Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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Remember that quaint little notion called usury? If you’ve ever borrowed money or used a credit card you might want to refresh your memory. Basically, usury is the practice of charging interest on a loan, but over the centuries the meaning morphed to charging excessive interest on a loan. People actually used to worry about stuff like that. Of course, the concept of “excessive” might vary, but originally excessive was defined as anything above zero. That’s going back a while, maybe 3000 years....
Last month, the Thompson Falls City Council voted to increase water and sewer rates. It’s not ideal for residents and businesses. It’s a hassle any time costs go up, especially for those on a fixed income. But an increase in water and sewer rates was inevitable. The city’s costs are rising, especially with having to replace aging water lines. Residents make a choice to live in the city, and in turn put their trust in the mayor and city council to make the best decisions for the city. The rate increases are not good on the surface, but it remind...
Water. We have some of the finest water in the world here in our neighborhood. I for one am thankful. Don’t get me wrong. I like beer, too. But you just can’t beat a good clear glass of water. Most of our water comes off our public lands. Public lands ultimately controlled by the people, or by the people elected by the people. Somebody has to do it. I recently ran across a 4-year-old article in the Forest Service Publication Wildlife News. Written by Ralph Maughan, titled “A Brief History of the Public Lands, the BLM, and grazing.” It is very...
Memorial Day and graduation are over. School will be out soon. As you’re dusting off your water skis and lawn chair, it’s time to start thinking about the next big event — election season. The primary election is Tuesday, June 5. If you’re scrambling to turn in your ballot, there may be questions about the candidates. We’re all guilty of not taking the time to research candidates or issues, or of just picking a name we recognize and filling in that bubble. Or of simply voting for an incumbent. Sometimes we spend more time in the shampoo aisle p...
Editor: We all owe a debt of gratitude to the five City Council members, who, “doing business their way” [paraphrasing Ms. Kersten], cut our water “allotment” by a HUGE 75%, from @260 gallons per day per metered residence, to a meagre 66 gallons per day. I’m sure all those with children, or home-bound elders - with piles of laundry and bathing requirements that go with parenting and care-taking - will bless our Wise Stewards. In addition, they raised our “delivery cost” (the meter, basically), from 26 dollars per month to 40 dollars per m...
New Board Chair, New Administration, New Leaf? Noxon School District #10 is getting one of those rare opportunities to start with a relatively clean slate. At a recent board meeting the teachers presented two school calendars that were rejected. The board rejected both a 165 day and a 170 day calendar option, but yet didn’t offer any guidance to the teachers. On May 22 the teachers came back and provided a compromise: a 168 day calendar. Compromise. What a concept. The board approved with dissent. It was pointed out by Trustee Weltz (and I...
Last week I visited the site of the Battle of Rosebud Creek on the Crow Reservation in Big Horn County and was reminded of the role that Native Americans have played in the U.S. military. Perhaps that seems a strange statement considering that they also had, perhaps, a more significant role fighting against the United States military, but since the Revolutionary War Native Americans have also fought with distinction for the U.S. General George Crook, in command at the Rosebud, was unusual for...
It’s been many moons since most of us at The Sanders County Ledger graduated high school, but the lessons learned still resonate. Fun fact: half of our staff graduated from Thompson Falls High School. As young adults across the county prepare to graduate on Sunday, we have a little advice for the seniors. “Everything is going to be OK in the end. If it’s not OK, it’s not the end.” — Sara Czerwinski “Always do your best and give 100 percent.” — Shana Neesvig “The world doesn’t owe you anything. You have to go out there and make your own way. Le...
Dear Editor: For 20 years the citizens of Gallatin County gave me the privilege to serve as a District Court Judge in Bozeman. Before I was elected to the bench I was Gallatin County Attorney for 14 years. In 1995 I met Kim Christopher, who at that time was Lake County Attorney. In 1997 I began serving as District Court Judge and my contact with Judge Christopher ceased until she was elected in 2000 to serve as a District Court Judge for the 20th Judicial District (Lake and Sanders Counties). I then resumed having contact with Judge...
Editor, There is a scam coming from Jamaica. Your readers need to know that they might get a long-awaited call from “Publishers Clearing House” informing them that they are the winners of a brand new car and $950,000! You will be given a phone number to call and speak to the caller’s supervisor to arrange delivery of your prizes. If you do not call right away, you will get another call asking you to call the supervisor right away. When you do call, you will be congratulated on your good fortune and all you need to collect is to send $500 to co...
As a former Lincoln County Commissioner that spent years advocating for both the Rock Creek and Montanore proposals, I thought I had seen everything that could be thrown at these projects to delay their development. Seems I hadn’t. We now have our own state government attempting to derail these mines by determining that Hecla Mining is somehow a bad actor. It really boggles the mind to understand how a company that has never operated a mine in Montana can be held accountable for another company’s failure. The decision of our state’s execu...
At Monday’s Thompson Falls City Council meeting, the Sanders County Dog Training Club (SCDTC) approached the council about expanding the dog park near the community center on Golf Street. The council unanimously supported the idea., suggesting SCDTC expand the dog park even more if funding is available. SCDTC has had a great relationship with the city. Volunteers are always working to make the park better. The area is clean and well maintained. More importantly, it’s rare that you don’t see the park being used. Not only does the SCDTC hold...
I am one of those strange people who read newspapers cover to cover every week. Something about local newspapers just seem to be a hidden reflection of the community that is the heart of small towns. Do I immediately find value or meaning in what I read? No, not always. That’s what the internet and social media are for – immediate relevance. Local newspapers are more like reading chapters in a multi-generational novel. In TV terms “A sweeping saga of many generations as they pass thru time and place.” Confession: I’ve read every line of the det...
Last week was Public Service Recognition Week, an event that seems to have largely gone unnoticed despite a proclamation from President Trump saying, in part; “Members of our Federal, State, and local workforces bring incredible skills, tireless dedication, and selfless service to a broad range of career fields. Our Nation’s civil servants include teachers, mail carriers, first responders, transit workers, and law enforcement officers. Our Federal employees underpin nearly all the ope...
At the Sanders County Drug Awareness Seminar last week at the Rex Theatre, one thing was repeated over and over: the drug problem is a community problem. It’s easy to avoid these types of problems. If you don’t have a drug problem and you don’t know anyone with a drug problem, how can it be your problem? But at the seminar, we heard all the ways that it is everyone’s problem. Taxpayers end up footing the bill for medical services and to feed and clothe people in the Sanders County Jail. And when a meth lab is found in the neighbor’s house, it...
We can’t have a competitive workforce without a healthy workforce. And a healthy workforce depends on the individual health of each of its citizens. Until recently, too many of our fellow Montanans lived each day knowing that access to health care was beyond their reach. They avoided regular checkups and screenings, and instead, were forced to the emergency room to access expensive, difficult to treat care. When you’re not healthy, it’s difficult to stay on the job and be a productive member of the workforce. Thankfully, in Montana, over 93,00...
Experience matters. Judge Kim Christopher has a proven track record of providing firm but fair justice. I have known Kim as an adversary and colleague. We tried cases against each other when we were young lawyers and were then sworn in as judges at the same time and worked in our own districts for years. Being a District Court Judge is a difficult and often thankless job. If you do it correctly you will make legally correct, but politically unpopular decisions. It takes courage and moral commitment to do the right thing when you know you will...
Our country enjoys the privilege of participating in the election of local, state, and national political leaders. Many countries do not have that privilege. We (Dawn and Paul as Chairs of our county parties) jointly encourage the citizens of our county to participate in a courteous, respectful, and civil election season. Please treat the candidates and their supporters as you yourself would like to be treated – The Golden Rule. The Montana Department of Transportation (DOT) oversees and enforces campaign sign criteria along state highways. M...
As owners of a business that creates over $10,000,000 in gross annual sales we have long awaited the construction and operation of either the proposed Rock Creek or Montanore mines in northwest Montana. We have had a front row seat to the endless barrage of obstacles put in their path for 30 years by environmental extremists. With both projects recently acquired by Hecla Mining, and the end of the permitting saga within sight, we now have our own state government attempting to block what is the brightest spot on our economic horizon. We’re not...
CAROLYN KELLER, Thompson Falls – “It does bother me because there’s too much of it. The younger kids are doing drugs. You see it time after time.” BILL KELLER, Thompson Falls – “There’s drug houses all over Thompson Falls. I used to do drugs years ago but I saw it wasn’t worth it, so I don’t do drugs now. They get the drugs somehow.” STEPHANEY HUTCHINGS, Thompson Falls – “It’s bad for the community as a whole.” DAN HUFF, Plains – “I just moved to Thompson Falls from California. I have no idea how it is now.” BRITNEY BUYS, Thompson Falls – “I...
The first of two Sanders County Drug Awareness Seminars was held at the Rex on Wednesday, May second. I attended and was deeply impressed by the seven members of our community who shared expert information on the many ways illegal drug use affects our county. The focus of this presentation was a demonstration of the ways drug addiction touches every citizen of Sanders County, not just those who are using or selling these drugs. The users and their families are tragically impacted but we all bear the cost of the drug crisis. Increased auto and...
I am asking for your vote to re-elect Denley Loge as your State Representative in House District 14. As an advocate for Montana military and veteran issues for more than 35 years, I have worked with many freshman legislators. Representative Loge is one of the best I have ever worked with on those issues. He is sensitive to the needs of our military and veterans and knows the wants and needs of his constituents in HD 14. As a former legislator, I know the importance of being prepared from the first day of the session. Not every legislator has...
National Kick Butt Day was in March. It’s a day, according to www.kickbuttsday.org, ”that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco.” Sandi Gubel, the Sanders County Tobacco Prevention Specialist, recently took students out to pick up cigarette butts in Thompson Falls. After an hour, the group had more than 100 collected. According to www.truthinitiative.org, cigarette butts account for more than one-third of all collected litter. That’s believable, considering the sad fact that our kids are likely to pick on...
Buildings have a way of disappearing where I live. They rot, burn, atomize and move. I have an aerial photo of the ranch from 1950 or so. On the part of the ranch I call the Fox place, there is the cabin that housed Mr. Fox in one end and his horse in the other. There is a barn at least 200 yards from the cabin, and what looks like a summer kitchen underneath some cottonwoods, which were large even then. On what I call the home place, there was a substantial cedar cabin and outbuildings,...
Editor: Baseball, softball, archery, swimming lessons, family vacations, football camps...the kids in our area seem to have plenty to do this summer. Could it be that they are, in fact, overbooked? Over the past 15 years or so, there seems to be a trend among well intentioned parents to keep their children occupied at all times, with as many sports and other extra-curricular activities as it’s possible to completely fill in a young person’s “free” time. The assumption is that (1) we want to expose them to as many activities as possible and (2)...
