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Point of correction/clarification. Related to a recent LTE. The public health nurse position is as a hired employee only. The "Medical Dr" is a nurse and is an appointed position made by the commissioners & the duties are as a consultant/advisor only. Neither position has the authority to vote nor assume the right to change policy or act outside of their job description or policies. That authority is only relegated to the Commissioners. An inference r/t the comment "medical cartel controlling our CDC, our HIH, and John Hopkins" doesn't mention...
Her'es a novel idea on the subject of abortion. Don't get pregnant. I'm 80 years old and grew up in an era void of legal abortions or birth control. If we got pregnant we had the little darlings. Then a miracle. The birth control pill was developed. It was control finally. It was there for anyone that wanted to decide when they wanted a baby, and no one had to face that dreaded decision of abortion because now it's legal. 50 years later instead of taking the birth control pill, they are using abortion as birth control. So sad. Educated women,...
Letter to Editor We in Thompson Falls lost such a special man this past week with the passing of Don Burrell. Don devoted his life to his family and helping others. He was an active member of local organizations, and there was never a Sanders County Fair that Don didn’t work so hard in heat, dust and often smoke. But the most inspiring qualities that define Don are his kindness, his willingness to do whatever was needed to help people. Don was the most giving and caring of men. He exemplified qualities that we should all hope to have. I’m sur...
What if Public Policy could be “Dead Wrong”? In Mindy Ferrell’s LTE of November 2 she proclaims putting aside personal opinion to serve the public good and only and always follow public policy. Sanders County residents should be grateful their Health Board acted responsibly by their decision to no longer offer COVID vaccines. Citing safety reasons and lack of proper testing is a positive outcome that informs me our County Health Board is watching out for each of us. In addition, the Public Health Officer recommends individuals who still desir...
Good morning Annie, Yesterday I attended the Commissioners meeting to hear Monica Trunell speak. I was disappointed I did not see the presence of the Ledger covering her as another viable candidate running for office, relevant to our area. I attended Ryan Zinke's presentation to speak to the commissioners. The Ledger was front and center reporting to Sanders County, his platform messages. In my world view, I have watched over the last 8 years, media in all forms, share culpability in selective messaging contributing to the division and civic di...
Public employees are tasked with carrying out public policy. That’s true for school teachers (which I was), for our county commissioners, and also for our county’s public health nurse. But, voiced at the Oct. 11 Board of Health meeting, County Nurse Debbie Lang announced that she made the personal decision not to offer Covid-19 vaccines to anyone through Sanders County’s Public Health Department. Ms. Lang has the personal freedom to form her own opinions about the safety of the Covid vaccine; she should not have the authority to personally deny...
We, Dave and Debbie Lyman, are responding to an article in the Ledger concerning the ‘private’ Sawtooth Mountain EMS (SMEMS) ambulance service now being dispatched in Heron. Many folks who live in Heron do not know the background of this controversy. We wish to explain what we saw take place at numerous public meetings. Proponents of a Quick Response Unit (QRU), under the auspices of the Heron Rural Fire District (HRFD) began pushing their agenda on social media, without speaking directly to the HRFD Board. The HRFD Board was eventually approac...
Dear Editor, I don’t know who needs to hear this – but soccer is big in Sanders County. And the kids that play – they’re really good! I help coach the senior girls soccer team at Clark Fork Soccer – a club soccer program in Plains, Thompson Falls, St. Regis, Superior, and Hot Springs. I’m tremendously lucky to have talented players, a committed team of coaches, good quality facilities, and supportive parents and families. It’s easy to be a great coach when so many are so committed to excellence. We SHOULD be proud of these kids – I know I am...
The Clark Fork Soccer Alliance is grateful for the Ledger's coverage of soccer in the county. Annie Wooden's words of support in the Sept. 28 Ledger were especially welcome. I have never fancied myself a soccer person but I have grown to respect the sport almost as much as my first love, basketball. The parallels between the two sports are intriguing. Since moving to Thompson Falls sixteen years ago, I have been involved with the local soccer program as a program coordinator, registrar, parent, fan, and most recently as the assistant coach of...
Children thrive in environments that are consistent and safe. It’s where nurturing and thriving coexist in a world that can be utterly chaotic. Saying was, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” However that’s seemingly changed. Instead of maintaining, our society is quick to toss what could be fine and find new. This has proven true recently with a few school districts in Sanders County. Our community had a safe, logical agreement for students attending school out-of-district. That agreement was recently revoked with the unfortunate events of a...
Editor, We read your article (Ledger- October 12) concerning the Sawtooth Mountain EMS service in Heron. We look forward with interest to reading your article presenting the other side of this story. Sincerely, Debbie and Dave Lyman, Heron...
Letter to Editor I recently heard a statement that “there are too many people on the city Council of _____ political persuasion and that balance needs to be changed by electing new people to the council”. That statement reflects a lack of understanding of the council and does a tremendous disservice to those serving on the council. The city council is a nonpartisan body tasked with making the best decisions for a city and its residents based on facts and knowledge of city needs. Politics do not come into play on the council, regardless of wha...
It’s great that both Plains and Thompson Falls School Districts made baseball happen for boys from Noxon to Hot Springs! It’s a great game and the options for high school boys to play otherwise are expensive, require lengthy drives and they have to make the Legion cut. Both school boards approved the addition and then subsequently worked out coop agreements with Hot Springs and Noxon schools respectively to make it happen. The kids win when things come together. It’s my hope both school boards give soccer in this valley the same consi...
Dear Editor, More than one in four Montana high school students currently use e-cigarettes, and the disposable e-cigarettes many of them use are bigger and badder than ever before. According to a recent study in Tobacco Control, the amount of e-liquid a disposable e-cigarette device can hold increased by 518% and the average nicotine strength increased by 294%. As a result, the amount of nicotine in some disposable e-cigarettes is now comparable to several cartons of cigarettes. E-liquids have also dropped in price, making it easier for kids to...
Among several potential candidates for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction in the next election is Sharyl Allen, who works as an assistant to Elsie Arntzen, current OPI chief. Allen is in the news because her work history is a bit sketchy; apparently she has left more than one contract uncompleted in more than one state. Allen’s supporters call her such things as innovative and creative, while others from teaching staff to board members just can’t get along with her. My point here is not to evaluate Allen’s candidacy, but rather to poi...
It’s hard to figure out a reputable media source to gather accurate information with countless avenues to obtain news in our country. It is vital to distinguish between opinion and fact to avoid having different bases of information. Facts can’t be argued against as they are provable. Unfortunately, people often disagree on what is factual and what isn’t. Opinion is someone’s perspective and can be argued against. It is vital to know the difference to avoid pointless arguments. Criteria for a reliable news source would require no fabrication, d...
It is not unusual to hear people complaining bitterly about road closures on public lands. A certain amount of resentment is natural, when you encounter a gate or barrier blocking motorized access to what looks like a perfectly good road. What gives? Actually, road closures are not the result of a nefarious plot by evil people who want to take away our freedoms. The Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Collaborative (KFSC) wants the public to be aware that there are some solid reasons why not all forest roads are open to motor vehicles. Many years of...
Dear Annie Wooden, Thank you for the honesty about you wearing different hats, as well as the comments and actions of the public in relation to reporters. I have comments and thoughts on both of those topics. A colleague of mine gave me a tip on how to recognize if I was still stressing about the work I did at a Washington (DOC) pre-release when I was a licensed addictions counselor. He said he picks a point or imaginary line in his road home and if work is still bothering him he has a plan to resolve and reduce stress: music, talking with a su...
Editor, In response to the editorial, Access to Information Should Not Be Denied, in the July 14 issue, I would first like to share that the widespread "book ban" you address, is nothing of the sort. The Oxford dictionary defines ban as "officially or legally prohibit." The destruction of any material in question is not what's being called for. It is the simple fact that we are dealing with minors who are in the process of vital development. Books that contain information on sexual content and other complex topics have no place in the hands of...
Student absences can wreak havoc with a teacher’s daily lesson plans, so I was at one time pretty impatient about parents who failed to land their kids in school on time and every school day. One family seemed particularly careless about this, and over some months I had come to judge those parents in uncomplimentary terms, particularly since the father was a county law enforcement officer who from my perspective should have been setting a better example. Then early one morning my wife and I were headed west through Thompson Falls, not yet at t...
The Northwestern Energy (NWE) Thompson Falls Hydro facility is working on the renewal of their Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license. The last license was issued in 1979. I believe NWE has been and will continue to be excellent stewards of the Clark Fork River and surrounding lands, but with the new license proposal there are a few items of concern. The previous license allowed NWE to draft (lower) the reservoir level up to four feet at any given time. Over the last 45 years or so, NWE chose not to use the 4 foot draft as a normal...
The Northwestern Energy (NWE) Thompson Falls Hydro facility is working on the renewal of their Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license. The last license was issued in 1979. I believe NWE has been and will continue to be excellent stewards of the Clark Fork River and surrounding lands, but with the new license proposal there are a few items of concern. The previous license allowed NWE to draft (lower) the reservoir level up to four feet at any given time. Over the last 45 years or so, NWE chose not to use the 4 foot draft as a normal... Full story
When I was an undergraduate English student I encountered the ivory-tower assumption that being educated had something to do with mankind’s search for what is good, beautiful and true. The corollary was that continuous reading of both current and historic literature was necessary to become truly educated. In other words, wisdom was the goal, familiarity with literature was method. Perhaps a bit conceitedly, practical purposes of schooling were considered less important. This assumption formed the classical education as practiced by Europeans, a...
Each June, National Healthy Homes Month raises awareness on housing-related health hazards and the steps to take for safe, healthy homes. This year’s theme is “Connecting Home, Health, and YOU” to highlight the important relationship between housing quality and health. One substantial way to maintain a healthy home is to keep it smokefree, whether it’s a private home or an apartment. There is no safe amount of secondhand smoke exposure, and the home is the main place many children and adults are exposed. Secondhand smoke can cause damage...
As I write this, Senate Bill 337, an act “generally revising laws involving parental rights,” dealing specifically with parents’ rights involving curriculum and instruction in public schools, has been sent to the governor’s desk for signing. In my view, this law is a solution seeking a problem. I say that because in 34 years’ experience in public education, I never once saw parents denied access to viewing or discussing curriculum in their school. I did see parents lose their argument, mainly because they came in hot and when they’d vented, the...
