Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
Sorted by date Results 1251 - 1275 of 1510
The Neva Wood Memorial Handbell Choir, under the direction of Dan Whittenburg, entertained the Sanders County employees at their Christmas Party last Thursday at The Elks. The Handbell Choir (with Mary McCoy) was amazing! How fortunate we are to have such a talented musical group to provide beautiful, inspiring music during times when we all need a lift in life. Thank you for your generosity and your music! Sanders County Board of Commissioners...
If you are involved at all in running a government, the first thing you need to learn is the Law of Unintended Consequences. That means that whatever changes are made in one area will suddenly be found to wreak havoc in an area you thought was only remotely connected to the thing that you changed. No matter what you jiggle, no matter how little you jiggle it, it will mess something up somewhere else. If money is involved — especially if money is involved — the process generates what I like to...
Strolling through the aisles at the local holiday bazaars the last couple of weekends, we've been amazed at the local talent. You recognize people from the grocery store or the post office, but it's awesome to see them in another venue, showing off their creative talents. From knitted and crocheted items to baked goods and woodworking, the unique creations were abundant. It sure helped as we were doing some Christmas shopping, and it made us feel great to be able to support local businesses and vendors. Often, while visiting the bazaars, it's...
A recent column generated a conversation with a few friends that I thought might be a good topic for discussion. In that column, I mentioned the fact that as a police officer, I patrolled the streets of South Central and Central Los Angeles “by choice.” A couple friends specifically asked why I would work those areas if I could have chosen otherwise. First, I have to explain something that people either forget, never realized, or have had their opinions tainted by the media. That is this: Most individuals who are drawn to a career in pub...
Living in Montana, you learn early on how to navigate winter weather. We might complain about the snow, the cold, and the frequent icy roads. But you buckle up, drive slower, get out and shovel, and do what you can to make it so you can go about your normal activities. Schools in Northwest Montana may have a few days each year with a delayed start or buses running slower to make sure everyone arrives safe. It's very rare, though, that local kids get a snow day. We remember a few of those precious days growing up, having the opportunity to stay...
A letter for the many victims of the Montana veterans Choice Program. This program is highly promoted as helping and saving veterans lives. As a Choice Program Veteran, I did not expect a nine-month battle trying to get my life-threatening 911 emergency ambulance and hospital treatment paid. I encountered numerous phone conversations and phone transfers, document preparation, faxing, travel meetings with a Veterans Advocate and experienced the most sophisticated, diplomatic put-off-run-around. The VA still denied payment so after months of frus...
If you want to get the attention of the powers that be, you have to do something radical to call attention to yourself. A couple of years ago working-class Americans did that by electing Donald Trump as president. It’s no surprise, anybody with eyes could have seen it coming, and maybe they did, but they didn’t do anything about it. From 2010 to 2013 the Association of Democratic State Chairs was regularly called to task by the Chair of the Wyoming Democrats for paying attention to every min...
This week, Barry McWilliams celebrates 40 years of creating cartoons for newspapers. In 1978, Barry was working at The Madisonian newspaper in southwest Montana. He sold advertising, wrote articles, took photos and ended up drawing cartoons. Eventually, other newspapers contacted the newspaper and asked if he could draw for them, too. Barry told The Ledger recently that "at that point ... I realized that my lifelong dream of becoming a cartoonist might just happen then." So he quit his job and...
Firearms have been a part of the fabric that defines our nation from the very outset. The people pushing for more gun control laws or gun bans truly baffle me. I just don’t get it. Number one, we as a nation can’t, don’t, won’t, enforce the laws we already have on the books. And we have plenty. Number two, if simply making something illegal worked, we wouldn’t have a methamphetamine or heroin problem in this country. Number three, we have (and in my opinion always will have) the Second Am...
As we gear up for the holiday season, we’re reminded of the importance of helping others. We should be good neighbors at all times, but those less fortunate need extra help during the holidays. With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, local charities will be hitting the streets asking for donations for food baskets, gifts for needy kids and monetary donations to help Sanders County residents. Aside from monetary donations, many organizations are also looking for volunteers. If you can’t give money, consider giving some of your time to help mak...
I want to extend deep gratitude and appreciation to business’s and individuals in our county that contributed to renovating the kiosk in front of the courthouse. Generous donations from ACE/Inland Empire Builders, THRIVENT a community based membership with the motto of “ Live Generously” and Stud's in Plains. Like any community project without many hands this project would not have happened. Support from Jen Kreiner Community Development Director, Kim Roberts, owner of Inland Empire Builder and his staff, Susan and Andy. The owner of Stud'...
At the outset let me say that I never want to change anything that is not broken. However, when we consider the vast differences between rural and urban election results, it becomes painfully clear that something is amiss. Doctor Roger Wicke, a columnist living in the rural community of Hot Springs, Montana, published an article to his distribution that reveals an aspect of this problem, titled “ I DO NOT TRUST THE MONTANA ELECTION RESULTS.” Roger points to the difference in rally attendance numbers between Democrat and Republican rallies: “Wa...
Those philosophers who have wrestled with the concept of truth for centuries can take a break now that politicians have taken over the issue. As an example, recently a CNN reporter was accused of “laying his hands” on a female White House aide at a news conference while she was trying to retrieve the microphone from him. We are fortunate to have actual video proof showing that this really “did not” or “did too” happen; in the exact same video, no less. Some claim that the “did too” video wa...
Thank you to all the local veterans who graced our students and staff with your presence at our Veterans Day lunch at Thompson Falls Elementary School. It was truly our honor to serve you lunch as a small token of our gratitude for your service. The benefit to our students was beyond measure. Watching our students have the opportunity to converse with veterans from different eras and branches of service was both educational and uplifting. Thank you all for sharing your stories, photos, and your time with us. We hope to have started a new...
The forecast is predicting snow any day now. The first winter storm of the season always seems to be followed by an increased number of accidents caused by icy roads. Sometimes, it’s as if the summer months have made us forget that ice and snow create hazardous conditions and our driving habits should be adjusted. Every time you get in your car, you’re trusting your life to all the other drivers you pass on the road. And they do the same for you. We should all do our best to earn that trust in each other. Winter roads call for much slower spe...
As we have the pleasure of talking with friends and neighbors about the CSKT Compact, the common theme is that no one understands it. The typical response is, “I really don’t know much about it. There are people I respect on both sides so that just confuses me more.” If you find yourself agreeing, you are in good company; this behemoth of a document wasn’t understood by most legislators, either. But much like the Bible, it isn’t the parts we don’t understand that are troubling, but the parts we do. Article I of the Hellgate Treaty begins, “Th...
Regarding The good and the bad Montana Viewpoint (Nov. 1 Ledger), could I just add “and The ugly” to that title by Jim Elliott. Jim’s account of good is very accurate. We all know good people in our valley and throughout the entire county that surpasses way beyond good. And it is a bad state of affairs that a newsman loses his life the way that he did. And another newsman was body slammed, and the guilt fell on “a president” because he says what he thinks, sometimes without thinking of how the fake news such as CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, Ne...
I am a white, pro-life, Christian, heterosexual male, Republican, who supports a strong immigration policy. Therefore, according to those on the left (at least those who receive the lion’s share of media attention), I, and those like me, are bigoted, misogynistic, homophobes. According to the liberal philosophy, people like me hate and fear immigrants and/or anyone who is not like us (talk about prejudice). I’m tired of being labeled a racist or a hater. Nothing could be further from the truth....
Being a citizen of the United States of America means having the right to enjoy many freedoms others do not. Next Tuesday voters will take to the polls exercising a liberty, which started in 1845, that very few human beings in the world have…the privilege to elect our nation’s leading officials. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only five percent of the world’s population are American citizens and only 60 percent of these people vote in presidential elections, while only 36 percent vote in midterm elections. Why so few? It is interesting tha...
Editor, Five days in October. Those “boys of the summer” and the Series. It was a refreshing break to watch opponents with different goals, experiences and backgrounds (and their supporters) cheer enthusiastically. What a great lesson in humanity to see opponents react positively for the good plays and attempts of both their own and the other team. Equally heartening were the acts of sportsmanship when athletes may have knocked another down or mistakenly hit another and then extended a hand or an apology. Also missing were comments den...
On behalf of those of us who have diligently and doggedly worked to get community decay properties cleaned up in Thompson Falls, we want to thank Chief of Police Nichols for taking the issue seriously and assigning police resources to enforce the city ordinance. Those of us calling attention to this issue have attended city council meetings for the last 2.5 years, attempting to generate concern by the council regarding the many harmful ramifications of community decay to property owners, neighborhoods, and the community. We are wishing Officer...
You may have heard about it. A couple of days ago two black men in hoodies drove up to the Boston Library at one in the morning. The Boston Library is a place where many of Boston’s homeless people “live” — for lack of a better word. As the two men got out their vehicle, they began placing trays of cooked food on the pavement in front of the library. Then they walked around to the sides and back of the library to let the homeless, who were sleeping on cardboard mattresses, know that there w...
Red Ribbon Week started in the 80s, and decades later the importance of educating our kids about the dangers of drug use is just as relevant. Educating our kids starts at home, but it takes a commitment from our entire community. The Red Ribbon Week activities include fun things such as doughnuts and dress-up days for the kids, but the message is clear. Keeping kids away from drugs leads to healthier lifestyles and healthier choices as they grow up. According to a 2017 study on Substance Abuse in Montana by the Montana Department of Justice,...
Editor, Talk about a smokescreen! Paul Fielder’s claim that he will reduce smoky air if elected county commissioner is pretty easy to see through. Paul may be forgetting that the responsibilities and authority of a county commissioner do not include managing our public lands. A good county commissioner is focused on running county government efficiently and based, not on political ideology, but on being respectful and responsive to the needs and preferences of county residents. Both Paul and Jennifer have been working hard to make political h...
Clean water is possible with responsible mining. Responsible mining costs the mining companies more money. Montanans must ask why these companies will spend millions of dollars to defeat legislation ensuring the purity of our rivers when it makes more sense to invest that money in the mining process to maintain our clean water during the extraction of our treasures? Taking those extra measures to mine responsibly also creates jobs; as does reclamation. The difference is who pays for it; the companies who profit in the first instance, or the...
