Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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Montana and other Western states are blessed with some of the most expansive grasslands on earth, which are optimal for grazing cattle. East and west coast residents do not understand what it takes to care for a ranch; they do not realize the bureaucratic burdens, and they do not care about the costs ranchers pay to stay in compliance. Frankly, they do not understand Montana, but that does not stop them from meddling. Too many unelected Washington bureaucrats who only think Glasgow is a city in Scotland and Malta is a country in the...
Last Wednesday, Jan. 20, I attended Representative Ryan Zinke’s visit at the Malta High School. The subject of the meeting was BLM’s proposed approval of the American Prairie Reserve’s application to run bison yearlong on the former Holzey Ranch in southern Phillips County. There was a big Phillips County crowd plus several Valley County ranchers and a group from Fergus County to voice their concerns. Congressman Zinke was asked to intercede to force BLM to a fairer decision. BLM has issued a proposed decision to allow APR to remove all inter...
Do you remember the days before UPS and FedEx, or even before airplane mail delivery? Online shopping has become the thing, and you can have your parcel delivered to your doorstep in two days! Some of us remember when all mail came by train (no, I am not going back to Pony Express). One of our readers was remembering when their family received walnuts and fruit from relatives in states where those items were for the picking. These arrived by train, and that individual’s family lived close to a train station in a little community. The train w...
Since first falling in love with Montana 40 years ago, I knew that I wanted to make a life here. When we started our high tech company RightNow Technologies here in Montana, we had a lot of people tell us it wouldn’t work. People said, “Greg, you can’t start a global technology business in Montana.” Not only did we ended up creating over a thousand jobs, giving folks in places like Bozeman an average salary nearing $90,000 per year, I was also able to raise all 4 of my kids here. Fast forward to a few months ago. We know that there are Montana...
Common courtesy, like common sense, isn't so very common. There seems to be more rudeness than there used to be. The trash talk that athletes throw at each other in sporting events seems to be invading all aspects of life. People in this country revere their sports heroes, so it's really no surprise to find their actions being emulated, but this behavior is not worth emulating. Facebook is rife with rudeness. There are nasty comments galore, usually from total strangers. It's easy to be rude to someone you don't know. It doesn't seem to matter...
“Did you hear about the new baby the Murphys had?” “No. Is there a problem?” “Yes. The child is retarded. What kind of life will she have?” Two people take seats at a table in a restaurant. As they look to the occupants at the table to their right, one whispers to the other, “Let’s move. I don’t want to sit by a kid who can’t keep his tongue in his mouth.” As a couple who have been looking at a house they are interested in buying are leaving they notice a man across the street pushing a young man in a wheelchair. The occupant of the wheel...
Last week a friend asked me what I would write about if there were to be no repercussions. He said he’d choose politics, and confided he didn’t think very highly of the current crop of presidential hopefuls. I’m in agreement with him on that topic. And of course, he got my mind working on this subject. In the past, the general feeling in this country was that campaigning for political office was distasteful and beneath a person of worth. One should sit and wait to be chosen. In 1821, Representative William Lowndes of South Carolina stated, “The...
As I read what used to be called the funny papers — which was actually the news section of a newspaper, not the comics — I continually wonder how people come up with viewpoints that are based on misinformation that is completely different than the facts warrant. I probably wouldn’t worry so much about it if it didn’t matter so much, but since I like being in a democracy and since voting is so important to that and since whatever passes for information influences voters, I do. I worry even more when I hear politicians complain that people...
Time and time again, when our nation is in need, Montanans answer the call of duty. We are all grateful for our veterans’ service to our nation, but just saying “thank you” is not enough. Vietnam veterans are entering their retirement years and a younger generation of veterans is coping with the unseen wounds of a decade of war. This combined with a strain of resources and a bureaucratic health care process at the VA has caused increased wait times that are unacceptable. I’ve heard from veterans here in Valley County and all across Montana...
“An elective despotism was not the government we fought for; but one in which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced among the several bodies of magistracy as that no one could transcend their legal limits without being effectually checked and restrained by the others.”–James Madison Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams and Thomas Jefferson were wary of the ratification on the Constitution in 1788. They feared it would give too much power to a centralized federal government. Rightly so, our founding fathers had profound distr...
One of the great things about growing up and living in the same community most of your life is the opportunity to “Remember” with others who recall the same memories. I enjoy the opportunity to visit with readers, and have them share with me. Recently one of the Courier readers was commenting on warm footwear of the past, mentioning the sheep (fleece) lined boots and felt boots that were worn. Yes, I also remember seeing that footwear during the winter. Of course these were not the outerwear, but usually worn inside bulky rubber overshoes. Ano...
I totally agree with Howard Pippin’s letter and his words about Virgil Vaupel’s “tell-it-like-it-is” articles in the Courier. Virgil’s great experiences, supported by facts, were a pleasure to read and it is too bad to lose his interesting articles. It seems like it is always easier to criticize than to compliment. Hopefully he will have a change of heart and continue entertaining us. – Andy Strommen Mesa, Arizona...
Last week I wrote a column titled To My Grandchildren. There was more I wanted to add to that column but wasn’t able to, so this week I’m finishing what I wanted to say. Refrain from gossiping. It isn’t good for anyone -- not for the person you are talking about and especially not for you. Many times when not all the facts are known about a person’s situation, people will add their own idea to the story. Don’t be a part of saying things about another person that are not true. Gossip has been known to destroy a person’s life. You don’t want...
The news of the death of rocker David Bowie and the listings of all his accomplishments has me thinking of my mortality and what kind of legacy I’m leaving behind. (David was the same age my big brother is now. I admire the both of them.) I’m afraid my obit notice will be very short: she loved to garden and crochet. However, legacies are for famous people such as presidents and rock stars. I’m not in either category, so it’s not really something over which I need to obsess. I will be content with what I’ve accomplished. I hope my daughters...
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) season is here and nonprofit Student Assistance Foundation encourages all Montanans who want to pursue postsecondary education in the upcoming academic year to complete this form. With the nation-wide concern about student debt, it’s important to emphasize that the FAFSA isn’t all about student loans. Instead, it is about access to a wide range of education funding opportunities. Students and families who complete the FAFSA open doors to about $150 billion in different forms of federal stu...
What happens if we lose Colstrip? “It’ll look like Ground Zero.” That’s what the mayor of Colstrip told me during a recent visit. To Colstrip moms like Cheryl Fulkerson, it means her husband and her son may both lose their jobs in the coal industry. And, it means the place that she has called home for 21 years may no longer exist. I could see the tears in Cheryl’s eyes as she introduced me to local officials and business owners concerned about the future of Colstrip. Even the realtor told me, “No homes are selling.” But it’s not just Cheryl...
Last week, in two separate stings in Texas and California, the FBI arrested two Iraqi refugees for connections to terrorism. These individuals were screened in accordance with the Obama Administration’s “rigorous” vetting standards, which include interviews, fingerprinting and running refugees’ names against databases. It didn’t work. As I have long warned, these individuals cannot be properly vetted because such counter-terrorism databases simply do not exist in the nations the refugees are emigrating from. Back in November, I introduce...
I love seeing the pictures of old Glasgow buildings, or other historical places that are often in the Courier. I am sure that comes as a shock when you consider that I like remembering the “old stuff”. The old County Courthouse often comes to mind, as it is prominent in a lot of pictures of Glasgow in an earlier era. Remember when you licensed your vehicles in January and February. I don’t recall the cut of date for updating your plates, but I do remember that you could count on finding a line of people at the Treasurer’s office. This was pro...
On Jan. 3, a group of armed extremists took hold of a government facility, the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, in Oregon. They apparently want the government to hand over this public land to local ranchers, loggers, and miners. The three brothers Bundy, whose father was in the BLM standoff in Nevada in 2014 over grazing rights, are supposedly taking this action in support of the Hammond men who are serving time in prison for burning public land. Especially to the people in this area, their anger is understandable. People who...
Some of you are adults, others are in school, and one is in pre-school. But whatever your age, this is for all of you. For those still in school, you have a very important job -- getting your education. Pay attention in class and do your homework before you do anything else. Respect your teachers. Be honest and truthful. There will be people you may not like, but don’t be mean to them. It will not make you a better person. Being kind to others will. Once you’ve graduated high school, you will have to decide if you are going to college or tra...
This is the time of year when we start thinking about—well—time. If you are reading this you are wondering why time passes so quickly. Many of those who are not reading this—because they haven’t learned how to read yet—are wondering why it passes so slowly. There are students who wonder how a school year can be an eternity and a summer vacation gone in an eye-blink, and then there are some of us who must have too much time on our hands because we are actually spending some of it wondering about this. One theory I’ve heard and liked is that a y...
As I come down to the deadline for getting my opinion piece sent into the Courier (noon on Mondays, in case anyone else needs more pressure to perform in their lives), I’m scrambling for new ideas. As I know I’m expected to fill that space (whether anyone cares to read my offerings or not) what has popped into my mind is this: the difficulties of being both a procrastinator and being reliable. Being a fantastic life-long procrastinator, the first thing I did was look up the definition of that word so I could share it with you, as well as fil...
Do you remember the days when most of the livestock feeding during the winter months was done using a team of horses or mules? Once there was snow on the ground a Bobsled was used. Most of us can picture a team of horses pulling a wagon. Thanks to various members of our community we have had the privilege of seeing a team of horses pulling a wagon, usually at Christmas time or parades. The wagons used for feeding on snow did not have 4X4 drive, but were equipped with sled runners both front and back allowing for easier pulling. Feeding...
It is the time to be thinking of New Year Resolutions. I searched my mind for anything I might remember about these resolutions and the only thing I could remember is the fact few of us keep them for very long. So I decided long ago to not make that effort. I did discover the fact that resolutions for the New Year started some 4,000 years ago. I don’t think many of them were kept for long either, as it seemed most of them had to do with finance and debt. Yes, even then. So my mind has skipped over the resolution issue to other memories. Do y...
Another year is ending. Seems like I just get started on a new year and it’s over, leaving me to wonder how it could have flown by so fast. With a new year approaching, people are going over resolutions they want to make - things they hope to do, goals they wish to reach, changes they want to make in their lives. I gave up making New Year’s resolutions a long time ago. Simply because the year ended without my resolutions being accomplished. It wasn’t for lack of trying to keep them. It was more because I’d eventually forget what they were. T...
