Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Really? Mr. Blackstone are you really challenging us to hunt for and find facts to prove you wrong regarding the border security issue? That shouldn’t take long, and I accept the challenge. As the kids would say, “Wait for it!” In the meantime, I guess you will only hear the ‘unicorns and rainbows’ speaking as I say my piece. I am truly offended by your take on the matter. Thousands of people are unable to feed their families, are unable to afford their medications, cannot pay their vehicle insurance or buy gas due to the government shutdown....
Blaine Blackstone’s latest column, Street Smart, in last week’s Ledger did not truly take me by surprise. He has been very vocal in our community. What will take me by surprise is if no one else challenges his thinking. Is this what we all have become? Is this what we want to be? Must we all carry a Glock in our pocket when we attend bingo at the senior center? Must we teach our children to physically fight for their rights? I applaud our high school kids for peacefully finding a way to call attention to local bullying. Must we all be whi...
Editor, In response to Mr. Blackstone’s article I’d like to pass on to your readers one way to help find the facts. Here is the latest report from DHS (Department of Homeland Security). It was published December 2018. Title: Population Estimates, Illegal Alien Population Residing in the United States 2015 And can be found and printed or downloaded here: https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/18_1214_PLCY_pops-est-report.pdf Dieter Jaegers, Trout Creek...
By now you should have received a letter from the City of Thompson Falls regarding the wastewater system. If you are unfamiliar with this subject you need to obtain further information. If this project goes forward it could be financially devastating to property owners on the north side of the tracks. The actual cost seems to be a mystery. Be aware that your letter of protest must be in the hands of the city treasurer prior to February 8 at 5 p.m. or you will automatically be considered in favor of this project. For more information in...
This week, five of the six Thompson Falls City Council members voted to move forward with the intent to create Special Improvement Districts to fund the proposed wastewater treatment system. The system is expensive, and council members admitted to that fact. But they decided to move forward and give property owners the opportunity to express their support or opposition for the project. Some city council members say they won't move forward with the project unless additional grants and funding options are found to help residents. They said the...
Greetings to all, Just a short note to again say what a privileged it is to once again serve you in Helena and let you know what went on this first week of the 66th Montana Legislative Session. On the 7th of January was the swearing in ceremony for all legislators. Guests and family were allowed on the floor for this special occasion and I was so pleased my brother and sister-in-law came to join me. The rest of the week has been filled with schooling sessions including legislative law, appropriation training, ethics, and a study of the budgets...
“Truth is incontrovertible. Panic may hate it. Ignorance may deride it. Malice may distort it. But, in the end, there it is.” Winston Churchill wrote those words in his War Memoirs after World War II. This quote has become one of my favorites. I love it for its accuracy and simplicity. In preparation for this week’s column, I looked up the word truth in Webster’s Dictionary. Here’s their definition: “A body of real things, events, and facts (emphasis mine).” We’re in the middle of the longest...
We purchased property on the hill in 1975, and have always been concerned about sewage leaving our home, untreated, and affecting the ground/river water in this gorgeous area we call home. We’ve looked forward to the day when we could tie into the sewage treatment system, have a permanent fix, and no longer be concerned about our septic tank failing. Will this proposal affect us - yes, hugely! - along with increased costs, our many years of landscaping - garden, fruit trees, blueberry and raspberry bushes, etc., will be adversely affected. B...
"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if you only try." If only Dr. Seuss were a member of Congress. We are in the third week of a government shutdown, with threats that it could go on even longer. It seems that neither side is going to budge, and we're beginning to wonder if a solution will be found. Growing up, you are constantly reminded to play nice, be kind and treat everyone with respect. You learn to share your toys, say please and thank you, and most importantly, that you don't always...
In late December I watched a CBS interview with, and performance by, a young singer named Ashley McBride, who is good enough to be recently mentioned in Grammy terms. One of her songs repeated the refrain “not bad for a girl going nowhere,” and in the interview, she talked about teachers who told her that’s exactly where she was going. Now, of course, she’s getting some sweet payback. This is a common story – the kid who does well despite the negative judgments of teachers. In fact, it reminds me of my graduation interview with a high scho...
“We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal….” My very being swells with pride when I read those words by Jefferson in our Declaration of Independence, and I think that I am no different in that regard from any other American. The marvelous thing to me is that Americans have taken the concept of equality far beyond what it meant in 1776, and that our country and the world are the better for our actions. In 1776 the “all men” who were created equal did not apply to...
Editor, When did the voters in Thompson Falls request this sewer? Who or what agency is manipulating or dictating to our elected local city government? In my mind local elected officials do bidding of constituents who elected them, not the bidding of external councils influencing government or special interest conglomerates. Lark Chadwick, Thompson Falls...
This week we have several examples of making connections in the newspaper. On the front page, you read about siblings who found each other through AncestryDNA after 50 years. One in Plains and one in Australia. Finding each other wouldn't have been possible even 10 years ago. We can't imagine what those two individuals must have felt when they found out about each other. And without vital phone and Internet services, that connection wouldn't have been possible. On page 6, we tell of a different kind of connection. The physical connection you...
Before this past weekend, I had a totally different topic in mind for this bi-weekly column. In my last column I wrote about what I believed to be a generation of whimps. After last weekend, I find myself in a position where I have to walk that back a little bit. Last weekend I went to a birthday celebration for a friend of mine who had just turned 21. Although it doesn’t matter for purposes of this discussion, this young man became a friend as an extension of my friendship with his parents. I...
It seems the older we get, the faster the years fly by. And 2018 was no exception. Over the weekend, we were thinking about the past year. Each year, we comment on how time seems to fly. And each year, we get to the end of December and think "where did the time go"? There are some projects around the house we didn't quite get to, and we didn't get to escape on a vacation to somewhere warm. We wish we had spent a little more time on the Clark Fork River over the summer, and we wish summer would last a few months longer. It's easy to think about...
Dear Senator Fielder, Congratulations on your position as Chairperson of the Fish and Game Committee during this upcoming legislative session. I met you many years ago as you came door to door talking to folks in Plains and wanted to wish you well this session. Our big family has property in Plains, Noxon, Trout Creek, and Swamp Creek, Lakeside, Lolo, Billings, Bozeman and Fairview. We are a family of long hunting and fishing traditions exploring all of Montana. We rely on these natural resources for our food. We have grown gardens and eaten...
Regarding “Bigotry is not the answer” (Dec. 13, 2018), Jeannnie Burke’s response to Blaine Blackstone’s article “Street Smart” is right on target. Thank you, Jeannie! Jean Morrison, Plains...
It was early Christmas morning, around 5 o’clock. I had woken up and looked out the window to see a clear, moonlit night. A good time for a walk, I thought. I was 16 years old — almost, my birthday was the next day — and I rose and dressed quietly so as not to wake my parents. I went very slowly down the back stairs from my bedroom, trying to avoid the steps that creaked, found a coat and hat and unlocked the back door. Outside, I discovered that it would be an even better walk than I thought. There was about a foot of snow, which would have...
Sunday evening as the hustle of the weekend was winding down, we took a drive through Thompson Falls to see everyone's holiday lights. Houses had everything from a sprinkling of lights to inflatable santas and snowmen. The former Masonic Lodge is now a private residence. We love the large angels and icicle lights that shine on these winter nights. Traveling west of Thompson Falls, it's always delightful to see the incredible light displays of the Cox and Shear families and their children. We look forward to seeing what they will add each year....
Letter to the editor I must respond to the recent op ed (11/22) expressed by Blaine Blackstone concerning gun laws. Mr. Blackstone states that 20 years ago we had the same laws, but we didn’t have these mass shootings and he addresses what he thinks has changed. I’ve wondered the same thing. Having grown up in Thompson Falls, I saw many a truck with a gun rack visible in the back window. I didn’t give it a second thought as the town had numerous hunters and ranchers who wanted a gun handy. My father, Doc Rosdahl, loaded his own bullets and h...
Sanders County Veterans Transportation (SCVT) is honored to report its performance this year is very productive with the purchase of this Ford Flex. We thank our supporters, mainly people living in Sanders County, who are shoppers at Harvest Foods in Thompson Falls and visit our fundraising table there. Their donations and raffle participation has made this and our other vehicle purchases possible. Thank you Sanders County, you made it happen when you said “Thank You” to our veterans in a way your tax dollars cannot! Two raffles garnered the $1...
I read a few different things this last couple weeks that have really got me bewildered. First, I read that the cartoon movie about Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer had been banned in certain areas because it depicted bullying. Then I read that the song “Baby It’s Cold Outside” was banned because the Me Too movement said it portrayed an improper sexual situation. And finally, the classic book To Kill A Mockingbird was being banned because of the language used in the story. This is an opini...
Let's face it, the holidays are full of stress. It's fun to get together with family and buy presents and see the excitement of Santa and holiday cheer. But the stress that comes along with it sometimes makes escaping somewhere warm a really attractive option. One way to help ease a little of the stress for you and for others, and to make a difference for your community, is to donate to one of our dozens of deserving organizations who lend a helping hand every day. This week, we have a list of organizations, agencies and volunteer groups who...
Recently, The Sanders County Ledger published a column called “Street Smart” written by Blaine Blackstone, titled “Group hug mentally won’t work.” (November 22, 2018) I am writing in response to the first line of that column and I quote: “ I am a white, pro-life, Christian, heterosexual male, Republican, who supports a strong immigration policy.” My question is for Mr. Blackstone. Is that sentence not the definition of bigotry? Why do we, the Sanders County Ledger readers, care about your sexual orientation or what color your skin is? Are...
To the high school students on the walkout about being harassed and bullied, good for you. I was not surprised that the administration did not really know what was going on after talking to a student from last year who was bullied and made fun of. It did not do that person any good to report it. Trinity, you did the right thing to stand up to the person making the rude remarks, apparently you hurt his pride. Why wasn’t the school counselor more aware of the problem? Instead of bringing in outside help next year what about the school resource o...
