Yesterday's Memories

10 Years Ago:

Wednesday

July 17, 2013

A Valley County Sheriff's Deputy is expanding the common practice of mutual aid in Rural Montana to start a regional SWAT team. Chief Deputy Reed Mesman has begun making plans with eight law enforcement agencies to train and equip a tactical team for high-risk situations. The sheriff's departments in the five counties in Northeast Montana, the Glasgow and Wolf Point police departments and the Fort Peck Tribes are all participating.

Glasgow has a new contract for an animal shelter to care for dogs and cats impounded by the police department. At the regular City Council meeting on Monday, they voted to approve an 11-month contract with Matt and Lisa Baxter, who own Valley Visions Paints on Skylark Road. The arrangement pays $625 a month, plus $20 per dog or cat impounded (not to exceed $120 per month).

The Glasgow School Board had the hiring of activity director Willie Thibault as head girls' basketball coach on the agenda for last Wednesday's regular meeting, but ended up not voting on the item. Tibault was the Glasgow girls' coach for five years, resigning in April 2012. He had earlier coached at several other schools in Montana and North Dakota. Chuck Barstad coached the girls last year but declined to continue.

The Northeast Montana Relay for Life will be held at a new venue this year, after setting up for many years at the Glasgow High School track. Organizers were making their plans last spring before voting on the two levies took place. If the second part of the levy had passed, the track would have been under construction right now, so a plan B was necessary.

The Glasgow Reds have been called out at home. It was bound to happen at some point, even for a team as good as the league leading Reds, but no, not like this. The American Legion Baseball Eastern A District Tournament, scheduled for next week at Glasgow's Bill Connors Field, was being moved to Billings at basically the last minute. The field's condition – or perceived condition – is why. Todd Glaser, board president of legion baseball in Glasgow, told the Courier that "numerous complaints from other teams and parents" were made about the ballpark's outfield. "It was a safety issue is what I'm told, I guess the expectations of what the field condition needs to be for a district tournament has risen in recent years. The sandlot days are over, I guess. You used to just go out and have a good time."

Back in the early part of 1988 in the back room of Sam's Supper Club, the Montana Governor's Cup Walleye Tournament was born. Brainstorming the idea were Tim Newton, Greg Pauley, Steve Shindler and Sam's owner Diane Brandt. With a coastline longer than that of California, Fort Peck reservoir seemed the perfect venue for the tournament. When approached with the idea, the Glasgow Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture embraced it and ran with it – amassing a first year participant count of 130 entries. The tournament's economic impact to the community in 2012 was an estimated $117,500, second only to the class C girls and boys basketball tourney's $225,000.

25 Years Ago:

Thursday

July 23, 1998

Dignitaries gathered in blazing afternoon heat at Fort Peck Lake on Friday, July 17, to dedicate the Fort Peck Marina Breakwater and the Lewis and Clark Overlook. Both projects were the result of cooperative efforts between various agencies, propelled by citizen interest. The breakwater in particular was an idea which required long incubation and creative fundraising to bring to fruition. First conceived in the 1950s, the 550-foot long stone breakwater cost approximately $1.2 million. The federal Government paid $1,153,000 and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) contributed $47,000.

An election will be held on Aug. 20 to decide if St. Marie resident Jack Sigman will be recalled as a director of the North Valley County Water and Sewer District. He was elected to a four-year term last November. Former water district director Florence Burshnick, also of St. Marie, circulated a petition in May to have Sigman recalled. It listed 69 valid signatures, more than the required 31, which is 15 percent of the 209 voters then registered in the district.

Alvie Hallock has been identified as the mystery winner who bagged $40,000 in Saturday's Montana Cash Jackpot. The Glasgow resident, owner of Earl's Body Shop, was astounded to learn he had won. Hallock said that he went into the Holiday Store at about 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday to buy tickets for the Wednesday drawing. He had not heard that the winning ticket was from Glasgow, although the information has been published in state newspapers and repeated on local radio. It was a complete surprise when he ran his tickets through the machine to check for a winner and came up jackpot. "I wish it was $40 million," he said.

The Glasgow Girls 13-14 year old All-Star softball team came away as state champions in the state tournament this weekend in Lewistown this past weekend. Tough defense was the key to Glasgow's success. By draw out of a hat, Glasgow had a bye the first round. Game one saw Glasgow beating Glendive 8-4. Then Lewistown challenged Glasgow losing 16-8, putting Glasgow into the championship game. Livingston then beat Lewistown in the losers' bracket to challenge Glasgow. The first championship game saw Glasgow lose 13-2 to Livingston. But that game only served as a warm up for the Glasgow girls who came back and beat Livingston 5-4 in extra innings to take the 1998 state title.

Mark Combs and Alan Hopstad are returning to the Bambino All Stars Regional tournament for the first time since 1971: but this time they are returning as coaches, not players. The Glasgow / D&G All Stars were undefeated at the state tournament in Bozeman over the weekend, earning the right to move on to regionals in Kennewick, Wash.

50 Years Ago:

Thursday

July 19, 1973

Two Fort Peck teenagers are rolling back across the prairie in the Roy Connell wagon after the dust settled for another year at the Wolf Point Stampede. For Wayne Sandstrom and Ray Farnsworth the week long, 150-mile trek by wagon train from the old Theony town site to Wolf Point just wasn't long enough. They took the reins in hand Monday and began their second week on the trail. Connell, wagon boss for the Valley County train, said the trip home could take several days. The other rigs and horses were hauled home by truck.

Members of the Masonic Blue Lodge, North Star 46, voted Tuesday to take over sponsorship of the building of a retirement manor here, according to Francis Irle, Worshipful Master. The project is funded under the Federal Housing and Urban Development Program. Several months ago the Elks voted to sponsor the project, but because of the technical problems they were unable to carry out the program.

Ninety-eight percent of the Nashua voters who turned out at the polls Sunday put their stamp of approval on the bond issue for a new water system. In Ward I, 87 votes were cast with 86 for the bond issue and one against. Seventy voters turned out for Ward II casting 67 votes for and three against.

The Border League, composed of boys from Opheim, Peerless, Glentana and Scobey, defeated Tri-City League Friday 14 to 2. In the second game Friday, Glasgow defeated Malta 24 to 0. In the consolation game, Tri-City defeated Malta 21-7. The Championship game saw the Border League defeat Glasgow 8 to 2. Border league will enter the district tournament in Billings this weekend.

"The Diary of Anne Frank" the story of two years of hiding from the Nazi regime in Germany, will be told on stage at the Fort Peck Summer Theatre this weekend July 20 to 22 and next weekend July 27 to 29. Appearing in the production are John Junieman as Mr. Frank, Alicia Pugh as Mrs. Frank, Becky Boyles as Margot, Jackie McMaster as Anne, Randy Pugh as Mr. Van Daan, Marne Lindhorst as Mr. Dussel, Kent Epler as Peter, Bruce Olsen as Mr. Kraler, and Tanya Worral as Miep.

75 Years Ago:

Thursday

July 22, 1948

A large audience came to the Glasgow airport Saturday afternoon to witness the third annual Jaycee Air Show which brought a varied and fast-moving program of races, acrobatics, parachute jumping, flower bombing, hunting demonstration and other features. Forty-eight pilots from throughout eastern and northeastern Montana were here for the show and breakfast before it.

The loan rate for 1948 crop wheat will be $1.88 per bushel on farms in Valley County, Thomas A. Wagner, chairman of the county ACA committee, said this week. The rate last year was $1.732 per bushel. Loans will also be made on wheat in warehouse storage at terminal markets. The rate for 1948 Crop No. 1 Dark Northern Spring at Minneapolis will be $2.28 per bushel. Protein premiums and discounts for lower grades will be the sames as those in the 1947 loan program.

A new electric fire siren was tested out Friday evening about 9 by the Hinsdale volunteer fire department with very successful results. The siren was heard by practically everyone in town and several farmers, some several miles away, reported hearing it distinctly.

Seven arrests were made by police during and after a "run" made by the city fire truck pumper to a flood dike on the south side Thursday night. Violation tickets were issued by police to motorists for following the fire truck too closely or for failing to pull to the curb and halt when hearing the warning siren. Firemen pointed out that warnings against such violations had been published for several weeks after firemen experienced difficulty in reaching a fire. Each violator given a ticket Thursday night paid a fine of $5, except in one case which was dismissed.

The State Line Independents, supposedly one of the best semi-pro baseball outfits in this section of the U.S., didn't have it Sunday when the Glasgow Veterans of Foreign Wars swooped down on the favorites for a 15 to 5 victory in a game played at the state line.

Mayor E.A. Walstad of Opheim this week announced that grade and fill in work on a 3,200 foot runway has been completed at the Opheim Airport. Mayor Walstad said it is anticipated that the Northern Valley County field will draw considerable traffic, since it is the only officially designated port between Havre, Mont., and Portal, N.D., for inspection for entering Canada.

A 1.2 mill. tax levy reduction for the city of Glasgow is forecast in the preliminary budget being constructed by the city council it was reported this week by Myron Hodapp, City Clerk. Under preliminary budget figures, the 1948 Glasgow tax levy will be 43.3 mills., compered with 44.5 mills. in 1947.