Yesterday's Memories

10 Years Ago:

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Montana's unemployment rate held steady at 5.4 percent in June, The same rate as in May, a pause in the long-term downward trend experienced throughout 2013. In Valley County the rate of unemployment was 4.4 percent, its customary place in the middle of the figures for counties in Northeastern and Eastern Montana. Unemployment in neighboring counties: Phillips – 5.7 percent, Roosevelt – 6.5 percent, Sheridan – 2.5 percent, Daniels – 4.4 percent, McCone – 2.7 percent, Richland – 2.7 percent, Dawson – 4.0 percent.

A total of 44.57 pounds was good for first place this past weekend in the Hell Creek Walleye Tournament at the Hell Creek Marina on Fort Peck Lake. Forming the winning team were Kris Keller of Wolf Point and MontanaOutdoor.com contributor Trevor Johnson of Kit's Tackle in Helena.

On to Billings. The Glasgow Reds – league champs and top-seeded in the American Legion Eastern A District Tournament – continue their pursuit of the state title at 10 a.m. Thursday with their post-season opener against the eighth-seeded Richland County Patriots. The Reds, 44-7 on the season and 22-6 in Eastern A, claimed their conference impressively July 18 after learning the tournament was being moved from their Bob Conors field to Billings due to concerns about the outfield's condition as a result of past flooding. They dismantled the second place Billings Cardinals, 16-0, in the clincher and beat them again for good measure in the nightcap, 6-3.

Shelly George, coordinator for the Scheel's Youth Fishing, reports that in 2013 a record number of 165 kids participated in the Scheel's Youth Fishing Tournament at the kid's fishing ponds at Kiwanis Park at Fort Peck. Another record was the 241 fish caught.

25 Years Ago:

Thursday, July 30, 1998

Montana Congressman Rick Hill has introduced legislation to establish a major interpretive center at Fort Peck Dam to assist with the preservation and display of major dinosaur finds in Montana. H.R. 4331, The Fort Peck Paleontological Protection and Interpretation Act, would transfer a 360 acre site to the US Corps of Engineers. The remains of a tyrannosaurus rex were discovered on this site. The bill appropriates $10 million of federal funds for the development of the project, which would be managed by the Fort Peck Dam Interpretive Center and Museum, Inc. the local non-profit organization spearheading the effort.

The rare and historic Tampico Bridge over the Milk River is facing its final days. Years of hard usage have made the bridge unsafe for heavy loads or large vehicles and the decision has been made to replace it. The bridge is a rarity not only because it has been in service 87 years, but because it was a kit, sold at the turn of the century, by the Illinois Steel Bridge Co. Anyone could purchase one of the assemble-it-yourself simply by ordering the required length.

John Hook's big fish on the last day of the Western Pro-Am Tournament at Fort Peck, netted him a cool $2,243.64 a pound. Hook's catch, weighing in at 12.19 pounds broke the 1994 record of 12.12 pounds. He not only won a bounty of $25,000 from Pinnacle Rods and Reels, he also won the Bass Pro-Shops daily and overall big fish prize for another $2,350.

Alan Kliewer must be used to working outdoors in the heat. The Lustre Wheat farmer brought home a bushel of medals from the Big Sky Games held in soaring temperatures in Billings recently. Ulah Kliewer, Alan's mother, said the temperatures reached 120 degrees on the field. Kliewer, 42, took a gold medal for the one mile relay, and five silvers. The relay team, all over 40 years old and one over 50, beat teams of younger runners, according to Kliewer's father, Otto. He won the silver medals for second place in the 400, 500, 800, 5000 meter races, and a 5k race.

50 Years Ago:

Thursday, July 26, 1973

State Senator Gordon Bollinger (D-Glasgow) has called for President Nixon to remove price ceilings on beef immediately to ease beef shortages for consumers and to prevent further damage to the nation's livestock industry. Bollinger said some shortages are already appearing at retail food counters and that the livestock industry is in trouble.

The dedication of Centennial Park located between the Highlands and Valeda Heights last week marked the end of more than 10 years of work and planning. Marvin Larsen planned the park's design, patterned after the International Peace Gardens at Dunseith, N.D. Although plans were underway before 1963, the park got its name from the Montana Centennial Celebration.

Dave Weber and Vicki Knudsen, members of the local Elk's Lodge swim team, captured seven first place ribbons each at the swim meet in Plentywood, July 21. Miss Knudsen broke the Plentywood pool record for the 200 meter freestyle by 14 seconds and 200 I.M. by five seconds.

Glasgow fisherman Dave Erikson tied into a record July 6, at Fort Peck Reservoir near McGuire Creek. The big fish stayed in the Eriksons' freezer until July 23 when it was brought to the Glasgow Fish and Game office. The partially dried fish still weighed a heavy 5lbs. 8.75 oz. Breaking the old lake record of 4lbs. 12oz. set last year at Fort Peck.

75 Years Ago:

Thursday, July 29, 1948

Scoring all their runs in the first five innings, Glasgow Veterans of Foreign Wars pounded out a 5-3 decision over the Flaxville All-Stars in a baseball game on the fairgrounds diamond Sunday afternoon. The many Flaxville fans who made the journey to Glasgow were treated to a game which, although it was battled in a brisk wind, was well played and fairly close all the way.

The industrial development devision of the Montana Chamber of Commerce is urging that the army engineers set up a synthetic coal-oil plant in Eastern Montana, according to a report in the division's current news letter. The engineers, according to a report in the news letter, will propose a preliminary report this summer as to the possible location of such a plant.