Independently owned since 1905
Independently owned since 1905
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I never know what I’m going to write about for this column until I actually sit down at my keyboard. Today, oddly, the first thought to pop into my mind is the fact that I don’t swear much anymore. My hand hurt, and I remembered that the other day my wrench slipped and I smacked the back of my hand on a pipe. All I did was holler ouch while shaking my sore hand. Years ago, that same act would have had me shouting profanely and throwing the wrench. Not what one would call a mature response! That...
When The Ledger first started publication, the owners would take the copy to Missoula on the train, and produce the articles and pages at The Missoulian. Then they would return to Thompson Falls on the train with the printed papers. The process probably took a couple days. The newspaper in its first year was four pages. Each week, Ledger reporters conduct interviews, take photographs, attend meetings and events and seek out news. On Mondays, they finish writing their articles and file stories. While we used to process articles on a computer and...
Of late I have been watching wild turkeys mate. It’s not that I am particularly interested in their personal lives, but as I have been cleaning out culverts on my road, they have been practicing their intimate moments about 50 feet from me, so it’s hard to ignore. Also hard to ignore (and actually more interesting) is to watch the toms compete for the attention of their potential mates. At first, they seem to do it solo, in this case in the middle of a newly seeded pasture. Why they would str...
When I heard that Quinn's Hot Springs Resort was offering a bonus to employees as an incentive for them to get vaccinated, my initial response was "that's awesome." At The Ledger, we've been strongly encouraging masks and my employees still wear masks when we can't social distance. Masks and precautions as a result of the pandemic have been met with all sorts of comments or political opinions. We have had several customers angry with our policies, when what we are trying to do is simply look out for our neighbors and families. This week, I wrot...
I have to admit that I seriously underestimated the Biden/Harris administration. Shortly after the election, I made several predictions regarding how I expected Biden/Harris to dismantle all the accomplishments of the Trump administration. I’ve been pretty accurate on my predictions so far, but it never dawned on me that they could screw things up so quickly. We’re not even five months into the year. These two are clearly over achievers! I anxiously watched Biden’s press conference on March...
This week, The Ledger is publishing profiles of candidates for local school board elections. You'll find these on pages 4 and 5. Local boards and special districts rarely have contested races. This year, we have multiple candidates for several board positions. Part of our job in providing local news is making sure our readers are informed on important issues such as elections and what's happening in Sanders County towns. The first year I owned The Ledger, I missed providing the school board candidate profiles. The election snuck up on me and...
“Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?” – Chico Marx Sometimes it seems to me that everything we do in life is an attempt to solve mysteries. While that includes how a crime was committed, it also applies to things from “what is life all about”, to putting a jigsaw puzzle together, or figuring out how to do something we have not done before. We look for solutions, we look for reasons, we look for constants, we look for people who can teach us. Mostly we get things right, but not a...
In the age where just about anything can be delivered to your doorstep in a couple of days, it's important to remember the importance of vital services such as medical care. My brother and I were born at Clark Fork Valley Hospital. When I was 8 and broke my foot in a snowmobile accident, Dr. Randy Lovell met us at his clinic on a Sunday to x-ray it and put a cast on. When my friend had an accident a few years ago that resulted in a huge gash on his forehead (also on a Sunday), the physician at the hospital that day said he could find a plastic...
The controversy surrounding guns is in the news again. It seems to happen at least once a year and almost always after a shooting involving multiple victims. And, as usual, the so-called assault rifles are the focus of the anti-gun activists. It’s odd to me that one weapon can command so much attention. I think it’s caused by confusion. It’s my belief that many in the anti-gun crowd simply don’t know anything about firearms and are not interested in learning. In many of these people’s minds, gu...
Our question to readers this week (page 3) asks about Easter traditions. When I lived in Everett, Washington, I attended a large church. The number of people was always higher at Easter, and at Christmas. Hence why the pastor joked that it was the "C&E Club." This weekend, as people gather for church and Easter egg hunts and family dinners, it feels like one of the most normal holidays we've had in awhile. I joked with someone the other day, when they asked me about something in 2020, that I'm pretty sure last year just didn't happen. Last...
A few days ago, Georgia’s Republican Governor, Brian Kemp, signed a bill that narrows the ease and ability of Georgians to vote by saying, “With Senate Bill 202, Georgia will take another step toward ensuring our elections are secure, accessible and fair.” Meanwhile in Arizona, Republican Representative John Kavanagh, the chairman of the house government and elections committee, said, more candidly and much more accurately, “everybody shouldn’t be voting.” Kavanagh went on to say, “Not everyb...
I read a book recently called "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. He proposes that success is due to the opportunities we are given. Yes, hard work and diligence have something to do with it as well. But he provides examples of how people who are given chances and opportunities have a jump start against those who don't. The book got me thinking about how our lives can change based on what opportunities we are given. Sometimes opportunity is a parent putting their child at a piano when they are young, providing lessons throughout childhood and then...
In my last column, I discussed what I believe to be the problem with a numbers-based evaluation system for police officers in large cities calling for reforms. In my opinion, basing an officer’s performance using a numbers-based matrix creates the potential for all sorts of problems. As an example, in the numbers-based system I worked under, picture the following scenario: An officer makes a stop for a simple traffic violation. Under that numbers-based system, the officer may feel compelled to w...
In the last several weeks, we have had letters to the editor and articles regarding a proposed Second Amendment sanctuary ordinance. A group of residents approached the county commissioners about a possible ordinance. Whlie the commissioners chose not to pursue an ordinance designating Sanders as a Second Amendment sanctuary county, it was inspiring to see the level of interest residents took in local government. Dozens of people attended meetings at the courthouse to discuss the matter, and dozens more sent letters to the commissioners both...
Recently, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, used his power to forego the traditional abbreviated process of introducing a bill in the Senate and substitute the long version; in this case to introduce President Biden’s COVID relief bill. Johnson’s motion required the Senate clerks to read the 628 page bill aloud to the Senators, who rapidly vacated the premises for the next 10 hours while the bill was being read. By having the text of the bill read aloud, Johnson took up hou...
The picture to the right is after Trae Thilmony won his second state wrestling championship over the weekend in Shelby. His younger brother Lane ran up and gave him a hug. He was so proud of his big brother. This moment that his mom, Doree, captured with her phone made me so proud. Trae's little brothers look up to him, and I'm sure a lot of kids in the school look up to him and other student leaders. Helping kids realize the impact they have on those younger than them is an important part of...
I’ve spent the last three weeks in Seattle and the difference in the city since my last visit is glaring. Seattle is one of the epicenters for the “defund the police” movement and the scene of tremendous civil unrest in 2020. While the civil unrest seems to have died down a bit, the “defund the police” movement has clearly had a tremendous and negative impact on the city. I was bored today and drove around Seattle for a while just to look around. I drove near last year’s CHAZ zone in the Capi...
Most of us at The Ledger have at least one pet. Most days you can come in and be greeted by Walter or Buster, our office dogs. We work with them to make sure they are on their best behavior, but once in awhile one of them will bark at a customer. Especially on days we're producing the newspaper, it's important for us to make sure our pets have some attention, too. Thoughout the county, and beyond, we see examples of the extremes of pet ownership. On one end, you have dog owners like me who dress them up and spoil them to no end. Walter...
The soul of democracy is the ability of individuals to have a say in their own future, embodied in the right to vote. The spirit of a democracy is to expand the participation of citizens in elections so that every citizen of that democracy is not only eligible, but able to cast that vote. That expansion has not been easy or trouble free, and it has not been without opposition and bloodshed. It is the duty of those who run elections to ensure that the integrity of an individual’s vote is p...
We've been watching the broadcast and reading the news of the devastation happening in the South due to winter storms. States such as Texas were battered with winter weather, frigid temperatures and several inches of snow. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex got between four and seven inches of snow. Powerlines were down and people were stranded without a heat source. Dozens of people have died in the winter storm, some of hypothermia because they weren't prepared. In Montana, we don't even cancel school for four inches of snow. We're prepared for...
I like to listen to music when I exercise. The right beat can motivate me and take my mind off the pain I'm inflicting on my tired old body! A few weeks ago, my granddaughter and her best friend were visiting and I very briefly heard a song they were playing. It had the type of beat I like to exercise to, so I asked the name of the tune (Colt 45) and downloaded it. The next day I played the song and was completely disgusted when I actually paid attention to the lyrics. I deleted the song immedia...
This week as we were editing articles and putting the newspaper together, we felt good about all the feel-good news. At The Ledger, we aim to provide accurate, engaging local news articles. We want to tell the stories of our friends and neighbors and those friends we haven't yet met. We want to show how local businesses are expanding, report on local COVID-19 effects and your local candidates for upcoming elections. Our sports editor, John Hamilton, works hard each week to make contact with every coach and publish information about every high...
Offered as a respite from current events. Eddie Mulick was the first person I met when I moved to Trout Creek, and that was largely because he owned, what his matchbooks proclaimed was, “The Wayside Bar--finest bar in Trout Creek.” It was also the only bar. Those days I did custom haying in the summer and I had been working George Casteel’s field right across the river. George was a story in himself, an old single-jack gold miner whose cabin floor was liberally littered with rocks of ore and c...
After weeks of waiting, hundreds of Sanders County residents have been getting their COVID-19 vaccinations. Residents, especially those in the Phase 1B distribution group, have been anxiously waiting for the call from Public Health or Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) announcing their vaccination appointment. Over the weekend, some of our family members received their first vaccinations at CFVH. The nurses told them that the hospital would be vaccinating about 300 people on Saturday, and the process was seamless. From checking in, to getting...
As I write this the D.C. Democrats are one day away from opening their second impeachment of former President Donald Trump. I don’t get it! I’ve been trying to figure out why so much effort is being put into impeaching a man who no longer holds the office. Most scholars agree that moving forward with the impeachment is unconstitutional. Beyond that, everyone pretty much agrees that (like the first impeachment effort), there simply won’t be enough votes for a conviction. So, why are the Democrats...
