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More than 60 people gathered at Fred Young Park in Plains on Independence Day to hear military veterans recite the Declaration of Independence. Noah Hathorne, Jim Gillibrand and Hunter Fielders took turns reading the document that explained the causes of the 13 colonies' break with Great Britain in 1776. The 83-year-old Gillibrand, who served in the Army from 1958 to 1961, started the reading, followed by Hathorne, who served in the Marine Corps from 1999 to 2003, and Fielders, who served in...
by Johnathan J. Gerstenberger The sunshine and warm weather last week had folks rolling out the barbecue and spreading on the sunscreen in anticipation of Fourth of July celebrations throughout Sanders County. Both Noxon and Thompson Falls held events to celebrate Independence Day. Thompson Falls held festivities throughout the day of July 2 and Noxon held festivities throughout the day of July 4th and the turnout for both was impressive. "There are so many people out walking the town and...
The final portion of phases one and two of the city’s wastewater project will begin the week of July 4 and will continue until finished. Wastewater hookups to homes will start from Wood Street and continue east as the water main replacement runs through Spruce Street. Residents will be receiving notices one week in advance of when the hookup on their property will occur. The notices will have a general location of the pipe placement or the location will be marked on the ground in green paint. The city asks residents to remove all personal p...
A passion for keeping Montana the way Montanans like it is what helps fuel Eastern Sanders County Conservation District's (ESCCD) new administrator Emily Baker and the work she does. Family, ranching and a love for the area made Baker believe the position would be perfect for her. She started work last September and says so far, she loves it. "A lot of projects we are involved with are outdoors, which is so amazing it can be turned into a career," Baker said. Baker attended the University of Mon...
“When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation,” wrote Thomas Jefferson — with a little help from his friends — for the first sentence in the Declaration of Independence, a document...
Whenever I hear someone talk about how honest they are, I instinctively put my hands in my pockets to see that everything that should be there is still there. So, pardon me my skepticism when I read this blurb from a large accounting firm’s website: “Our Global Code of Conduct is a clear set of standards for our business conduct. It provides the ethical and behavioral framework on which we base our decisions every day.” Or this one: “… we hold ourselves to the highest moral and ethical s...
Editor: After reading David Lyght’s letter to the editor in the June 30 publication of the Ledger concerning the building of a Frisbee Golf course north of town I called Ray Brown, the Executive Director of Sanders County Community Development. He informed me that they were looking for ways to put to better use that part of the Mule Pasture Trail system most commonly known as the “Orchard” or the abandoned Tree Farm. If you are interested and want to have a say in any proposed changes to the “Orchard” located north of Town please go to Ray@sa...
Several years ago I saw this saying in a store window: “Making good people helpless won’t make bad people harmless.” There was a drawing of a rifle underneath. Taking our guns away from us is not the only way to make (force) good people to be helpless. There are endless ways that are being applied leaving good people more helpless, hopeless and desolate. While it seems that little or no effort is being done to remove or even slow down the activities of the bad people. Instead a blind eye is turned to protect and defend the poor perse...
6 YEARS AGO • JUNE 28, 1917 BIG CROWDS THE FOURTH All Events of Celebration Passed Off in Pleasant Manner The celebration was a success. A big and happy crowd attended and from every indication and all reports no one failed to have a good time. In the forenoon the crowd gathered rapidly, practically everyone coming in automobiles. From Wallace and other Idaho towns many parties came and from the west end of the county and east as far as Dixon. The Plains band arrived about 10:30 and the p...
JEFF MCKENZIE, Trout Creek - “I would have to say that my favorite part of the celebration would be the fireworks because I enjoy blowing stuff up.” OWEN RAFUSE, Kalispell - “Fishing and camping with my friends are what I enjoy most. I like being out in the Montana woods.” GEORGE GRUTSCH, Missoula - “ I enjoy time with my family at our little place in Trout Creek. We drive down from Missoula every year just to come celebrate the fourth there ” STEVEN WELCH, Duluth Minnesota - ”I like making the trip down to Sanders County from Minnisota. I...
A jury last week found Michel Scott Dulaney guilty of three counts of attempted deliberate homicide. The charges stemmed from events that occurred at Dulaney’s residence in Heron on July 11, 2020. Per the charging documents, Sanders County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a man being shot in the back by his neighbor, who was later identified as Dulaney. At that time, the victim was being transported to the hospital in Sandpoint. While deputies were en route, Dulaney also called dispatch, reporting he was barricaded inside his home, b...
Ambulance: Hot Springs, 10; T. Falls, 4; Trout Creek, 3; Heron, 3; Plains, 3; Dixon, 1; Noxon, 1. Monday, June 27 Trespass, Hot Springs. Theft, Plains. Motor vehicle crash, Paradise. Trespass, T. Falls. Intoxicated subject, T. Falls. Assist motorist/citizen, Plains. Suspicious activity, T. Falls. Tuesday, June 28 Fire, Plains. Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Warrant service, T. Falls. Automated alarm call, Hot Springs. Request for welfare check, Trout Creek. Burglary in progress, T. Falls. Motor vehicle crash, T. Falls. Wednesday, June 29 Motor...
Montana Highway Patrol Savonnah Anderson, 21, seatbelt violation, $50. KC McGahuey, 24, day speeding, $20. Peter Noy, 50, day speeding, $70 Danika Olson, 27, night speeding, $120. Dirk Pratt, 64, seatbelt violation, $20. Williams Wyatt, 20, seatbelt violation, $20. Paula Gardner, 75, speeding in restricted zone, $65. Asher Lawrence, 34, seatbelt violation, $20. Blake McDonald, 20, night speeding, $70. Jordan Sampson, 43, no liability insurance, 1st offense, $85; seatbelt violation, $20. Kenton Burris, 30, speeding in restricted zone, $95....
Just over 100 people gathered at the Paradise Center last weekend for the "Second Annual Student Reunion for the Paradise School." Dave Colyer, the primary organizer of the event and a Paradise Elementary School student from 1962 to 1970, believes they might have had twice the number of former students as last year. The Paradise Center opened its doors Saturday and Sunday afternoon for the alumni and their friends and family members. Colyer believes there were about 60 former Paradise students a...
Scott William Wendling joined his Heavenly Father June 24, 2022. He passed following one of his many passions, riding his motorcycle with his friend through the majestic mountains of Idaho. Scott was born September 14, 1955, in Dayton, Ohio. He was the son of Jack and Kathleen Wendling, now deceased. And he was the apple of his big sister Sue's eye. Scott spent his childhood in New Carlisle, Ohio. Upon graduation from high school, he and the family moved to Southern, Idaho, where he started pre... Full story
Erlice May Dykstra was born October 24, 1930, in Bozeman, Montana, to Dave and Laura Emily Douma. She passed away at home in Thompson Falls, Montana on June 26, 2022. Erlice was the eldest of four children and was brought up in Montana in the Madison and Gallatin valleys. She attended Cherry Creek School, La Motte School and Bozeman High School. After high school she worked for the Montana Highway Department. She also worked in the Sanders County attorney’s office. Erlice was known for her creativity and artistic talent. She married David D...
June 16, 1950 - March 6, 2022 Terry Holo was the coolest big brother in the world. With movie-star looks and that silver tongue, he could have gotten by on style alone, but he was a man of substance who defined himself not by his own achievements, but by helping his friends and loved ones succeed. As a young man in need of adventure, he drove the Alaska-Canada highway up from Montana to Fairbanks. After a conversation with a restaurant owner whose business was slow, Terry created what was...
When most people hear the name Maclean, they think of the 1992 film "A River Runs Through It." The film is based on the book of the same name written by Norman Maclean and published in 1976. The book and movie that followed made the family name, as well as the Blackfoot River, famous. The Maclean family's legacy, as well as their love of the outdoors and fishing, continued to present generations. Norman Maclean's son, John N. (named after Norman's father, Rev. John Maclean), followed in his...
The 2021-22 bowling season ended with an awards banquet at the Rimrock Lanes restaurant on April 14. The event included election of officers and presentation of awards from the city-associated tournament. In this year’s tournament, Bernie’s Auto grabbed first place in the men’s team category, Dolls With Balls in the women’s team category and the Wobbly Ballers picked up the mixed team category first-place win. The men’s doubles winners were Ron Beaty and Bernie Groshong, Karissa and Anglie Lowe won the women’s doubles division and the mixed d...
Two Plains men volunteered time and money to help make the E. L. Johnson Memorial Park a nicer place to relax. Kurt Campbell and his son, Cole, erected three gazebos for free and even paid two others, Jim Haas and Hunter Leonard, to help put up the three wood and metal kit gazebos. The group started the project last week and finished on Tuesday. "We just wanted to do something for the community," said Kurt, who donated the materials and labor last fall to put in the 13x15-foot concrete pads. He...
The final two home games for the Clark Fork Valley Riverdogs last weekend were a bit disappointing for the players and coaches alike. The Plains team came close to victory in the first game Saturday when facing the Libby Loggers at Amundson Sports Complex. The Loggers drew blood in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead and in the second they scored seven more runs to make it an 8-0 lead. The Dogs scored only one run in the fifth. In the sixth, they nearly did it, coming within one run, 8-7. "They...
Chris Kelly got the elusive chip-in on hole 6 last week during Ladies League play at River's Bend. Kelly also had the low individual net score Thursday with a 33. The team of Jeanne Holleran and Tina Wheeler combined for the low gross of 112 and Kristy Beaty and Danice Toyias had the low net of 69. Wheeler also turned in the low individual gross score of 46 and her fourth shot was closest to the pin on No. 2. Jan Thompson and Annie Wooden smashed the long drives on No. 9 and Marshanna Drop sank the long putt on No. 3. The ladies will be back...
Montana's Best Builders lived up to their name as Kevin Sparks, Sean Kelly, Doug Czerwinski and MIke Thilmony built the low team gross of 186 last Tuesday at River's Bend. Kelly also had the best net score of 34 and his third shot on No. 2 was the best and closest to the pin. East Street Autoworks' Dave Garr, Jens Janten, Charlie Hooten and Rusty Haggard combined for the low team net of 150, and Garr had the low individual gross score of 39, as well as the long drive on No. 9 for those 55 and older and his drive was closest to the pin on No....
The Wild Coyote team of Mike Normandin, Howard Morkert, Dave Petteys and Steve Clark howled to a low team net of 146 last Wednesday at River's Bend, while Edward Jones' Bruce Sterling, Jesse Mack, Carter Meyer and Ed Mack combined for the low team gross of 174 in men's league play. Dan Kier shot the low individual gross round of 39 and Meyer's 32 was good enough for low net. Kier also hit his drive closest to the pin on No. 5, while Morkert took that honor on No. 8. Morkert also added a chip-in to his round, on No. 5. Doug Fisher was closest...
was outside working and my ears perked up. It’s not often one gets to witness the phenomenon actually occurring. One of my hives swarmed. I heard it before I saw it. The loud hum of the bees getting ready to take off is hard to miss. As I walked closer to my hives, there it was. A cyclone of what must have been nearly 1,000 bees — if not more — swirling 50 feet up into the air. Disconcerting but also mesmerizing. A swarm can be made of up to a couple thousand honey bees, all searching for a new place to call home. A natural process of the h...