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If you read the local newspaper with any regularity, it would be hard to not be aware of the turmoil in Paradise over the proposed sewer. This is not a recent development. The Paradise sanitation and public water supply has been a concern since at least 2005. It has been top ranked for the Montana Treasure State Endowed Program and received the maximum number of points for statutory priority #1 for solving a public health and safety need. The Paradise County Sewer District was approved with 57% of the vote October 11, 2011. Tuesday, May 17, 202...
The Montana Primary election is coming up and I have been thinking about the choices I face in my rural Montana county. I don’t ask a lot of county government, just the basics; roads plowed in winter, graded in the spring, a sensible budget, a deputy sheriff within reasonable distance, and most importantly, a county commission that gets along. I’ve lived through my share of the opposite and it’s not good for anybody. A county in turmoil does not attract new businesses or medical providers; even tourists don’t feel welcome, which, now that I thi...
We sometimes take for granted that things that always seem to magically get done. Such is the case with the Sanders Saleing county-wide yard sale event. This event each June brings hundreds of people to Sanders County. They don't just come looking for deals. They eat at our restaurants, stay in our motels, shop at our stores. Thompson Falls resident Robin Hagedorn, who passed away last year, put hundreds of hours into organizing the Sanders Saleing event. She was all over the county putting up flyers, coordinating sign pickup and dropoff, and...
Editor: Last year the Plains Paradise Senior Citizens Center reached out to their communities for help when the heating/AC unit which services the dining area of the facility needed to be replaced. The response from the communities was overwhelming. Enough funds were received to replace the unit at a cost of $12,400, repair the back of the building, and begin the kitchen remodel. Recently during the spring inspection of the heating/AC units for the dining room and the kitchen, the center learned that the kitchen unit was overheating, to the...
Dear Editor, I don’t agree with many of Representative Loge’s positions on medical legislative matters. However we do agree that hearing aids should be a covered service by insurance providers. We do agree that telemedicine improves access to care and makes sense for Montana. And we do agree that critical access hospitals and clinics are vital to the health and economy of small Montana towns. I’ve always found Denley to be easy to talk with and he has been willing to listen to my concerns as a medical provider. I’ll be voting Loge for HD14 th...
As I moved into adulthood it was a clear expectation by my parents that I would be an active participant in my role as a voter. That I would take time to become knowledgeable of the issues presented on the ballot and the candidates running for office. As Louis Brandeis, an Associate Supreme Court Justice said, “The most important office, and the one which all of us can and should fill, is that of private citizen.” I was raised to believe that role, as private citizen, was the most important one...
I attended the Sanders County political forum last Tuesday. I thought it was very well organized and all the candidates were treated equally. Thank you Annie Wooden! I wasn’t thrilled that several candidates suggested that we keep up with the sheriff’s department and what we need to know via social media and specifically Facebook. It’s a known fact that social media has been used for negative gossip, cyber bullying and harassment with serious outcomes including suicide. Therefore, myself and many folks I know have chosen not to partake in th...
To the Editor, Two recent public opinion polls show good news and strong support for conservation values. Large majorities of Montanans show widespread support for protecting wild public lands, wilderness and wildlife habitat. This support comes from both urban and rural populations, and members of both political parties. The surveys also reflect concerns about the effects of rapid population growth on our public lands. Both polls have been conducted for many years, and both show increasingly strong support for conservation over the years....
Editor, In January, my husband, Steve Regier, died suddenly and unexpectedly. Pat Barber, Sanders County Coroner, responded. Mr. Barber treated me and my family with utmost compassion and professionalism. He gave me complete information about what he had to do for his investigation. His calm and kind manner helped calm me during such a traumatic experience. Sanders County families need a compassionate and professional coroner. Pat Barber is that person. His many years of experience speaks for itself. Vote for Pat Barber for County Coroner....
I am writing this letter to the Editor of The Ledger in response to the article published April 21, written by Chelle Mitchell, titled Slice of Life, Doing your Due Diligence. People might be familiar with the phrase, but might be at a loss, especially when due diligence is directed towards casting your vote during an election process. A simple substitute of words would be: do your homework. When exercising one’s right to vote, a person needs to study the issues, examining all the details to determine how each issue will impact our community. H...
An expression often used, “Read between the lines,” implies that one should interpret meaning beyond what someone says or does on the surface. The same thought process can be applied to the multitude of political campaign signs sprouting up throughout the county; that there is more to a candidate than what is on a sign, and warrants more research and study into a candidate to really learn what they claim to be on their signs. While I have tried to educate myself on all the county races and candidates, one race in particular I have paid mor...
Last weekend I happened to watch "Field of Dreams" for the millionth time. What a great message of believing in yourself and persevering, even when people think your ideas are crazy. I thought of that movie again Monday night at the Thompson Falls City Council meeting. The Thompson Falls Pickleball Club was there to discuss the partnership between the city and the club to resurface the sport court area near Thompson Falls High School. Half of the site is on city property, half is on school property. The City Council approved a memorandum of...
Ready on day one! I strongly support our current Undersheriff, Lanny Hensley, for Sanders County Sheriff. Undersheriff Hensley has a 27-year career in law enforcement. He was appointed Sanders County Undersheriff by Sheriff Tom Rummel, a position he has held for 10 years. The phrase “constitutional sheriff” has become popular here and indicates a sheriff who will step outside Montana law to “enforce the Constitution,” indicating that Montana law is inadequate and not aligned with the U.S. Constitution. He, like every sheriff in the U.S., w...
As if Americans weren’t divided enough, the recent leak of the Supreme Court’s apparent decision on the fate of Roe v. Wade has added even more fuel to the fire, burning whatever political bridges remain among us. Briefly, it appears that the Supreme Court will overturn the decision that ensured that women would have a legal right to get an abortion and that state laws could not restrict. Now, it appears that those restrictions previously outlawed will be allowed. That pleases some people and...
"Smile, it makes people wonder what you're up to." That's something my mom always says to me when I'm having a hard day. It's one of many things my mom has instilled in me as my best friend and biggest fan. Even in my 40s, my mom is always there when I need her. She brings me food on long days, dog sits, runs errands, listens and sends me an encouraging text every morning. This Mother's Day, the Ledger crew is thankful for our moms and the lessons they have taught us. Reporter Miriah Kardelis says her mother was, is and always will be a kind...
Editor, Regarding the sheriff’s race; one candidate is the outstanding choice and that is our current undersheriff, Lanny Hensley. Under Montana law, undersheriffs serve at the pleasure of the sheriff. This means that they can be removed from that position at any time.Lanny Hensley was appointed by Sheriff Tom Rummel in 2012 and has remained undersheriff because he is trustworthy, works well with the public and is very good at managing the Sheriff’s Office. He is the ONLY candidate who has both patrol duty and administrative experience as a Mon...
A recent opinion is a classic example of conflating what they believe are “complex issues” of homelessness and immorality This is the misdirect gamesmanship we played as kids when we stood behind someone on the “left” side; and tapped them on the “right” to try to get them to look the wrong way. It’s easy to castigate by inference those who don’t hold to what is falsely portrayed as a more moderate higher perspective; that is in fact a muddled mess of right vs. wrong. Some are mislabeled by inference and implication with oversimplistic...
When my grandparents landed in Montana long, long, long ago, they brought with them some interesting sensibilities. They were of the pioneer type, but missed the big push into the country and so ended up being, in reality, settlers. They arrived 34 years after the Northern Pacific, more or less, and so found other folks on the ground already. But not on the ground that they moved onto. They were conservative in a liberal sort of way, and they passed those views on to many of their grandchildren. Being a member of the cadre who lived the...
Dear Editor, Recent surveys, public meetings, and conversations among concerned citizens living in Sanders County reveal available, affordable housing is our # 1 priority. According to a recent OP-ED in the Missoulian from Monica Tranel, Democratic Candidate for Congress, the median cost for housing has risen 23% since the end of 2020. Ouch! And that’s if you can find an available dwelling to rent or purchase. As a board member of Sanders County Community Housing Organization (www.sccho.org) for almost a decade, I’ve seen the situation gro...
I love a good discussion. Let's talk about books, whether cats or dogs are better pets, or the latest episode of "The Bachelor." I bet we can be friends after. But bring up topics such as education, public health or individual freedoms, and you probably won't make any friends. Having thoughtful, respectful discussions is what makes communities stronger. That's where you find growth and progress. Some of my most memorable conversations have been with people who I don't agree with, but can respect from where their argument is coming. Lately...
Dear Editor, I would like to express my staunch support of Ramona Jacobson for the position of school board member. Amidst all the upheaval regrading parents having a say in their children’s education, Ramona has not just expressed concern on this issue, but has also demonstrated that she truly does care about what is being taught in our schools. Recently the school health instructor introduced a textbook illustrating what would be taught in the high school health class. The instructor sent notifications home, with the students, inviting the p...
In 1970, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson elevated the concept and celebration of Earth Day which is still evident more than 50 years later. This past week there has been so much evidence of care-giving of our landscapes and our communities. Against a backdrop of so much devastation and suffering, it is indeed hopeful that so many are out there making our world a better place. Hope, unlike optimism, doesn’t deny the hurdles and difficulties ahead, but is active in its intention. I am so grateful to live in a hopeful community. Thanks to each a...
In San Francisco and other cities there is a big homeless issue. It is due to many factors both economic and drug related, but in this most liberal city solutions such as building high density housing are rejected because those neighborhoods fear that the projects would, take your pick: increase crime, lower property values, ruin the neighborhood. Living in tents on the sidewalk is common, but not throughout the city because it is restricted in “sensitive” areas which seem to be those areas whe...
At the dinner table last weekend, talk naturally turned to the topic of Ukraine. Since Russia’s February 24 full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbor, most Americans have thrown their support behind Ukraine. According to a March survey from Pew Research Center, approximately one-third (32%) of Americans say the U.S. is providing the right amount of support for Ukraine, and a larger share (42%) say we should be providing even more support. Interestingly, both parties (51% of Republicans and 50% of Democrats) consider Russia’s violence a “ma...
By election of the community that resides within each school district, a trustee is granted the authority to be the voice, or the link, between the community and the school administration – the superintendents and principals; the teaching staff and assistants. By vote of the electorate, the trustee is awarded the public’s trust to represent their values and principles to set specific educational goals, establish school district policy, develop fiscal budgets, plan student services, engage parent involvement and, most importantly, adopt sou...
