Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Eugenio Montale once wrote, “The most dangerous aspect of present-day life is the dissolution of the feeling of individual responsibility. Mass solitude has done away with any difference between the internal and the external, between the intellectual and the physical.” Last April, almost exactly on this day one year ago, I spent a continuous 84 hours alone in the wild with no human contact, no words spoken or sight of man. The wilderness was nothing new to me at that time, as my three-and-a-half-day solo came to be at the end of my trip int...
After the snowfall, Old Man Winter rests. He is warm now, with his long white hair flowing down his shoulders. After conjuring up infinite patterns of snowflakes, each one unique, and gently laying down the soft blanket of albescence, he tucks his chin into his full beard and begins to dream. In the mountains, the creatures of the earth begin to stir after the quietness of the last flake falling has been fully appreciated. The extreme northwest corner of Montana and the panhandle of Idaho present the rugged mountain ranges that include...
The annual Harvest Party for the community was held at the Langford Ranch last Sunday afternoon. Fine weather and a good turnout lent to fun for all. There was fresh hot apple cider from the blueberry farm, and a beautiful large campfire which roasted fresh corn. Chili and cornbread complimented the fresh corn and caramel apples for desert. There was storytelling and singing. The kids enjoyed climbing on the hay bales. Some enjoyed getting their faces wet dunking for apples. The wilderness...
Supporters of LR-129 claim their proposal will ensure that mail-in ballots are secure and that the state's elections are free of potential fraud, but opponents argue the entire effort may cause unnecessary gridlock at the polls and distract from any actual security issue. The initiative would prohibit the collection of another individual's ballot, although family members and caregivers could deliver another person's ballot but would need to sign a registry at the polling place. People not...
The 39th Annual Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek will kick off this weekend. Organizers are touting what an accomplishment nearly four decades has been. Had it not been for 1999, when no one stepped up to organize the Huckleberry Festival, this would have been the 40th year. Thankfully, in 2000 someone stepped up. And so, the festival continues. The fun kicks off Friday, August 10, at 5p.m. The flag will be raised to the national anthem, pledging of allegiance and followed by a celebration of everything huckleberry. As always, the festival...
When Miles City’s Rhonda Shumway found she was easily fatigued and couldn’t keep up with her grandchildren, her primary care provider encouraged her to try the Holy Rosary Healthcare Diabetes Prevention Program called Healthy Lifestyles as a solution to her high blood pressure and joint pain. She was amazed that the common-sense approach, educational information, and activities really worked. “My favorite tool was the little blue book we used to record daily food and activity,” she said. “It worked and the pounds started sliding off.” She...
Mike Hensler, a longtime fisheries biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), is the new regional fisheries manager in northwest Montana. Hensler began serving as the FWP Region 1 fisheries manager, based in Kalispell, on July 1. “Mike has been one of FWP’s emerging leaders for a long time when it comes to both native fish conservation and recreational angling, and we are fortunate to have him step into this important leadership role,” FWP Region 1 Supervisor Jim Williams said. Hensler is replacing Mark Deleray, another longtime FWP e...
I am one of those strange people who read newspapers cover to cover every week. Something about local newspapers just seem to be a hidden reflection of the community that is the heart of small towns. Do I immediately find value or meaning in what I read? No, not always. That’s what the internet and social media are for – immediate relevance. Local newspapers are more like reading chapters in a multi-generational novel. In TV terms “A sweeping saga of many generations as they pass thru time and place.” Confession: I’ve read every line of the det...
Open burning season in Sanders and Mineral counties ended April 30, and burn permits are now required until fire season begins. Starting May 1 and continuing until conditions are no longer favorable for safe burning, permits are required to burn yard debris or logging slash. Depending on which jurisdiction one is in, burn permits are available at your local U.S. Forest Service, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, or from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes office in Ronan. For people wishing to burn in Sanders...
The importance of having access to high-speed broadband Internet has never been greater for Montana students. When they graduate and enter the job market, they will need a deep knowledge of technology and the ability to learn new skills quickly. Technology is increasingly used in all aspects of student learning. Educators in Montana have made it a priority that our schools have first-rate access to Internet. A real gap exists today between students who have access to all the Internet has to offer, and those who live in areas that are lagging...
Explore the world of fly fishing, from Honduras to Alaska, Dubai to Africa, without leaving Sanders County, during the 12th annual Fly Fishing Film Tour, coming to the Rex Theatre in Thompson Falls on April 28. This is the first year the international film festival has landed in Thompson Falls, and it promises to be an entertaining and informative evening for folks who enjoy fly fishing or even just watching a good film. “The stories are compelling, and the locations are stunning,” said Reg Crawford, a project leader with Panhandle Trout Unl...
Snow may still be on the ground, but last year’s wildfire season isn’t too far from memory. We have good news for Montanans, though. After years of negotiation, we have finally secured a deal that moves forward on much-needed forest management reforms. Montanans get it: a managed forest is a healthy forest. But decades of mismanagement, environmental lawsuits and excessive red tape have kept responsible forest management projects from moving forward on thousands of acres. There are many consequences to this delay, including increased risk of...
William James, a famous American philosopher and psychologist, said, "I don't sing because I'm happy, I'm happy because I sing." Several high school students from Sanders County were singing and happy in February, individually and collectively, as they participated in the University of Montana's All-Star Honor Choir in Mixed Choir and Women's Choir categories. To be selected for the All-Star Honor Choir, students are nominated by their directors, then chosen by the University of Montana....
CHINESE NEW YEAR in Hot Springs was filled with canine masks, streamers on poles, Rube Wrightsman with a cannon and the traditional Hot Springs dragon reserved for the holiday....
A frigid Christmas Eve of five degrees makes the shrubbery look like glass along the Flathead River near the junction of Highways 200 and 135....
As we gather with family and friends this holiday season and count our blessings, let’s remember to give thanks for the extensive forest lands that surround our communities. We are fortunate to be surrounded by large areas of productive forest lands, exceptional recreation opportunities and also some precious remaining wild country. One thing that deserves special celebration today is the way our communities approach public lands issues, which has become so much more positive, inclusive and constructive in recent years. Just a decade or two a...
CHECKING IN – The first visitor at the Thompson Falls check station on Sunday, the last day of the season, was this buck. FWP reported 75 bucks at the check station this season....
