Yesterday's Memories

10 Years Ago

Wednesday June 26, 2013

In a unanimous decision last week, the Montana Supreme Court overturned a District Court ruling that prevented the movement of Yellowstone bison from the Fort Peck Reservation. This clears the way for about half of the bison to be taken to the Fort Belknap Reservation, which was the original plan when 61 bison were brought north last spring after five years of quarantine and testing for brucellosis.

A couple of dry days prevented flash flooding in Valley County Monday night, even though Glasgow received .83 inches of rain. The National Weather Service in Glasgow warned of thunderstorms and heavy rain for most of Northeastern Montana on Monday afternoon and flash flooding warnings were issued Monday night. The Zortman Mine did get dumped on – 1.72 inches fell there.

A committee met at the courthouse on June 20 to vote on revisions to the Valley County Resource Use Plan. Envisioned in 1973 as something necessary for the "health, safety and welfare of the county," the first interim plan was written in 1991 and petitioned into existence, according to Sierra Stoneberg-Holt, a committee member. The 2003 plan was first revised in 2006, and interested people have been trying to get a new revision since 2010.

Sleek drawings and artful computer presentations dazzled the Glasgow School Board on Tuesday as they interviewed three design teams for the $16.8 million school construction project. The plan calls for building a New Irle School right next to the old one while school is in session. Five classrooms, more bathrooms and a new entrance are planned for East Side. The district central kitchen will be moved from Irle to the high school and the high school locker rooms will be modified.

The residents of Valley View Home will personally feel the benefits of a new grant from the William and Blanche Hetzel Foundation. The grant will bring massage therapist Ann Stanley to Valley View a couple of times a week to offer another way of healing.

The Reds finally lost. After 17 straight victories, the Glasgow Reds fell 11-3 to the Calgary PBF Redbirds during the Harold Gjerde Memorial Tournament in Lewistown this weekend. The loss dropped the Reds to the third place game of the tournament, which they eventually won 9-5 over Great Falls.

25 Years Ago

Thursday July 2, 1998

They reschedule Wimbledon when it rains. The World Series has been rained out. The Longest Dam Race is not canceled because of 50 mph wind and slashing rain. This is Montana, after all. It makes a good story for the runners to tell later. There were scores of otherwise rational people who got up early Saturday morning, looked out the window at the weather and still came to register late and join in on the "fun."

State Senator Daryl Toews of Lustre has presented his objections, in person and in writing, to the Valley County Commissioners on their decision to publish the entire list of tax delinquents. The commissioners announced three weeks ago that every delinquency, no matter how recent or small, would be printed in a legal notice in the Courier.

Summer is not a lazy time at all for Glasgow's new head football coach. Charles Syverson has his hands full with football camps, interviews for new staff, and running the weight room and open gym at the high school.

The teams have all gone home and the dust has settled, but something new remains in Peerless after the Little League Tournament. Amidst all of the improvements on the field – a new scoreboard, a fence was started in the outfield made of boards from local businesses, donations and brand boards, with brands from local ranchers painted on a bit of nostalgia was unveiled at the opening ceremony. Above the scoreboard there is now a sign that reads, "Puckett Field."

Montana's State Wide "bed tax" collections declined four percent for the first quarter of 1998, the first statewide decline since the tourism related tax was created in 1987. Bozeman, Butte, and the Gold West County tourism region reported first quarter growth while the other seven reporting communities and five tourism regions each reported declines.

The Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Church in Lustre burned to the ground early Sunday morning. No one was injured in the blaze, but the 71 year old structure and all its contents were lost. The fire was noticed by Pastor John Skillman and his wife, Sharon at about 2:30 a.m. The fire started at the point where the electric wires went into the church.

50 Years Ago

Thursday June 28, 1973

The Pioneer Museum on Highway 2 West completes its first year of operation with some 19,600 visitors viewing the displays. A recent addition to the veteran's section is a bass drum which was acquired after WWII in commemoration of those who served from the Frazer area.

A total of 70 years of experience stepped out of the ranks at the Glasgow Post Office, Tuesday night, and into the realm of retirement. M.L. Selter, Great Falls postal inspector completed a transfer of accountability necessary to clear Postmaster H.M. Halverson and Assistant Post Master Harry Benson for their retirement, effective June 30. The two top officials at the local office "came up through the ranks" from similar starting positions as clerk-carriers and all but four years of their combined service was spent in the Glasgow office.

Motorcyclists soon will be required to wear a helmet while operating their vehicle inside the city – as well as out – Mayor Jim Christinson stated Wednesday. The mayor said he and the City Council will review the present city ordinance on required equipment for motorcyclists at the next council session and undoubtedly change the statute to comply with the new state law requiring helmets that becomes effective across Montana on July 1.

Gene Sherman, Region 6 Coordinator for the Montana Department of Fish and Game, recently announced the assignment of a new game biologist to the Glasgow Headquarters. Bruce Campbell, the new biologist, is transferring from Libby, Montana, where for the past three years he worked for the Fish and Game Department studying the big game habitat losses related to the Corps of Engineers' Libby Dam Project.

Glendive cowpoke Ron Rochlitz put together a second-place in calf roping, a third in bull dogging and then teamed up with Darrel Crowley to place third in team roping on his way to winning All-Around Cowboy honors at last weekend's NRA and CCA approved rodeo at Opheim.

75 Years Ago

Thursday July 1, 1948

The Valley Ridgerunners Saddle Club's third annual Cowhands' Jamboree at the Fairgrounds Saturday and Sunday attracted a record crowd and, in the judgement of spectators, was the best rodeo ever staged here.

Sherman W. Smith of Helena, Republican candidate for the Lieutenant Governor nomination in the primary election, was a Glasgow visitor Wednesday on a campaign tour east along the Hi-Line. Mr. Smith has served as State Representative from Lewis and Clark County and also as county attorney of the county.

June rainfall of 3.44 inches was almost a half inch above the normal figure of 2.95 inches for the month, according to the monthly summary prepared at the Glasgow office of the Weather Bureau. But the June figure is far below the record, which was 10.29 inches recorded in the big flood year of 1923.

Glasgow golfers fired some low rounds, but other teams were hot too, in Chinook Sunday and the local team wound up in third place in northern district state golf play.

With heavy inflows continuing of the past week, the Fort Peck reservoir has now exceeded its previous record level, it was reported at the engineer office Wednesday. Last year's previous peak high lake had reached an elevation 2242.60, while at midnight Tuesday the huge leak had reached tan elevation of 2243.92. Peak operating level is 2250. The reservoir capacity is now 17,961,000 acre feet, the equivalent of the foot of water on 17,961,000 acres of land.

The federal reserve bank said new business records were set in Montana and neighboring states of the ninth federal reserve district last month. "Expanded credit is a major factor in increased department store sales which reached 306 percent of the 1935-39 average in the district last month," the bank's monthly business review said.

Playing for the first time in many years with baseball suits, Frazer's team came from behind to defeat Prairie Elk, 24 to 13, in a free scoring contest here Sunday afternoon.