Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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It was night and I had been sleeping soundly. Suddenly my heart is beating wildly and my thinking that cold hand so close to my throat. Irrational terror, plain unadulterated TERROR, struck me. I never ever had the possibility of sudden violent death in my bedroom! --- and I’m having to experience this episode alone! “Oh, dear God, I beg of you! --- Assist me, I plead with you. You alone can save me from whatever this man had conjured up to violently shorten my precious life. I greatly desire to improve/rectify the essential facets of liv...
Do you remember when everything old was referred to as “Antique?” This term covered most anything that might be older than you were. As with most things in our lives, terminology has also changed and the terms older people use do not necessarily mean the same thing to the younger generation. When we refer to antiques, we need to be aware that they might be “retro” or “vintage” or just “old.” Now, I kinda have a clue as to what the difference is, but I decided to Google it, just to be sure. So for any of you that cares, antiques generally refer...
Last week, our family, with the exception of one daughter and her sons, went out for supper to celebrate our oldest son and his wife’s birthdays. Everyone was having a good time visiting. When the waitress began bringing the pizzas that had been ordered, our 10-year-old grandson said to me, “We can’t start eating yet, Grandma. We have to pray first.” So we waited for the rest of our order, then bowed our heads and joined our grandson as he started a prayer. Sometimes it takes the wisdom of a child to remind adults of what they know they sh...
The United State Supreme Court was established in 1789 by Article III of the Constitution. Originally there were 6 justices. In the 19th century, Congress adjusted this number down to five, up to seven, and then ten. In 1869, it was set at nine. In 1937, President Roosevelt tried to “pack” the court with pro New Deal members, and asked the number of justices be raised all the way to 15. This effort was defeated. Since Justice Scalia’s death there have been two deadlocked cases, but both have been important. The first, United States v. Texas...
The word autonomous used to be attached mostly to governments. According to my Funk and Wagnalls it means “ acting independently or having the ability to do so.” “Robotics” comes to mind as well. Something that doesn’t need continual watching or manipulating to function in the manner it was designed to function. You’ve seen the robotic vacuum cleaner advertised on TV I’m sure. That would be a good description of autonomous and robotics. I wonder if an airplane on auto-pilot would be considered autonomous. Imagine a highway where trucks are be...
This coming Monday is a federal holiday, and much like most of the others, it seems that the only exciting thing about it is that some government employees get the day off. In reality, and much like many of the other holidays, we are celebrating a man who gave his life for this country. Just like Memorial Day, Veterans’ Day, Presidents’ Day and even Christmas, we are honoring a person who sacrificed dearly to advance the safety, justice and conscience of our country. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is no exception to that rule. And, unf...
Have you had the honor of being tagged as the family member that has everything? If you have I know that you can justify it easily. Do you remember when your kids came home needing a school project done by the next morning? That presents a problem even today, but yesterday you couldn’t go to the internet for information, or run uptown for whatever you might need, especially if you got informed of this after 5:00 p.m. BUT if you were lucky, you did know someone that might have what you needed. Books, everyone kept books and magazines because a t...
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...
