Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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I had the privilege last week to attend my granddaughter’s graduation from Air Force basic training. I have to say that watching the ceremony and meeting the young recruits gave me hope for our country’s future! I want to start by saying that I believe the military is an outstanding option for any young adult just out of high school. Particularly a young person who isn’t quite sure what their next step should be. Military service offers a person discipline/structure, training and an incom...
Children of the 80s and 90s grew up watching Zack and Slater on Saved by the Bell. We celebrated when Kelly chose Dylan in the 90210 finale and can still sing every song from the Footloose soundtrack. What do those three shows have in common? They all are the victim of remakes. We were annoyed when the Footloose was released in 2011, and we still refuse to watch it. Sorry, but no one can replace Kevin Bacon as Ren. This year, a 90210 spinoff with the original cast was both one of the most-viewed premieres on Fox, and one of the lowest-rated....
It was fascinating last week to watch as British legislators did what American legislators would be wise to do; stand up for principle. Boris Johnson had just become the British Prime Minister. Known for his dictatorial and arrogant style he immediately ran into a brick wall of his own making; he watched as the first six bills — very important bills — of his leadership were defeated. They were defeated because 21 members of his own party, most of them former cabinet members, voted against him...
Across Montana, thousands of students are headed back to school to begin a new year of learning and growth. Unfortunately, many students in rural Montana remain at risk of falling behind due to the lack of broadband access in their communities. Broadband Internet has become indispensable both in the classroom and at home for students to become prepared to compete in the 21st Century economy and complete and submit their assignments. A top priority of the Montana Rural Education Association is to ensure our rural schools and communities are in...
Last weekend while we were enjoying some Thompson Falls Youth Soccer, there were a couple local women at the tennis courts next to the high school. But they weren't playing tennis. The women were playing pickle ball. We were impressed that people were using the local recreation facilities, despite the conditions. Thompson Falls had a high school tennis team until the mid-1990s. Since then, the condition of the courts has deteriorated to the point that none of the courts can be used for a competitive game. It's fine for a casual volley, but...
I hope that whoever decided to move the 2019 Sanders County Rodeo start time back to 7 p.m. was sitting in the west-facing bleachers between 6 p.m., when many people arrive, to 7:30, when the sun went behind the hills. We were scorched and blinded by the setting sun, and even the announcer had to apologize to the crowd. We took our small grandchildren for the first time, and we were all completely miserable. We couldn’t see anything going on in the arena for the first half hour of the show. Please reconsider your ill-advised decision to c...
Winston Churchill said, “If you’re not a liberal at age twenty, you have no heart. If you’re not a conservative at age forty, you have no brain.” I’d amend that and swap the word “experience” for the word “brain.” My last three columns were an attempt to describe my personal journey from a liberal philosophy to one that is quite conservative. I’ve used examples from my own experience to try and explain that transition. I believe that most conservative thinkers follow a path similar to mine in terms of experience. Meaning simply that they ha...
Growing up in a small town, you think you miss out on some things. You can't just go to a mall or an arcade or a movie every day of the week. This summer, pools in both Plains and Thompson Falls were closed for much-needed repairs. We noticed a lot more kids walking around town, or down to Wild Goose Landing for a swim. What you do have in a small town are plenty of opportunities for summer jobs. Our first jobs included mowing lawns, babysitting and bucking bales. When kids are old enough, the Forest Service offers many a chance to spend...
Mr. Blackstone sounds concerned about the rule of law and complains about the many illegal immigrants in America, especially in southern California where he worked in law enforcement (Sanders County Ledger, 8/29). Of course, he puts all the blame on liberal Democratic party policies. How convenient that he fails to mention the illegality of the employers that hire those illegal immigrants, creating the high demand for their cheap labor. It just happens that many of those employers are rich agri-business owners that contribute generously to the...
“Any company that has a union probably deserves one.” “We didn’t need a union, Millar took care of us.” It seems almost a universal truth that we forget the reasons that caused great changes in society. The driving force behind the creation of labor unions was based on the simple concept that workers ought to be treated as human beings and not machines whose sole purpose was to enrich the company. The two quotes above neatly summarize the reasons for having a labor union; to take care of employ...
School has started and competition begins this weekend for local fall sports teams. This weekend is the Sanders County Fair and Rodeo. It's a busy time of year for local kids — and parents. 4-H members work on projects throughout the year. Feeding pigs, working with their horses and perfecting their woodworking skills takes a lot of time. Most spend their year working on record books in preparation for the fair Labor Day weekend. Helping them out are those 4-H parents. There always seems to be a mad rush the week of fair to finish projects for...
Dear Editor, I can see with the recent “barking ordinance” why there is a sudden fear of barking dogs. It has been argued both ways to great length. As a dog parent I see it as yet another hurdle to cross having a dog while I also remember my pre-dog days and how barking dogs were annoying. I decided against reaching out for the offered help on barking because I disagree with any negative training methods. I have rescue dogs and without knowing their full history, I will not subject them to shock collars or risk an allergic reaction with the...
After 77th Division, I applied to and was accepted into Metropolitan Division (Metro). Metro was a phenomenal place to work and afforded me the opportunity to work dozens of different jobs without leaving the Division. Metro is primarily a crime suppression assignment, but is also home to SWAT, K9 and the Mounted Unit. Metro has citywide responsibility and platoons are sent to work areas as the needs arise. We spent the bulk of our time patrolling Central, South Central, and South Los Angeles....
Last week, we asked “Are you ready for school to start?” in our Question of the Week. With the long days of summer, most kids aren't quite ready to say goodbye to lazy mornings with days full of free time. But most of the parents we've talked to are ready to get back to consistent bedtimes and mornings, as well as the structure of school days. Summer days are fun and care-free, but having that everyday routine helps parents keep their lives organized, too. Summer seems to fly by when you're older. We spoke to a couple retired teachers who hav...
Dear Editor, I would like to thank Kevin Hill for volunteering his time and talent to the Huckleberry Festival. He also donates an ice chest with a prime rib and a bottle of wine (approximately $150 value) to one of the bidders. Every time someone wins a bid their bidding numbers is put in the drawing. At the end of the auction a winner is drawn. This year my number was pulled, and I won. I wanted everyone to know that Kevin and his wife Pat are truly assets to our community. By the way, we are not related, just share the same last name. I...
Having spent 25 years evaluating writing samples from high school students, I long ago developed the somewhat neurotic habit of being judgmental about other peoples’ writing. I no longer get paid to judge, of course, except through moments of disgust, or sometimes glee, but two categories continue to feed my habit: advertising, and political slogans. For example, on the back cover of a recent Leatherworkers’ and Saddlers’ Journal, Tandy Leather Corporation expounds “Introducing new, everyday HONEST pricing.” Now, maybe there’s some recent accus...
Years ago, when I was on the board of directors of my local hospital, I attended a seminar on the duties and responsibilities of a board member. One speaker pointed out that the board member’s loyalty was not to the physical structure of the hospital, but to the mission of the hospital; that is, our loyalty was not to the tangible aspect of the hospital, but to the idea of the hospital — what it stood for. I think that distinction is also what unites all Americans no matter how much we may dif...
The Rex Theatre is a Thompson Falls landmark. When a building is 80 years old and has as rich a history, it earns landmark status. Doug and Karen Grimm bought the theater in 2002 and worked on it for two years before opening it to the public. It served as a movie theater primarily and is home to live music, dance performances, plays, political forums and other events. Though new movies aren't shown at the theater anymore, memories of Christmas movies, getting a candy cane from Santa and first dates surface as you walk down the aisles. Doug and...
Because of the nature of my assignments on the Los Angeles Police Department, I had the privilege of working each of the 21 divisions or precincts in the city over the course of my career. The ability to work all these different areas gave me exposure to people from every ethnicity and all walks of life. That exposure is what changed/shaped my ideology. When I first graduated from the Police Academy, I was assigned to Van Nuys Division in the San Fernando Valley. In 1979, Van Nuys Division was...
I would like to thank Jay Simons for all the years of service to this community. And where the heck was I last week when you asked for our best fish stories for the question of the week, I have some fantastic fish stories. The one I need to tell you does not involve big fish or lots of action. In 1968, when I was 18, a couple of buddies and I went out to my dad's fish house on Spring Lake, near Prior Lake, Minnesota, to catch our limit of Sunnies. As I was falling asleep on the top bunk, I tied my fishing line to my finger. A short while later...
We saw a bumper sticker this week that says "Wag More, Bark Less." It sparked a memory from the VHS tapes you would get at the video rental store that were marked with the word "Be Kind. Rewind." Two message, same idea of kindness. In the span of seven days, there were three mass shootings in the country. Three that made the national news. Not to mention the countless other shootings that don't make the national news because it's "only" one or two people who get hurt or killed. Our hearts break for the victims and the families of both victims...
Editor, I saw a wonderful movie the other night called The Best of Enemies. The setting is Durham, North Carolina and the year is 1971. When events transpire that make it imperative to integrate the schools, community tensions rise as the two sides of this issue lock into their positions on polar opposite ends of the spectrum. Leading one side is the local president of the Ku Klux Klan and the other is represented by an African American civil rights activist. One male, one female. The relationship between these two people and all their...
When a large company decides to expand or move its headquarters it takes many factors into consideration; the labor market, transportation, the “amenities,” which means that there are things that make employees want to live there (or at least not leave there), and bribery. Bribery? Yes, absolutely. It is impossible to make a sound business decision on relocating without being offered a bribe. Well, “offered” is not quite the right word to use in this instance because the corporation actuall...
Recently we were discussing the concept of thank-you notes. Now that we are middle aged, we definitely understand the appreciation of appreciation. Our parents were adamant about us writing thank-you cards when we got a sponsor for a bike-a-thon or a birthday gift. We'd like to say that we still keep up that practice, but sometimes we get busy or distracted and have to be reminded to give thanks. There are many ways to say thank you. Hugs, flowers, acts of kindness in return or a simple phone call. But there's something special about getting a...
Editor, I wish to extend my personal thanks to everyone who supported the Road to the Buffalo interpretive signs project. The final sign is now in place. It is because of your generosity that this project was completed. Peggy Johnson and the Women for a Better Sanders County worked tirelessly to put together a fundraiser in Noxon. The funds that were raised qualified for a matching grant from the Montana Office of Tourism (MOT). Donna Anderson and the Noxon Senior Citizens were designated as the grant managers. As each phase of the sign...
