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Independently owned since 1905
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Well, it has come to this; President Trump has been impeached by the House of Representatives and this week the trial is taking place that will determine whether he stays on as president or leaves in disgrace. Of course, by the time you read this it will all be over, and the outcome determined. I am not necessarily a betting person, but on this I would lay good odds: he stays. After all, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said — not indicated, but said — that the Republican Senate wil...
I haven’t picked up a Ledger in a while, but I was curious to see what our local political heroes had to offer. First I read that our local candidates’ top priorities are “predator management.” I assume that means seeking penalties for local religious leaders who face no penalties because of archaic religious law? Or maybe it means finally trying to put a cap on the number of hunting outfitter days in this county? Next I read that there were 250 people at a local meeting in Trout Creek with FWP. I was there and I only counted 105. Either...
So begins another political season. Democratic presidential hopefuls have been at it for months with debates and commercials and campaign materials. And there is still no clear front runner. Now, the filing period is open for state and local elections. This year, Sanders County voters will get to decide local races including clerk of district court, a county commissioner and a district judge position. There are open seats for the state house and senate and for Congress. And of course, there's the ever-present presidential election. Over the nex...
President Trump’s decision to take out Iranian General Qasem Soleimani has generated a great deal of controversy. While no one can predict what the future holds, we can confidently look back at recent history to see what would likely happen if our President hadn’t taken such decisive action. How many readers remember a terrorist thug named Osama bin Laden and September 11, 2001? I certainly do, and after that tragedy, I became a student of that incident. In preparing for this column, I revisited numerous books and articles regarding Osama bin L...
Police department personnel in Hot Springs, Plains and Thompson Falls, and the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office strive to protect the people and properties within their jurisdictions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In doing so, they put their personal lives on hold and on the line…to provide a safe community. This Thursday, January 9, is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Take a moment to say “Thank you” to a law enforcement officer for the sacrifices they have made for public protection. Recently, national criticism has been directed...
Editor: There is no Constitutional crisis, only a need to follow the United States Constitution. Our forefathers gave with faith in God and courage to sign their names to a declaration. Creating a Republic, if we can keep it! Do we have the common sense to teach our children at home and at school, that freedom is important? Can we put God back where He belongs? We are being shackled by laws and regulations that hamper the free enterprise system. If our young school children don’t know the history of our country and respect for how we came to b...
As you know, the impartiality of decisions and observations of members of the U.S. intelligence agencies, such as the FBI, have been questioned because members of those agencies have privately expressed political views not in accordance with the political views of Members of Congress. The most obvious of these were the emails of two FBI members who were critical, in their personal correspondence, of the President. That they were dumb about thinking that their views would go unnoticed by the...
With the new year comes new resolutions and a fresh start. When we saw our cartoon this week (right), however, it hit us — the 2010s are gone. How did that happen? As the old saying goes, hindsight is always 20/20. If we could have known then what we know now, would we do anything different? A decade is a long time on which to reflect. Even looking back over 2019 and remembering everything that happened is a stretch. Are there things we wish had gone differently or decisions we would have pondered more now that we are another 10 years down the...
Last week I attended my youngest granddaughter’s graduation from Marine Corps boot camp. This was my second military graduation this year. In September, my other granddaughter graduated from Air Force boot camp. I wrote about that graduation in September. In that column, I wrote about my takeaway from the ceremony and the benefits of military service. I don’t want to belabor the topic, but there’s more to be said about the young people choosing military service. Both of my granddaughters were...
12 was a very poor hunting season. After seeing the results, I researched the deer and elk harvest results back to 1958. In 1958 there were 140 elk, 75 mule deer and 95 whitetails checked through the Dry Creek check station. In 1959, there were 149 elk, 67 mule deer and 101 whitetails. This makes the 2019 results of 15 elk, 11 mule deer and 91 whitetails very dismal. Further research: YEAR ELK WHITETAIL 1989 110 268 1990 138 314 1991 249 381 1992 120 344 1993 118 227 Total 735 1,534 2014 20 125 2015 27 123 2017 30 75 2018 25 70 2019 15 90...
Remember that feeling when you were little and anticipating Christmas morning? Sure, it had a lot to do with stockings and presents, but it was mostly just that holiday spirit. Baking cookies, visiting with neighbors and being with your family. It's been a little overwhelming with the holiday rush this year. Having less time between Thanksgiving and Christmas caught us off guard. But the holidays are here. We're still trying to find those presents we bought early and kept in a good hiding spot. And every time we go to the store, we buy a...
A Washington state representative, Matt Shea, a Republican representing Spokane Valley, has been accused of acts of domestic terrorism by an independent investigative report commissioned by the state’s house of representatives. In response to the report the Republican leadership of the legislature has stripped Shea of his leadership duties, committee assignments, membership in the Republican caucus, and called upon him to resign from the Legislature. The seriousness of the accusation is r...
Look both ways before crossing the street. Don't run with scissors. Treat others how you want to be treated. All important lessons for our kids as we teach them to be good adults and keep them safe. This week, the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) announced its intent to restrict the sale of flavored e-cigarettes (see story on page 9). In 1971, cigarette advertisements were banned from radio and television. Additional restrictions came in 1998, including a ban on advertising and marketing that targeted youth. While not...
Last Thursday night I watched the Baltimore Ravens stomp the New York Jets. The Ravens are a powerhouse this year and the Jets, well…not so much. I knew before the game started that the Jets were going to lose, but I watched anyway. The Jets players knew they were going to lose too. You could see it on their faces as they stood on the sideline. So why would I watch the game if I was so confident in the outcome? Simple… I love football and it’s entertainment. It’s the same reason I sometim...
I appreciate last week’s letter on the wolf problem (Hunters can get things changed, December 12, 2019). I don’t dislike wolves, but I am appalled by the mismanagement of the wolf population. The suggested number for wolves was attained in 2002 to 2003. No management was put in place until 2011 to 2012, on a very limited basis. Presently, there are very few elk in the high country, which is their normal habitat most of the year. The elk are amassed in the low areas, mostly on private land, ranches, etc. A small herd of elk were present on the...
The Lake and Sanders County commissioners received a draft of Senator Steve Daines’ “Montana Water Rights Protection Act,” a proposal to provide a settlement to the CSKT water compact, on December 10. After reviewing the framework of the draft proposal, the commissioners request that the senator delay introduction of the bill into Congress until the commissioners can meet with the senator to discuss the significant negative consequences of the “Act” to our counties. The senator’s draft “Act” does not in any way accomplish its stated objectiv...
The Education of an Idealist, by Samantha Power (Harper Collins 2019) In this wise, informative, autobiographical account from recent history, author Samantha Power details her youth in Ireland, her years as an international journalist and her experiences as ambassador to the UN under President Obama. Some of Power’s early foreign policy assignments were met with criticism in connection with what has been called Obama’s “apology tour,” after Obama himself spoke about past American mistakes. And if the intent of those efforts, whether by Powe...
The holiday season is in full swing. Last weekend, Thompson Falls presented its annual Christmas on Main Street and Trout Creek lit their town tree. This weekend, Plains will have its own holiday parade. The holiday season is here, and we're feeling the cheer. The Ledger had a unique opportunity to join the Thompson Falls kindergarten classes on Montana Rail Link's Christmas Express train. We've been dragging our feet a little on decorating and really feeling the holiday spirit (a couple of us haven't even put up our Christmas trees yet). But...
How can two different people have totally opposite opinions on the same thing? Well, it’s pretty easy, as we can see in the impeachment hearings going on in Congress. You are not going to be able to talk either side into taking what you have you say into consideration after they have formed their own opinion on what they accept as the facts of the matter. The fact is that the more solid the argument is against their belief, the more certain it will make them that they are right. In short, c...
Dear Editor: Last winter local sportsmen held a meeting in Trout Creek with the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to discuss the wolf problem in Region 1. Over 300 people attended the meeting and openly expressed their concerns that the wolves were decimating the deer and elk populations. FWP told the public they didn’t feel there was a wolf problem and our elk and deer were doing just fine. It was obvious that FWP was not going to listen to what the sportsmen had to say. Our local legislators were listening. Bob Brown and Jennifer Fielder both s...
There are so many activities, festivals and bazaars around the holiday season. Volunteers put in hundreds of hours to put on events for our communities. We hear people say "someone should hold a parade" or "someone should take over the Huckleberry Festival," whose chairperson is stepping down. The problem is, the someones seem to always be the same people. They are the movers and shakers who always step up and make sure things happen. You don't see all the work that goes into organizing a Christmas on Main Street or a youth soccer tournament....
Mr. Blaine Blackstone: Just now I have had the opportunity to read your article in the Sanders County Ledger (Nov. 21, 2019) entitled “Quid Pro Quo Happens.” Let me start by simply saying, “Wow! Right on!” I have privately been saying this for months. My association with the justice system is somewhat two-fold. My wife worked in a municipal court for years and my oldest brother was a Superior Court Judge in the state of Washington until his death (at times I worked as a private investigator for him). And without getting much more sidetracked in...
Dear Editor, I appreciate the overall positive writing in your paper and the transparent coverage of local news. I’m writing after reading several of Blackstone’s recent columns and especially his 21 November piece. It’s not that Blackstone is either a Trump supporter or detractor; my concern is with the lack of balance in his argument and with the lack of historical perspective. In these divisive times, my hope is that your paper will insist on arguments that are balanced in their approach and description of the subject regardless of the c...
Oh my goodness, the TV does not work this morning. Signal loss due to weather. I suspect it is upset at me for accusing it of spying on me. No news today. Like most of you out there, I have already formed an opinion about current events anyway. I just need the news to reinforce what I already think. At least we get to learn some words we have not heard much before. One of my favorites is oligarch. I could not help but picture those short, round people with pantaloons on, dancing around the stage in The Wizard of Oz. Eventually I had to ask Mr....
As I write this, I’m sitting in a hotel room thinking about Thanksgiving two days past. I’m in Seattle for work and not sure how long I’ll be here. Being in Seattle has made me very homesick, but it is also what caused me to reflect on all that I have to be thankful for. I know this column will appear in the Ledger a full week after the actual Thanksgiving holiday, but I still feel compelled to share my thoughts. This may ramble a bit! Being in Seattle for an extended stay has made me reali...
