Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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Well, 2016 has been hailed by some as the worst year, ever. While that’s plainly nearsighted (remember the Bubonic Plague? A third of Europe succumbed to that black death), it’s been tough for a lot of us. Three fabulous idols, Prince, David Bowie, and George Michael passed away, along with Leonard Cohen and Alan Rickman. Fifty people were shot and killed in an Orlando nightclub. Nice, France happened. Berlin. Aleppo. A beautiful collection of thirty-three young artists died in a warehouse fire in Oakland, Calif. About half the people in our...
Welcome to a new year and a new legislative session. With our eyes toward Montana’s future, we are hopeful that the next 90 days will bring badly needed changes. We must put our state back on a path toward economic stability that creates greater opportunities for all Montanans. This November, the people of Montana sent a strong message to Helena: we are ready for a change in the way our state is run. And with a legislative session ahead that will be largely focused on the budget this will be critical for all Montanans. In our time serving Monta...
When a cat or dog leans their head back for you to pet their throat and upper chest, they are offering you their trust. They are trusting you not to hurt them. And if they roll over and offer you their belly to rub, that is total and complete trust. A young child trusts that their parents will provide their needs -- food, a place to live, clothes to wear. They know if they are sick their parents will see to it they have the medical treatment needed to make them well. They learn their parents want only the best for them and will always help...
Montana has made progress in recent years, but we need to continue to work hard this legislative session to shore up our economy and create good paying jobs across our state. We know that in 2017, we’ll face some serious challenges. Weak oil and gas prices led to a drop in revenue, so money is tight. And unpredictability in the federal government threatens to reverse much of the progress we’ve made. At the same time, we are facing increasing needs for infrastructure improvements across the state. Montana Democrats have a plan to rebuild our cru...
Having been born and raised in Montana I found myself parroting the very ideals I thought made my state great. I adored the conservative, evangelical, fiscally responsible and socially restrictive nature of conservatism for no other reason than that is what everyone else said was true. It wasn’t until I travelled and experienced the world that I began to form my own views, taking on the ideal that what business is it of anyone else what people do privately, and why is it that in the richest country in the world we can have billionaires and home...
Every New Year, you make a list of things you will do to stay healthy so you can feel your best. But, did you realize that feeling your best includes seeing your best too? January is Glaucoma Awareness Month – the perfect time to spread the word about the disease. So, this year, add learning about glaucoma to your list! Your eyes will thank you for it. 1. Glaucoma can cause vision loss and blindness, which can’t be reversed. Glaucoma causes fluid to build up in your eye, causing pressure that can damage the optic nerve, which transfers vis...
It stood like a beacon light, set on a hill, Awaiting the mailman, its vacancy to fill. It stood alone on the Montana prairie And beckoned the mailman not to tarry. A large box for packages and the letter box below. Mail came three times a week, through storms and snow. Sometimes Dad was called upon to come with the team. Winter snowbanks or muddy roads could be really mean. Dedicated carriers were Bill, Alvin and Adolph, as I recall. No package too big, no letter too small, they carried it all. Grandma’s packages from Minnesota, I’ll always re...
On Zinke Please indulge my commentary on Congressman Zinke’s nomination as Secretary of Interior. Opinions and observations are my own and do not represent any recognized group or organization at this time. Mr. Zinke was not my choice in the primaries preceding his first Congressional election, although I did vote for the “R” next to his name in that general election. I feel that it was at best a mistake. I voted for the Libertarian in this recent election. Thus far, he has promoted himself as possible Speaker of the House, Vice Presi...
The 2017 Legislative Session will begin on January 2 and the people of Montana have the chance to weigh in on our state’s priorities. The old saying, “Don’t tell me your priorities; show me your budget,” comes to mind. The budget proposed by Governor Bullock invests in our future in a number of ways. Montana can have a solid physical infrastructure, while at the same time investing in the next generation and providing early education for all Montana’s children. Montana remains one of five states without a statewide pre-K education program....
Some of our friends and relatives had the unpleasant surprise of waking up on Christmas Day to NO ELECTRICITY, instead of stockings hung with care. How devastating, especially if you were in charge of the dinner of the day. This was the time for remembering, remembering how great-grandma might have made dinner for all of the family on any day of the year, let alone on a day of festivities and lots and lots of family. Oh, of course, grandma probably had the luxury of a wood or coal burning kitchen range. If the wood pile ran low, you could...
Several evenings this past couple of weeks as I was driving, I took time to stop and take in the decorations at homes. Happiness showed through quite clearly, not necessarily in the amount of decorations but in the care with which they were put up. I thought about other times when people decorated their homes. Then I thought about how we choose the clothing we wear for special occasions. In a sense, we are decorating ourselves through our attire. And I thought why not decorate our lives through what we do? We can add so much color, not only to...
It’s an honor to represent Montana in the U.S. Senate and work on your behalf to make our state and nation a better place to live and work. As we gather together during this time of year, I hope that you will join me in thanking the brave servicemen and women who are giving so much to defend our freedoms – for their service and sacrifice we are especially grateful. I just wrapped up my 56 County Tour last week stopping in every Montana County during the 114th Congress. Throughout the tour I heard Montanan's concerns and ideas, I heard abo...
We are down to the final countdown for preparations for Christmas. And I am so guilty of procrastination this year! Not even a Christmas card sent and NO, I am not going to resort to Facebook greetings, even though I do enjoy seeing them on FB. Some of us do have a tendency to hold on to old time customs. It has been fun to watch some of the young kids perform for Christmas programs and I remember the programs held in country schools. You could count on some pretty good skits and verses being said and done. The advantage country schools had...
Deciding on thoughtful gifts, decorating the home, making delicious food, and coordinating with friends and family – this common holiday to-do list is enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed or stressed at times. In fact, an American Psychological Association poll found that eight out of ten households say they experience stress during the holidays. This stress was increased for caregivers and for households that have children. And if your family is recovering from a past trauma, loss or disaster, or if the holidays coincide with the a...
Why do singers want to discombobulate, so rudely, the Star Spangled Banner? Folks, this tune should be revered not reviled. I hear singer after singer trying to put their own twist to this wonderful yet difficult to sing song, failing miserably, most of the time. As written, the song has a definite number of notes but a majority of the performers insist on taking it to a level that renders the song undistinguishable to the human ear. I've heard young women in sports venues drag it on to over two minutes trying to make it their own. Ladies,...
Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter -- even anniversaries and birthdays -- all have on thing in common. They bring out traditions. Traditions are important in our lives. They bring memories of past holidays and celebration. Stories are told of other times when family and friends gathered together. In carrying out traditions children learn about their heritage, their family’s history. They hear of the struggles of their ancestors and how they overcame them to succeed in providing for their families. Sharing stories of past events als...
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decreed that - in law, Puffery is a promotional statement or claim that expresses subjective rather than objective views, which no “reasonable person” would take literally. Whaaat? Seem that the FTC says it is perfectly ok if your Italian BMT doesn’t look anything like the picture of the one hanging on the wall menu. See, the one on the wall shows about a half pound of meat along with a whole garden salad of veggies and a huge assortment of cheese. The thing is so stuffed with BMT that the bun gapes open...
There are many lenses to witness the magic of Christmas, but the most important focus is on the Christ child. Central to the Christmas story is that Jesus entered the world as a helpless infant, born into a soon-to-be-refugee family, who would live in the shadow of danger his entire life. Looking at the trauma surrounding his youth, is it any wonder that Jesus spoke out for the child? Of course, Jesus had an extraordinary mother, always nearby and ready to protect him…but there are children in Valley County who aren’t so lucky. Abused and neg...
For those who have been wondering about why my column hasn’t been in the Courier: My husband and I left on Nov. 16 for Iowa to spend Thanksgiving with my brother and to visit with other family members and friends. We returned on Nov. 29. But by the time we did I was fighting a really nasty cold. A clerk at a checkout counter in a store I was in was sneezing and coughing and not covering their face or turning their head. Consequently, I was infected. For the past several weeks I have been sleeping a great deal and now feel I am on the road to be...
Opening a Montana medical care savings account by Dec. 31 to help with medical expenses not covered by a health insurance policy or flexible spending account can help individuals save on taxes, according to Marsha Goetting, a family economics specialist with Montana State University Extension. “Up to $3,000 of a deposit into the account, per taxpayer, is deductible from an individual’s 2016 Montana adjusted gross income, thus reducing taxes,” Goetting said. “This tax advantage does not apply to your federal income taxes, however, and should...
In working the articles the Courier has published on the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program, I have felt compelled to push hard for those considering volunteering to really discern their decision. I hope maybe to inspire some of you to truly reflect, and take the time to be that person who helps a child through their hardest time. Mark Douglass makes a compelling case for how much of an impact a single CASA can have in helping children by advocating for them and truly being a strong voice for those so often misunderstood and...
Trump’s no dummy. But neither is he brilliant. A brilliant person who has just become President-elect of the United States would not make such a statement as “I will be a president for all the people.” Hey! President-elect Trump I am not in favor of same sex marriages. How are you going to make me change my feelings on that subject? I am not in favor of the TTP agreement although many are. Are you going to make me like it? I’m favorable to the XL pipeline project. How are you going to MAKE those opposed change their minds? My opinion is that...
I have never really understood the Electoral College (EC). Recently a friend and I were talking about people who are apparently trying to convince electors to the EC not to vote for President-elect Donald Trump, and he asked me if this was possible. The 538 electors meet Dec. 19 this year to officially vote for the President. The EC has a long and fascinating history (which I can only touch on here), and a surprising answer to the question as to whether they are bound delegates nationwide. History of the Electoral College: Originally, Article...
I am not going to lie. I truly do feel the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to deny an easement for the DAPL under Lake Oahe in North Dakota was a true win for all Americans. Why do I believe this? First of all, people have the right to peacefully assemble to influence their government. With the knowledge that some are going to be rowdy and unruly as others peacefully protest, I think this was a good example of mass protests handled in a mostly-respectable way, all things considered. At the very least, it didn’t end in a shootout with Sta...
While driving to town the other day, I was listening to the news concerning the issues at the University of Massachusetts concerning the flying of OUR American flag. So many “remembers” flooded my mind: memories of my school days, when each day started with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. We all STOOD each morning, facing the wall or area of the room where the flag was displayed. Hand over heart we recited the Pledge. Remember, my generation was born during or shortly after World War II. The flag had real significance to each and eve...
