Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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3 YEARS AGO • JANUARY 3, 1991 WEATHER PLAYED ROLE IN ANNUAL KEG BOWL by John Hamilton It didn’t matter that the thermometer was hovering around 25 degrees below zero, the calendar told all die-hard football players that it was time for the Keg Bowl. The Silver Bullets downed the O No Boys 36-20 Saturday to win the 10th annual Keg Bowl Saturday. The extreme cold and two feet of snow that blanketed frozen Ainsworth Field did not deter the hard-core participants, most of whom were former Blue Hawk gridders. “This was by far the coldest weath...
Stephaney Hutchings, Thompson Falls - “I drive around and take photos. I shoot landscapes and like leaves, pinecones whatever.” Shane Robins, Thompson Falls - “We love playing outside: snowmobiling, snowboarding, snowball fights. The kids are in winter sports too, so we’re constantly busy.” Grant Bailey, Trout Creek - “I like to reload bullets, take care of my horses and chop firewood.” Skyler Mcknight, Thompson Falls - “To keep active in the winter months I do a lot of woodworking and shop.” Andina Markuson, Thompson Falls - “Playing outside...
As the slow process of vaccinating the public proceeds, the nation is faced with a new variant of Coronavirus which is more communicable. And large numbers of people still refuse to wear a mask. Some contend masks don't help. But they do! Numerous tests have proven their effectiveness. An article in the June 27, 2020, issue of The Lancet – that worldwide respected British medical journal – attests to that. Issue 10242, Vol. 395. The article summarizes results of more than 170 studies of the use of masks in combating the spread of a pan...
Unbelievable! The "elected" government sold us out for $600. What's next, a loaf of bread for our brothers and sisters? Scott Crowe, Thompson Falls...
Not that I need to say it out loud, but 2020 brought on more challenges than one could possibly expect to face in a single lifetime. On top of a global pandemic, it seemed as if one’s problems accumulated up all at once, and were let loose to wreak havoc on what was left of one’s soul. Even in the aftershock of what was 2020, I still find myself recollecting on the year that just passed. The last 366 days (let us not forget, 2020 was a leap year) did not come without its trials and tribulations for this modern homesteader. From the difficult ye...
As the sun sets on 2020, we look back on the year and, quite frankly, we're not sure what to say. From the pandemic and the economy and the election and everything in between, it was a bit of a rough year. Not that we don't have sickness and tension each year, but the effects were felt worldwide in 2020. We'd just like to point out, however, that 2020 wasn't all bad. We made some happy memories and saw kindness throughout our communities. The anxiety of the pandemic and just the general unknown of 2020 was a lot to handle. It didn't take long...
I don’t think Joe Biden won an election, I think he won a popularity contest. I believe that, when it came time to make a choice, the undecided voters chose the candidate they perceived as more ‘likeable’ (that’s what happens when people form their opinions on what they read on Facebook rather than actually researching the issues!). It worked that way for me in 2016. I found Hilary Clinton absolutely despicable and wouldn’t (couldn’t) vote for her. I reluctantly voted for Donald Trump inste...
When it comes to wintertime, along with all the winter sports and activities comes an inherent danger. Those who live their lives out in the wild enjoying nature are all too aware of the fact that things can go horribly awry and an emergency can become the reality. Getting lost in the woods in the summer can be dangerous, but in the winter the danger becomes immediately life threatening. Not only is the cold an immediate concern, but as the sun goes down that cold can worsen, and the dark of night and the snow in the northwest especially can...
Christmas time is here Happiness and cheer Fun for all that children call Their favorite time of the year. That famous song from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" usually gets us in the holiday spirit. This year (as of Tuesday evening) we didn't have much for snow to make it a white Christmas. Our celebrations will have a bit less cheer as families limit their gatherings and few are traveling. The joy of Christmas is most evident in the excitement of the children. We got a little sparkle at Thanksgiving when we asked kindergarten students how to...
Mitch McConnell’s rationale on appointing Supreme Court Justices in the last year of a president’s term just isn’t rational. In 2016 he refused to hold hearings on President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland, claiming that the nomination should be made by the winner of the coming presidential election, which certainly wasn’t going to be Obama. In 2020 he pushed for the appointment of a Supreme Court Justice a month before the election. He didn’t make the argument he made in 2016 because the...
We have lived through so many uncertainties this year. At the beginning of 2020, there were murmurs of a new virus. Within a matter of weeks, the country was basically shut down. Then it was election season. Though we figured it would be a few days before we had results, we never imagined it would turn into this. Fast forward to December 2020. Here we are, businesses still open, schools still in session, the country still moving forward. This week, the first Americans will receive the COVID-19 vaccine. It will be months before the vaccine is...
. I’ve kind of beat this topic to death so I’ll keep this last (yet complex) story very short and sum it all up from my perspective. Los Angeles Police Department SWAT officers responded to a call of an armed suspect who had barricaded himself inside an auto body shop. During the incident, the suspect exited the building two separate times and fired at the officers, while using his infant daughter as a human shield. The situation came to a tragic end when the suspect’s 17-year-old stepd...
This holiday season, similar to this whole year, looks a little different. We gathered at safe distances last week for Christmas on Main Street festivities in Thompson Falls. Now begins the final preparations for Christmas. The large gatherings and parties won't be happening, and probably few people will be traveling to visit their loved ones. Things will just be different. What hasn't changed is the need to help others in our community. This week, we have published the Guide to Local Giving on page 7. Thank you to First Security Bank for...
Political courage on the Republican side of the political spectrum seems to be blooming in state legislatures and the offices of state and local election officials, but it is scarce in Congress. It’s hard to tell the big boss he is wrong and harder still if it’s a message so unwelcome that he won’t and can’t hear it. But in Georgia’s 2020 election, which Biden won, the Republican Secretary of State and his elections staff have been unwavering in defending the running and the results of the elect...
What a wonderful choice to lead the parade! If you'd asked me for a nomination, I'd have been hard pressed to come up with anyone, but as soon as I read Diane Hedahl, I thought “how perfect”. She's been part of so many things worthy of recognition over the years, but for me, the most relevant in today's stress-filled world is her genuine kindness to everyone she encounters. Thank you to the selection committee. And thank you Diane. Pat Crowder, Thompson Falls...
I want to thank Mariah Kardelis for the well-written article on the sale of lands historically owned by Anaconda Company, Champion International, Weyerhaeuser and Southern Pine Plantations, to the Green Diamond Resource Company. (Sanders County Ledger, December 3, 2020) However, I must tell you that the headline is misleading and could lead to misconceptions concerning land management policies. Those companies are all large, corporate PRIVATE companies several of which have become real estate and land development agencies. Land they own can be...
The number of active coronavirus cases keeps creeping up in Sanders County. As of Tuesday, there were 36 active cases. Even with people recovering and going off the active case list, the numbers are going up. The anticipation of a vaccine being distributed to the public is also increasing. While some will choose not to get vaccinated, we suspect that most people will be eager to get the vaccine and protect themselves. The vaccines will likely first be administered to frontline workers and those at higher risk of contracting the virus. It will...
I received really positive feedback after the last column and people expressed an interest in more of the same. I’m going to share two more stories about incidents I’m personally familiar with and wrap it up with an explanation regarding why I’m sharing all of this. One night while on patrol, I heard a high priority radio call broadcast of a “Domestic Violence/ADW (assault with a deadly weapon) suspect. The broadcast went on to provide a physical description of the suspect, who was said to be a...
Editor, To President Elect Biden. Congratulations to President Elect Biden. May the Republicans in the Senate and Congress treat you as well as the Democrats treated Trump while he was in office the last four years. Dennis Lyght, Thompson Falls...
Per request of the mayor on behalf of the city, I am reminding you that I am speaking only for myself, not for the city, not for the mayor, and not for other council members. In order to keep myself out of potential hot water, and to keep others comfortable with what I am doing, I’m now and in the future writing these pieces solely as a private citizen, who, because of several years' attendance at council meetings previously as a private citizen, understand quite a bit about city administration. I’m a “communicator” and think systems work be...
You know what? This year has been a rough one. We are still dealing with a pandemic. We are having to make decisions about sending our kids to school, keeping our businesses open, and whether or not to see our families on Thanksgiving. Most of us have never experienced anything like this in our lifetime. The divisiveness that came with election season only added to the stress that we're all feeling. This week, we decided it's OK to feel the stress and feel like 2020 hasn't been that great. Yes, there have been worse years in history. Yes,...
It seems that almost anybody watching someone work believes they can do the job as well or better than the person who is actually doing it, especially if the person watching has never done it before. When I hired on at the brickyard in Lewistown in 1974, the boss pointed to a group of workmen taking wet brick off a conveyor belt and stacking them on small railcars which were then pushed into the kiln for firing. This was called “hacking brick.” “Can you do that?” he asked. “Any fool could do...
School scheduling became pretty chaotic for my son and family this fall, so they decided to homeschool until things settle down. Since my two junior high grandsons are comfortable in their public schools, and my daughter-in-law is a former school board member, this wasn’t an easy choice. Their dilemma reminded me of one of the windmills I tilted at back when I was in the public school business myself. Not many people become intensely interested in the word “curriculum,” but I did, and still am, and maybe that explains why my wife thinks a sta...
Last weekend, I decided to take a road trip to Post Falls to pick up some doors from Craigslist. I don't buy too much on the site, but these doors were cool and I "had" to have them. One of my favorite hobbies is to listen to podcasts on road trips. I'd call myself a true-crime junkie, and let's face it, meeting a strange person in an alley for a couple of doors probably isn't the smartest idea for anyone. So I grabbed a couple of girlfriends and headed across state lines. As I've discussed in this space, I'm also on the extreme end of...
There’s a lot of conversation about controversial police incidents. Most of what I read/hear only tells the story from one perspective, which strikes me as wholly unfair and misleading. I don’t see the situation changing and going in a positive direction anytime soon. So…I decided to share a different perspective. You won’t hear these stories in the media. Why? Good question! I suspect it’s because nobody cares. After telling these stories to a friend, I decided to share several as my way of ge...
