going to happen before Frontier Days, I know that,” he said.