Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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July was a sudden scorcher! The meteorologist seems to have the best job on the planet, as he has been paid to be pretty egregiously incorrect quite often this season (apologies to any meteorologists out there). May the huckleberries be benefitting from these last few nice rains. As to the real estate market, the inventory is still growing, but it is still at a much slower rate seasonally. Those low interest rate loans are hard to part with when you have to start over with a much higher rate. The sales were down for both land and homes for the...
Usually, I read more frivolous and fun books in the summer, and I used to think it was because that’s what I wanted to read, but now I’m beginning to think it’s simply because that’s what’s published and available to me at that time of year. I’m curious, how does it work for you? Do you prefer quick and dirty books, what I call “page turners,” like those by John Grisham, Colleen Hoover, and Emily Henry, or deeply engrossing books, what I call “think traps,” like those by Barbara Kingsolver, Elena Ferrante, and Abraham Verghese? Do your t...
Last week, we installed a new sign on the front of the Ledger building. We make signs, banners, photo canvases and other items in our print shop, and our work can be seen all over town. However, the front of our own building lacked adequate signage. Someone I know who drives through town several times a week asked me recently where the Ledger was. That got me motivated to create our new sign. It only took me seven years, but now no one can say they didn't know where we are. We also recently branched out in our offerings. In an effort to...
I asked a friend of mine if he had ever known a man named Bat O’Callahan who lived in Trout Creek years ago and was married to my good friend Jessie O’Callahan. Whether that marriage ended because Bat left town or died I never did know, but since Jessie had remembered him so fondly I thought he must have been a good man. “Yeah, I remember him,” my friend said. “He used to drive home from the bar, pull off the highway onto Swamp Creek Road, turn off his car right there in the middle of the inter...
There is a saying… “You are entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts.” As Thompson Falls mayor, I do have actual facts about Wild Goose Landing contrary to some comments I’ve been made aware of on Sanders County 411. Northwest Energy has an easement signed December 2023 by Northwest Energy and the City. Thompsons Falls Public Works had maintained Wild Goose until this year. There are copies of the easement and all correspondence between the City and Northwest Energy for anyone who would care to view it. Happy to clarify any que...
I spoke with Sanders County Sheriff Fielders yesterday (July 18, 2024). The conversation concerned dispatching the ‘tax-supported’ Community Ambulance Service to emergency 911 calls within the Heron Rural Fire District boundaries. This has been a divisive issue in the Heron community for a couple of years. Last year, the sheriff halted dispatching the Community Ambulance in favor of a ‘privately owned’ ambulance in Heron, much to the dismay and anger of many Heron citizens. Sheriff Fielders told me that there were a few more ‘hoops to jump t...
The state of Montana has been “renting” our waters of the Clark Fork river from Thompson Falls to the Idaho border to Avista energy. With the two dams that they built, the Noxon rapids and Cabinet Gorge, placed 18 miles from each other. I’m not sure if somehow Montana has lessened it’s water protections or if the Avista cooperation has changed somethings with the way the operate but our river is rapidly turning into a sludge pond. There are dead fish all over the shore. The fear of being contaminated with toxic chemicals is very prevalent. Stag...
The big news in politics this week is President Joe Biden announcing he won't seek reelection and the Democratic party is deciding how to pick a new nominee. However, the big news isn't the big business. Montana's Senate race has gained national attention for the big dollars raised. According to the Montana Free Press, as of July 17, incumbent Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, has raised $43.7 million in campaign funds, while Republican candidate Tim Sheehy has raised $13.7 million. By contrast, in the race for U.S. Representative for District 1,...
In the June 27 issue of The Ledger, I confessed to gathering odd words and the names of short-lived famous people from American Heritage Dictionary’s booster seat edition. For two-plus years, I’ve put them in a notebook for further research. I’m not done with the Dictionary (two-thirds of the way through “P” at “pronate”), but research has begun. People of the Month are Southern writer Flannery O’Connor, who died at age 39 of lupus; and Alexander the Great died at age 32 in 323 BCE of nobody is quite sure what. Mystery Word of the Month is: ...
We recently enjoyed nine unforgettable days with our son and four grandkids, ages 5 to 17. Watching them experience new things—like catching their first fish, kayaking in the Frog Pond, and exploring the giant cedars—warmed my heart and made me appreciate the value of family time, especially since our six children are scattered across the country. Three of them are active or recently discharged military with tough schedules, and the last time we were all together was 2019. Since then, we've welcomed a new grandchild and two of our dau...
Growing up, I loved "Little House on the Prairie." I loved the show and the books. I read the whole series over again every couple of years. I've always said if I could go back in time, I'd be a pioneer. I believe I could figure out how to grow things and make clothes and I think I'd be a pretty good homesteader. In those days, the communities rallied around families in need. In one "Little House" episode, Charles Ingalls gets hurt falling out of a tree right at harvest time, and Walnut Grove helps with the harvest so he can keep his oxen. Time...
My favorite father-in-law (yes, there has been more than one) once told me that if I ever went fishing make sure that I took two ministers with me. So, I took the bait. “Why is that, Dick?” And he reeled me in. “Because if you take only one, he’ll drink all the beer.” Besides being just a joke of dubious quality, the more I thought about it the more wisdom I saw in it. It’s easy to succumb to temptation if nobody’s watching, but if there is someone else there, well, people behave a little bett...
When our parents Carl and Linda Haywood died, in April 2024 and June 2024 respectively, we experienced our shock and concern over what to do first and next. Many readers understand the grieving cycle and processes that need to be followed. Our extended family and those we care for grew upon on arrival to Thompson Falls. We have all visited at different times over the years, but this was different, we needed help. I am worried that I will miss someone, but please know our in tent is to show our gratitude to all those that helped us through....
by Rusti Leivestad Last month I wrote about The Thompson Falls Water Supply, Storage and Distribution Improvements Project that will address significant upgrades to Thompson Falls water system. This last month has reinforced and validated the need for this project as Public Works has had to make temporary repairs on serious leaks on the Church Street main line. For that reason, the Emergency Waterline Repair (EMR) design is being sent to DEQ for review and approval. While the EMR will be within the scope of the Improvements Project, we are...
Last year driving through Paradise on the day the River Road East fire ignited, it was something I had never experienced. I have seen documentaries about fast-moving wildfires in other parts of the country, but watching sparks fly over Highway 200 and the growing fire cloud swirling across the mountain was just incredible. In 2021 when the Thorne Creek fire roared above Thompson Falls, I would sit every night and watch the fire creep across the mountains. Again, it was an eery, incredible sight to take in. It seems that we are getting more and...
There are so many times where I feel like I’m just barely hanging on. The demands are so intense, the needs are so many, and I’m just hanging there, hoping I have the strength to outlast the weight of it all. “You do so many fun things,” a friend tells me, and I’m stopped short. We do? We sometimes do. Mostly our lives are spent at home because the world is so expensive, and crowded, and loud. We do the weekly free craft from the library when we’re lucky enough to get them. We go to local, kid-friendly events as often as we’re able. We take adv...
If you think Congress members have trouble cooperating with each other today, you really should read up on how one of our most beloved sacred documents was created 248 years ago. It’s a miracle that it ever got done and it’s hard to imagine there wasn’t some kind of divine intervention. Our two primary political parties today are constantly at odds with one another. The only thing they agree on is that the other one is wrong. Try to envision 13 separate entities, some with divisions within themselves, attempting to make a decision that would...
A healthy disregard of powerful government is nothing new. The United States Constitution set up the American system of government, stating what the three branches of government could do; but there was a serious objection to the Constitution being ratified by the states. It did not say what the government could NOT do, and many states were unhappy about that. Addressing this dilemma, agreement was reached that once the Constitution was ratified and the government of the United States properly...
We are officially halfway through the year, and thanks to the Thompson Falls Public Library book sale last weekend, my shelves are back to overflowing. Unfortunately, I’m not keeping up with my personal goal of reading 175 books this year. I’m currently at 80, which my tracking app tells me means I’m eight books behind; eep! Despite being behind, I managed to read 13 books in June, nine of which were four stars or better. Here they are in no particular order: Funny Story by Emily Henry is a contemporary romance that’s hilarious, hopeful...
June has been a wet, cold and windy with intermittent hot, beautiful summer days and many a rainbow! The gardening and hay seem to be suffering, but we are still very blessed to live in this gorgeous area. Also, many of the ornamental and fruit trees did not enjoy the unseasonably cold weather, dang it! The very helpful county extension agent sent out a newsletter saying not to give up on those trees. They may well come back! As to the real estate market, the inventory is thankfully climbing in all categories, typical of June in Montana. The...
The cool early mornings are the best time to gather plants for salves and other healing uses. The birds are singing. It is peaceful and grounding. I walk through the woods on my property and in my yard to find the best plants for my healing intentions. So many have shown up this season. I have cultivated wild red clover in my yard as well as plantain and yarrow. I noticed this year that the self heal plant is growing better than previous years. The flat pointy leaves of lime green have grown in nice little circles with their flowers about...
You don't need a plumber, until you do. You don't need a cup of sugar, until you do. You don't need an ambulance, until you do. We had a scare in our family last week which required my dad to take a trip to the hospital. My parents live between Thompson Falls and Trout Creek. Like many areas of Sanders County, you're at least 15 minutes from anywhere. The Thompson Falls Ambulance arrived quickly and got my dad to the hospital where he received excellent care. He is on the mend and everything will be fine. Every day when I drive out to my...
I’ve not been writing a lot of late — mostly, just this column. The best of writing days are dark and wet, when I’m glad to be inside and gladder still to have something to do that I love to do. But now, the long light of the season demands to be used. Lingering day calls, “Don’t just sit there. Do something!” Not that writing is not doing something. It surely is, but a window in my writing room frames a green hodgepodge of trees, a wild bit of lawn that needs taming, wilder roses, blooming dewberry vines, the beginning of a trail to the river...
Editor: On July 5, people all around this country will be posting "Lost Dog" notices because their dogs or other pets ran away, scared crazy by neighborhood firecrackers and fireworks. Unfortunately, it will probably continue all weekend. By Monday, July 8, the shelters will be full of the lucky dogs who got found and rescued before they got hit by vehicles or attacked by predators. I used to think firecrackers were fun too, when I was about 10 years old. Six decades later I now think they're kind of stupid. Big public fireworks displays are co...
Two weeks ago, my husband and I embarked on a journey along the Danube River with AmaWaterways, traveling from Budapest, Hungary to Nuremberg, Germany. This experience not only brought us closer together as a couple but also introduced us to a whole new way of seeing the world. As a travel agent, I'm frequently immersed in researching options for clients, but experiencing this voyage firsthand illuminated just how special these vacations can be. From the moment we stepped onboard, the crew made everything seamless and easy. Our hardest...
