Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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I attended a social gathering several years ago in the Bitterroot Valley. As the hostess stood nearby, I admired the mountains framed by the tall windows in her home. “The view out my window is the most stunning in the state!” she said. “It’s why we moved here!” I told her I had an ocean view out my window and she looked puzzled. “I thought you lived in eastern Montana?” “I do!” I replied. My genetic roots run deep in the high plains of northern and southeastern Montana. In the early 1900s, when my homesteader grandparents stepped off the E...
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is whether Child Protective Services (CPS) does a good job of deciding when to remove kids from abuse and neglect situations. As you can guess, there is a wide range of reactions to CPS decisions. On the one hand, parents are understandably terribly upset when children are removed from their care. On the other hand, those who call in the suspected abuse or neglect, called reporters, are often frustrated when a home is investigated and no removal occurs. The short answer is yes, I believe CPS, at...
Do you remember when Glasgow did not have a Pacific [Steel & Recycling]? There may be some readers that do remember, however rumor has it that Glasgow has had a Pacific facility for over 100 years. The announcement of their closing was quite a shock. Pacific Steel and Recycling has operating under a couple of different names. A lot of us still call it Pacific Hide and Fur. The different reactions to this announced closure have been interesting. Where will we get fence posts, or for those of us that do a lot of our own repairs, where will be...
With the news of Conrad Burns’ passing late last week, Montanans lost a member of the family. From across the state prayers were offered for Phyllis and the Burns family and fond memories were shared. Conrad was a dedicated husband to Phyllis and father to Garrett and Keely. He was an auctioneer, a high school referee, an agriculture broadcaster and founder of Northern Ag Network, a county commissioner, a U.S. Senator and always a U.S. Marine. He loved his family, he loved Montana and he loved his country. And on Thursday, Conrad passed away w...
It took me 73 years and 71 days but I have finally had it! I know I have mentioned this before, but it seems to have fallen on deaf eyes, especially mine, but I don’t see a tangible solution to the growing problem. Several or more of the presidential candidates have given the problem token air time, but I fear there is nothing even the newly-elected president, or president-ess, can do about it. Every time we go to the hardware store, the super market, the clothing store, the farm tractor selling place, the appliance store: every time we go t...
Dear Residents: As you have probably heard, city of Glasgow has been in the process of determining which courses of action to take in regards to the future source of Glasgow’s drinking water. As a public water provider, the city understands the effort and commitment it takes to operate and manage a safe and reliable water system. The City Council is also sensitive and understanding to the residents of Glasgow, and the cost incurred to the water and sewer rate payer. If you have lived here for any length of time, you may recall that this t... Full story
Almost every day, I see a post on Facebook of someone complaining that millennials are over-privileged and want to succeed but they don’t want to work hard for it. It is one of the most ironic things. You see all of these posts, and realize all of these people are using a social media site created by a millennial, Mark Zuckerburg. You will hear people talking about how the music of today’s generation is bad, yet the music industry of today is the most diverse it has ever been. I’m sorry you didn’t get the chance to grow up on hip-hop, rap or... Full story
While listening to the radio one day this week, I heard a notice regarding the date the Hi-line Wool Pool would be shipping wool. Two thoughts crossed my mind. The first being that it was really early in the year to be shipping wool, and the other was that of shipping wool with the Valley County Wool Pool. Shipping day for the Wool Pool. Remember when shearing was done after the ewes were done lambing? That was a noisy, confusing time for the young lambs. Imagine how different “mommy” looked after being submitted to the clippers. Now she...
Looking at the bane of social media i.e. Facebook, I am bewildered on how polarized we have become. I see the posts stating so and so will leave America if Trump is elected. No they won’t. No one will. If a conservative like myself can survive eight years of President Obama, two of those under Democrat control of the entire Legislative Branch and the gift that just keeps on giving, the Affordable Healthcare Act (guess what Max Baucus, my rates did go up just as I predicted!! Thanks for the rabbit punch!!!), the left leaning entertainment i...
I have gone back and retread my last sewing notions column. I fail to see where I was promulgating the “Absolute Relativism” that Mr. DePuydt seems to have read into it. (He also mentions “Natural Law” being thrown out. Apparently I have greater powers than I was aware of. I’m not even sure what he means by this.) I will agree that different people see things differently. What is natural to one is abhorrent to another (and this works both ways). As a friend of mine often said, “You can’t legislate morality.” What is true for one is not necessar...
I’ve been bitten. Bitten by the spring cleaning, gardening, yard cleaning, flower planting and painting bug. Several weeks ago, I purchased a small picnic table that has three benches. The benches are gray -- but not for long. As soon as I can, they will each be painted a different, bright color. Each board that makes up the table will also be painted in different colors so that when I’m done, I’ll have a rainbow table and benches. The white patio table is going to receive a new coat of paint as well. And it’s going from white to silver....
I must have pulled a Rip Van Winkle! It is hard to realize that it has been almost 40 years since I became involved with the Pioneer Museum. It has been a wonderful experience. About 1977 or so, Irma McInerney and Gladys Silk approached me about becoming part of the Historical Society. Having always had a love of history, it sounded like a good fit for me. A little bit of background on the museum. The Diamond Jubilee of the county we all celebrated in 1962 was when the people became aware of the need for a museum in Valley County. One of the...
Do you remember when the “Cops” walked their beat? That is a phrase from the past, as I am not sure just what the word “beat” meant, but I assume it would be a designated area they patrolled each day or night. That was back when the young ones were taught that policemen were their friends. I know that there were a number of men who served our city and county as police officers, but there are several that come to my mind, those being Mr. Abern, Mr. Sather and Mr. Baynum. My husband often shares a memory of his first exposure with local policem...
The Republican field with 17 candidates pursuing the GOP nomination was referred to as a great bench. Some we knew, many we did not. I listened to Trump’s announcement of his candidacy and he immediately got my attention after seven plus years in which I perceived that the Federal Government was at war with US citizens. It was nice to see someone speaking out forcibly with no concern for political correctness. “I’ll make America great again, I will build the wall and make Mexico pay for it and the problem we have are stupid people making the d...
As Montanans look to enjoy the great outdoors this spring and summer, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and local public health officials urge everyone to follow a few simple steps to prevent tick bites and their illnesses: Limit, repel and inspect. State public health officials receive an average of eight tick-borne illness reports every year, the most common being Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia and Colorado Tick Fever. “The best defense against tick-borne illnesses is by spraying your legs, ankles, pants,...
Imam Said Shakir told the New York Times, under the headline “US Muslim Cleric Seeks Modern Middle Ground.” (A closer look at Said Shakir will show that his birth name was Ricky Mitchell and he was raised in Connecticut and Georgia.) Imam Shakir went on to say, “Every Muslim who is honest would say, I would like to see America become a Muslim Country.” Not every Muslim thinks like Shakir, I hear your bleeding heart tell me. I know that. However, it took just 19 or so of them to kill over 3,000 Americans on 911. And here’s yet another thought o...
Letter to the People of Glasgow The Flint Michigan water crisis sprang from government officials’ decision in April 2014, to switch the city’s water source temporality and use water from the Flint River (once an industrial dump site) as a cost-cutting measure. Flint regulators failed to ensure the water was treated properly and lead from aging pipes leached into the water supply. I would like to assure our water users that the city of Glasgow Water Department routinely monitors the quality of the city’s drinking water according to Federal and S... Full story
Different for Different People: Your feminism may be different from mine, but overall, it is the fight to break down walls of gender stereotypes and to obtain equal opportunities for all. Especially for women, because, you know, oppression. NOT About Hatred: Feminism is a lot of things, and it’s quite hard to define in a short-ish blog post, but it most certainly isn’t about hating men or thinking women are “better.” And it definitely isn’t about looking down upon women who choose to abide by more traditional women’s roles, either. It’s about...
A long time ago, I saw a greeting card that said, “You only have today. Make the most of it.” That was brought home to me late Friday when I received a call telling me my cousin, Dorothy, had died. She and I were the sisters that neither of us had. We spent many hours throughout the years laughing, talking, pulling pranks, and later on remembering those times. As teenagers, we did things that we knew we shouldn’t, but did anyway. Like shortening our skirts to above-knee length. Dorothy and her family lived about 30 miles from us. Her dad and my... Full story
The Nashua Art Club, which has been fundraising all year long, took the long-awaited trip to Missoula this past weekend. We took off from the school Thursday morning toward Helena, for our scheduled tour of the internationally acclaimed Archie Bray Clay Foundation. The Archie Bray was founded in 1951 with the help of Peter Voulkos and Rudy Autio, two ceramicists whose work is still found around the grounds. The Foundation is in what was originally a brick-making factory, remnants of which are still found around the grounds, including a large...
In response to a post on social media from my sister (she’s such a catalyst), I’ve just finished posting a photo of myself online. In it, I am holding a small sign saying,” The Bible says: “All are created in the image of God,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Quit mixing Christianity with secular law! “Render unto Caesar...” This was very difficult for me for a couple of reasons. One, I’m very critical of my appearance in photos. I freely admit to vanity, a minor flaw compared to other flaws I have. And two (much more importan...
Remember politics from years past? I do try to stay clear of any mention of politics or religion in my articles, but I cannot believe how much I have learned about our election process in just this last year. Do I not remember correctly (that is a distinct possibility)? I don’t recall learning about the many fine points or potential means of selecting a candidate to run for President. I do remember those classes in junior high and high school, and my perception at the time was that all U.S. citizens had the honored privilege and duty to v...
I just read a book loaned to me by Howard about how the Islamic people will be in command of the world as we know it by the turn of the next century. Want to hear about it? If not, just turn the channel to another station. But as usual, I digress. I started out to tell you how our Millennial grandchildren will be controlled by the Islamic faith, not only here but in Europe, Canada and the rest of the Christian world according to Mark Steyn, author of America Alone, The End Of The World As We Know It. Some of you who read this will scoff and say...
Let's say Bernie Sanders gets elected. He completes his free college plan. Everyone gets their degrees. What happens next? The same thing that has been happening for years. Young people graduate from college and they don’t find a good job. Or they go and find a job that they could have gotten four, five, six years earlier without their degree. In the 2010 US Census, only 62 percent of people with degrees had a job that required one, and 27 percent of people had jobs associated with their degree’s major. Now imagine if everyone could go to col...
A feminist is: “A person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.” You may have heard this particular phrase in Beyonce’s song “Flawless,” but it was originally spoken by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a women’s rights activist, during her Ted Talk, We Should All Be Feminists. As I’ve thought about it, I can’t pin the exact moment when I “became” a feminist, but looking back on my life, I think I have always been moved by strong women. My great-grandmother found her husband in the middle of an affair, divorced hi...
