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Independently owned since 1905
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Kudos to Democrat spokeswoman Mindy Ferrell for her Letter to the Editor, “United We Stand,” proclaiming the COVID-19 pandemic a disaster. She’s absolutely correct, but what must be clarified is what occurred during 2020 and 2021 was a pandemic orchestrated to cause shutdowns and to create chaos with lock downs and quarantines that ruined millions of small businesses and people’s livelihoods, including the hundreds of thousands who lost their lives to COVID. Unemployment surged to record levels. Yes, the economic devastation was unprece...
At Oakland Airport, I await a flight to Spokane, the last leg home from Seattle. It’s a roundabout way to get there, but it fits the day, which has been roundabout also. I still like to fly, but there are a number of SDRs that go with flying these days that I could do without. “SDR,” by the way, stands for Stupid Damn Rule. I start the day learning an SDR: bags can’t be checked with the airline until four hours before departure. Got it. Won’t make that mistake again. I go back to the hotel and check my bag at the front desk. This takes 40...
This week, the Paradise Center opened its doors to welcome visitors and show off projects and progress. My mom and I visited on Sunday. There were a few people in and out. I didn't mind it being quiet because I'm one of those annoying people at museums who stops and reads every word of every placard. Our guides through the center, Kathleen and John, were full of information about the building and the exhibits. It was really interesting to visit the old classrooms and see how the preservation group is mixing the old with the new. The Paradise...
You can learn a lot by listening to what someone has to say, especially if you disagree with them. I’m not talking about learning only about what issue they might be talking about. I mean that you can learn a lot about the person you’re listening to. You learn to respect them as a person, and I think it goes the other way, too, that they learn to respect you. My awakening about the benefits of listening came around 1993 when I returned a phone call to an irate constituent. I had been in the Mon...
In Montana, when disaster strikes a family or a community, neighbors unite to help each other. When a disaster of unprecedented worldwide proportions strikes, we Americans unite as well and come to the aid of our neighbors. The Covid-19 pandemic is just such a disaster. Deemed beyond the ability of a neighbor, a town, or a state to respond adequately, Republicans and Democrats in Congress united to pass the CARES Act. This Act passed 96-0 by the Republican-led Senate, on a voice vote by the Democratic-led House and was signed into law by...
It seemed like each month in 2021, we were asking, "How is it already (insert month here)?" Now look at us. Just a matter of hours to finish all those things we swore we would get done this year. It wasn't that long ago that the county was recovering from the windstorm of January 2021. Residents experienced property damage from falling trees and some were without power for days. Crews worked tirelessly to restore power. The year 2021 continued with the uncertainty of the coronavirus. We saw hundreds more cases in Sanders County and a rising...
Ever wonder why the whole Senate so quickly and easily passed the Defense build up bill of $768 billlion, but did not and will not work together to pass the Build Back Better bill that would bring the USA into the modern era and help all Americans? Who actually benefits from this defense spending while there is so much need at home? Inquiring mind. Respectfully, Dawn Gandalf, Trout Creek...
First of all, I would like to congratulate Dan Rowan on his joining the Sanders County Board of Commissioners! Sounds like he is a good choice and I wish him well. I am writing this letter to object to Ed Moreth’s biased reporting of the story (Dec. 2). When Mr. Moreth wrote about supporters of Greg Hinkle signing a petition, he put in his own interpretation to slant the story. The petitioners (and there were close to 400) did not insist that Mr. Hinkle be selected. The petitioners asked that Mr. Hinkle be selected. These words have very differ...
On Monday, I read a Christmas book to the kindergarten classes in Thompson Falls. The energy those kids have is amazing. The patience those teachers have is even more amazing. I learned a lot about Christmas from the kindergarten classes. I learned that Santa goes through the door at some houses because the fireplace has a fire going in it. I learned that it's a good idea to leave carrots for the reindeer, as well as cookies and milk for Santa. I learned one kindergartener was just sure that Santa had visited her house Sunday evening. The...
Dear Editor, We are all blessed to be part of an amazing community. Recently, the River Roadhouse in Trout Creek kindly opened their doors for a charity event to help the SCSO Christmas Relief Fund and a local family that recently lost their home and fur babies to a fire. The weather was not in our favor, yet people came out to see Santa, ride with him on wet hay bales while a very entertaining gentleman did his own comedy version of Christmas carols. Local businesses and people donated to a silent auction to help raise money. We ended up...
As I’ve grown older, the glistening promise of the winter holiday has become a little tarnished. That’s not to say I haven’t had wonderful Christmases, because I have, but there have been some horrendous ones, as well. I think that’s true of many people. Presence of the celebration during a time of trial serves to highlight any misery we might be suffering, especially if we are alone. There are also the expectations of the season perpetrated on us by marketers, our sense of tradition and even our own greed; expectations that cannot be realist...
This is a story about a close friend who died and the wonderful message that he sent his dearest companion, Gael, with the help of some very caring, nameless people who took care of him alive, and then not alive. By rights Patrick should have become like the smalltime hoods he grew up with, but he also grew up with a couple of friends whose interests in music and art guided him in a different direction and he chose the path of a thinker and of a self-taught artist. Now, art is a subjective...
Anyone leaning rightward politically was guaranteed to hate President Biden for beating Trump, and plenty of left-leaners don’t like Biden either; add in the big spending bill which must certainly worry anyone who dislikes running the country on borrowed money, and it’s not surprising that Biden’s approval ratings aren’t very shiny right now. Personally, I’m not sure what to think of President Biden, but I’m trying to leave it to historians for those defining opinions which, if they are to be intelligent or realistic, need to come from the lo...
It's that time of year again. The hustle and bustle of the holidays, school Christmas concerts, rushing to find those last-minute gifts. As happens every year, we're now experiencing those lovely winter roads throughout Sanders County. The state, county and city crews have been busy plowing, salting and maintaining the 1,510 miles of roadways in Sanders County. I've already heard some comments about crews not getting to roads quick enough, but I can't imagine the undertaking it is to clear all of Sanders County quickly and safely. As motorists,...
The last of the Thanksgiving turkey was finally dispensed of just a few hours ago. You might have imagined I could put my feet up and relax with a nice glass of cabernet and quiet, but no, it's already begun. The phone rings, "Are you done with dinner?" my brother asks. "Sure," I say, "What's up?" "What do you guys want for Christmas?" Silence. I should be ready with an answer, but I have not thought of the next holiday because the dishwasher is still cleaning the glassware from the last. Well,...
On December 20, aircraft piloted by either Santa or Mrs. Claus will land at the Thompson Falls airport. Arrival time is approximately 11:15-11:30 a.m. Red Sleighs Over Montana, sponsored and paid for by the Museum of Mountain Flying in Missoula and donations from the public, will send aircraft, fixed wing and helicopters, to 23 rural towns in Montana and two rural towns in the Idaho panhandle. This is an enormous logistical effort and some aspects are more difficult to coordinate than others. Schools at these sites go on Christmas vacation on...
Last week, Thompson Falls resident Robin Hagedorn passed away unexpectedly. Her obituary is on page six and you can read about her life. But what you won't read about is all the little things Robin did to make our community better. Robin was integral to the success of so many events, but Christmas on Main Street was her favorite. Last year, I took over for her as secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. Robin gave me a four-drawer filing cabinet literally full of all her notes from events. As the year progressed, she would send me little...
Every once in a while, the public’s attention is drawn to an issue with a name that few people understand and many cannot even pronounce; enter “infrastructure”. Whatever it is, we are now going to spend 1.2 trillion dollars on it in the next few years, so perhaps it’s time to think about it. Since “infra” means “below” I think about infrastructure as the foundation on which our society is built. There are two types of infrastructure, commonly called hard and soft. I was taught the difference between them by a mechanic when I was complaining ab...
As a native of Sanders County, I spent my youth and much of my time even now roaming our beautiful mountains. When I was younger, I did this on my dirt bike. I camped, hiked, fished, mainly in Thompson River, and generally basked in the beauty of the county. These days, I do those things in my battered old pickup. There is an idea being circulated that we should turn our public lands over to state management, saying Montana would be better at preserving the land than the federal government. Is that true? Let’s think about this. The state w...
A true gentleman, mentor, and community leader in Sanders County passed away recently. James Mershon embodied community spirit, whether it was engaging in public processes, serving in the U.S. Forest Service for an entire career, volunteering for the Boy Scouts of America for half a century, or mentoring as a volunteer hunter/bowhunter education instructor for 43 years. I was lucky enough to work with him for the Montana hunter education program, and I enjoyed the wisdom and thoughtfulness that Jim brought to every challenge or task. It...
Hello, Jim Elliott. Your column on Vigilante Justice in The Sanders County Ledger on November 25 was a one-sided viewpoint with no mention of what brought on this vigilantism in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rioters (and in no way was this peaceful) are looting and burning down this town with no interference from the police as they are told to “stand down.” The call from the liberal side in our country is to defund the police, we will police our own communities, and when that happens, they are the first to cry foul. Kyle Rittenhouse was not out looking f...
Heavens to Betsy, let’s hope that Commissioners Cox and Magera do not give any consideration to the persons who submitted a petition recommending Mr. G. Hinkle for the soon to be vacant post. Their demand to be informed why he, Mr. Hinkle, is not appointed is absurd. In writing they told the commissioners to give them reasons why Mr. Hinkle was not selected, if that be the case. Not wanting to be unkind, but for County Commissioners anywhere in the United States to give such reasons why one candidate for a position is chosen over another w...
Did you feel that warm weather that hovered near 60 degrees this week? It's hard to believe that December is here when we are still experiencing that kind of weather. (I realize I probably just jinxed it and by the time you read this, we may have several inches of snow.) The Thompson Falls Chamber (for which I am the secretary) has been busy helping coordinate the Christmas on Main Street events this week. The holiday stroll is tonight with caroling and the community tree lighting, then the ever-popular parade is Saturday. There are craft...
Anyone else wonder why the “media” doesn’t ask Ryan Zinke the status of those eight investigations from his brief time in office as Secretary of Interior? Respectful inquiring mind, Dawn Gandalf, Thompson Falls...
U.S. Highway 10-A (“A” stood for “alternate”) ran by our front gate when I was a kid, on its way to a rendezvous with U.S. Highway 10 just west of Missoula. For the last 27 miles, it coincided with US 93. I’m not sure what happened at the intersection of the three, but I don’t think 10-A continued. Sometime around when U.S. 10 was replaced by Interstate 90, U.S. 10-A became Montana 200. I believe this was just about the time I learned to drive, so it was a loooooong time ago. Since then, I have spent a lot of time driving up and down that r...
