Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Letter writer Sharon Donegan (July 25, 2019) purports to be the spokesperson for millions of Americans, while Mr. Blackstone is only allowed to speak for himself. However, he speaks the truth, which is the value of the majority of Americans. “Adhering to Our Values” (July 18, 2019) was the correct heading for his column. I have endured a lifetime of health issues resulting from the Korean War and I resent the people who disrespect the flag and the national anthem. They abuse the freedom we enjoy, provided by the founders of our country and ens...
Mr Blackstone. We thought maybe you were veering away from political arguments but sadly, that’s not the case. 1. President Obama did not remove the citizenship question from 2010 census. If you research it, that question has come and gone for years on the questionnaire. In the beginning it only counted white adult males. Eventually even white females. 2. Colin Kaepernick and Megan Rapinoe are using their constitutional right to peacefully protest, one by kneeling and one by politely standing without hand over her heart. Kaepernick’s sil...
A friend and I were talking about this column and how a person’s political perspective/philosophy evolves. I told my friend about my own journey. He was surprised (as are most people) to learn that as a teenager and then a young man, I had a very liberal perspective. Then, life happened! My perspective completely changed, and I became quite conservative based on all I was seeing and experiencing. When I told my friend my story, his immediate response was, “You’ve got to write that!” I decided...
Over the weekend we visited our favorite fishing spots and our favorite huckleberry picking spots. We love that there are places in Sanders County where cell service is impossible. Hiding away for just a few hours and disconnecting for everything is a pretty unique experience these days. After that, we challenged ourselves to "unplug" from TV, Internet and the phone for 24 hours. Long story short, we failed. TV wasn't that hard, but we caught ourselves reaching to Google for something a couple of times during a conversation. And setting up...
A crowd chants “send her back” referring to a United States congresswoman. They reason that because she is an immigrant and she criticizes the status quo, she is un-American. If those are the two criteria they are working on, then we might as well all go back. Except for the original Americans, the native peoples, we are all immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. No one asked us to come here, we just came, and ever since, every new wave of immigrants has been reviled and disparaged by the...
Mr. Blackstone, I am in favor of you being allowed space to have your say in the SCL. And indeed of SCL hosting many differing viewpoints. When, as you have, the power of a continuing prominent platform that gives you a certain power, how you use it has real impact. And I object to the way you are using it now. Content in your article “Adhering to Our Values” was discarded in favor of potshots by focusing on half-truths and obscure incidents; the flip side of the Democrats who are still throwing hissy fits over Trump being elected. The title mi...
The U.S. Constitution required that the population be counted every decennial (10 years). It was simply a count. Today, the U.S. Census has turned into a data mining production and swerved from its original intention. In the first census in 1790, there were six questions asking the number of free white males aged under 16, the number of free white males of 16 years and upward, number of free white females, number of other free persons and number of slaves. In the 1800s, questions about economics, education, social statistics and mortality were...
Napoleon said, “Never interrupt an enemy when he is making a mistake.” Recent events and behavior of the left are mistakes that will ensure a strong conservative voter turnout for the 2020 elections. The same voters who elected President Trump in 2016 will do it again in 2020. While remaining relatively silent compared to liberals, conservative voters are burning with anger because of what we see. I’ll try to explain my point with a couple of recent examples. Colin Kaepernick and Megan Rapinoe’s disrespect for the American flag and our Nationa...
I saw an interview with a politician this morning. I was quite impressed. He had some good ideas and he behaved like an adult. His name is Joe Biden. Rob Kjos, Heron...
Recently, we had the opportunity to visit the East Coast with a friend who is a native of New York. It was interesting to go back with her and see a different part of the country that is so foreign to us. The busy streets and the billions of people are a bit much for small-town Montanans. It was fun to visit, but it was great to come home and drive over Thompson Pass, only passing one car on our return. While on a layover at the airport in Boston, we started chatting with an airline representative. This woman had never been to Montana and was s...
As I watched our new drug store owners tussle with insurance companies (been there) as they took over this past week, it reminded me how tough it can be to run a small business, especially in a small town. And as I watched, and heard reports, of their efforts to work through the difficulties, even to the point of offering home delivery, I was reminded how different it is when the business owners are part of the community, not just a corporate entity. We are fortunate that, as Doug Shear retires, we have another local taking the reins. I wish...
Representative Justin Amash, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, may be the most principled man in American politics. Unfortunately, he is most likely going to wind up in the ash bin of principled politicians, most of whom sacrifice their career and their influence for the small pleasure of being able to sleep well at night. Amash recently left the Republican Party to become an Independent. He believed that unquestioning loyalty to a political party had led to Congress ceding its Constitutional powers...
'Tis the season for festivals, ATV runs and all those summer events we look forward to. Last month we had Plains Days, two Cabinet Ridge Riders poker runs, fundraiser events and reunions. The fun continues this month with the Fourth of July celebrations, and next month we have the Huckleberry Festival in Trout Creek and the Big Sky Blues Festival in Noxon, among other events. It's a busy time of year for our area. Talking to organizers and those volunteers who have been coordinating events for several years, there's a common theme. It's hard...
Two writers caught my attention in the Sanders County Ledger (Opinions page, June 13, 2019). First was a Jean Morrison of Plains advocating the benefits of zoning. I’ve lived in three areas in which each time I moved into them, zoning was a “new idea” that would do all the things Ms. Morrison claimed. However, the only benefits of zoning have been to government growth. The first, in Gloucester, Virginia, in 1973 on, during which, while the population barely has double to the present, the cost to taxpayers has quadrupled, most due to zonin...
This past February, I was on a plane from Los Angeles to Seattle. I was already seated in an aisle seat, when I saw a really big guy about my age walking toward me wearing a kilt, knee high socks, a very colorful shirt and what seemed to me to be a funny looking hat. As luck would have it, this guy’s assigned seat was right next to mine. He slid past me and took his seat. We nodded at one another but didn’t speak. I have a routine when I’m on a plane. I listen to music through my earbuds while...
Two days of yard saleing sounds a bit like heaven to us. Not just for the chance to find vintage Fiestaware or John Denver records, but for the social aspect. When you're out at the Sanders Sale-ing event, you inevitably run into people you haven't seen in ages. The sales offer a great way to catch up with people, make new friends and see new parts of the county. While visitors are getting to know a little more about Sanders County this weekend, we'd like to remind them of some of the unique spots in Sanders County. While going down Blue Slide...
Editor: July 5 is the busiest day each year for animal shelters around the country. Pets who are frightened by Fourth of July fireworks and firecrackers escape the confines of their yards and run in a blind panic, often becoming lost. If the dogs have no identification on them, caring citizens and law enforcement will pick them up and deliver them to an animal shelter until owners can be located. Sanders County Dog Training Club would like to remind all pet owners to keep their animals safely contained during fireworks season. Keep your dogs...
An inflammatory statement by an Oregon state senator has encouraged a militia organization to insert itself in a situation where they are neither needed nor wanted. This is of importance to Montanans because a similar militia activity in Oregon in 2016 elicited the sympathies of at least one prominent Montana elected official. Here’s the background. A bill having to do with climate change has been sent to the Oregon State Senate for a vote. It is assured of passage because there are enough s...
When you think about history, Montana isn't that old. We've only been a state for 130 years. The Ledger has been around for 115 years. That's pretty young for establishments, especially when you visit the East Coast and see landmarks such as Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts and St. Augustine, Florida, which claims to be the oldest city in the United States. This weekend, the Whitepine Church will celebrate 100 years. We have fond memories of participating in vacation bibie school and Christmas programs at the church. The tiny church with the...
As the long days of summer get into full swing, Montanans and visitors alike have begun to reconnect with our state parks, our one-of-a-kind outdoor recreation experiences, and the cultural treasures that define our state. Last week, I visited a crew of middle school students who spent one of the first weeks of their summer break instilling a lifelong dedication to our outdoors. As part of Montana Conservation Corps’ youth program, these students were introduced to conservation early, in a hands-on, dirt-in-the-fingernails way, by digging t...
In his book the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey listed habit number six as, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” I first read Covey’s book about 20 years ago when studying for a promotional exam. I enjoyed the book and really embraced the message. Habit number six resonated with me because I think an inability to effectively communicate and understand one another contributes to more problems than we probably realize. I don’t think people take the time to unde...
On Saturday, more than two tons of e-waste was gathered by the county for the annual recycling event. Shelly Mitchell and her crew from Oreo's Refining brought two trailers to fill with unwanted televisions, computers and other electronics. Mitchell told us how much work she puts into keep items out of the landfill. She strips down each piece of equipment by hand, even stripping much of the wires, to get down to the basics and sort out each nut and bolt. People were bringing old heaters, weed eaters, cellphones. It's amazing how much we as a so...
Zoning protects the value of one’s property. For example, if I purchase a piece of property and maintain it - keep it free from unsightly debris as broken-down vehicles, storage of items, clutter, etc., it also projects my neighbors from varmints and possible accidents. A community that enforces zoning laws, increases in value. For example, zoning requires a community to constantly monitor changes its’ residents make via improvements. If I want to make a modification, I notify the Town Hall so that their building inspector can approve and eva...
Ideological purity and consistency of opinion over time are two standards to which many Americans want to hold their political candidates. People want to elect candidates who think about things the way they do, sometimes it’s just about one or two issues, like abortion or gun control (whether pro or con), and other times it’s that people want their candidates to believe in everything they, themselves, believe in—no exceptions. People also expect that candidates do not change their opini...
Last month, the Plains community had a unique opportunity to be a part of history when the World War II Miss Montana airplane did a test flight from Missoula to Plains. Watching the parachutists jump from the plane into an open field was just a small glimpse at what troops experienced during WWII. The Miss Montana then took off to Normandy, France, where this week it will participate in events commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day. It's hard to imagine what the troops, and the families back home, went through during WWII. Even when...
