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The gospel of Matthew includes an account where a group of Pharisees approach Jesus in an effort to trap him by posing a no-win question. They asked: “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar?” Today this seems like a pretty innocuous question. We might disagree regarding taxes and complain about them, but very few people question the morality of paying taxes. However, in ancient Israel, it was a bit of a hornets nest topic. You see, if Jesus said it was immoral to pay taxes, then he could be accused of encouraging rebellion against the Romans. The...
"It's been awesome," explained Sydnie Stellpflug, the new Second Grade teacher, when I asked her about her experience at F.E. Miley Elementary School. "As a first year teacher, I was super nervous. I feel like I have every question in the world. But everyone's been super helpful. They jump right in and answer. They're checking on me throughout the day. 'Hey, is everything okay?' 'Do you need anything?'" Sydney was born and raised on a ranch in Wyoming. She graduated from the University of...
Big Sandy Church of God will be hosting its 11th annual Brisket Cook-Off September 25th. The barbecue will be served up to guests at 1 PM. Everyone is invited and the meal is free. Come out and join us for fun, fellowship, and the opportunity to vote in the people's choice competition for the best local brisket cook. We are also looking for competitors. We can currently accommodate 12 cooks in the competition. The first cook-off, over a decade ago, started out as a bit of a joke between Brook...
Throughout the summer, and for two more weeks, the Havre Chamber of Commerce has hosted a farmers market. The market itself happens right in the town square on the Hi-Line, on the edge of the downtown area. My wife and I decided to check it out this past Saturday as a day out together. The Market itself featured a couple dozen vendors and live music. You can find anything from jewelry to art to fresh produce there, making browsing the various booths an enjoyable experience on its own. The real...
The Montana Actor's Theater production of Macbeth ran for three showings in Beaver Creek State Park over the weekend of August 25th through the 28th. The choice of venue and scale of the production made the show a sensational experience for both the audience and the actors. It was clear this show was going to be something special during the opening scenes, which recreated the battle that sets the tragic tale of Macbeth in motion. Sword fighting and horses galloping back and forth across the...
Incoming Big Sandy High School senior, Jaycee Worrall, excelled in this year's County Fair FFA competitions and her 4H leadership project entry. This year, she entered a steer named Gerald and a pig named Fred. Both her steer and pig entries received reserve senior showman. In addition, her steer got a callback, which means that it was in the running for the best position in the competition. Jaycee has been entering animals into competitions for 9 years, and enjoys the experience and learning th...
One of the most common debates surrounding Jesus and his ministry revolved around the sabbath. The sabbath refers to the Jewish practice of not working on the last day of the week. It is important enough that it is actually mentioned in the 10 Commandments. “Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.” The idea is simple: Don’t work on the sabbath. In the first century, the Jewish people took the laws of God very seriously and sabbath obedience had reached a point where it was a paralyzing practice. The Jewish people took the practice so serious...
Big Sandy's own Casten and Katie Heppner have launched the Hungry Heifer, the food truck arm of their growing catering business. Katie has been catering for around 8 years, covering harvest meals and events. She explains that "...it kind of just got so big that we needed to become mobile. Then we decided to put the food truck together. It changed from just using it for harvest meals, to using it for events and fairs and weddings and all kinds of celebrations." Over the last year, the addition...
Incoming Big Sandy HS Senior Lance Rutledge picked up second place in class with his heifer at this year's Chouteau County Fair 4-H competition. After 13 years of competing in 4-H events, Lance has grown as a person through his participation in various competitions and activities. The Montana 4-H website identifies the organization as aiming to help young people learn leadership, citizenship, and life skills. During my conversation with Lance at the 4-H barn on Sunday, he spent far more time...
In 120 BC, Rabbi Joshua ben Perachiah said, “Judge each person with the scales weighted in their favor.” The phrase ought to sound familiar to the average person because it is striking in its similarity to the words of Jesus: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” The reason for the similarity between the two is simple. Ancient rabbis often taught through citing and commenting on the teachings of the rabbis that came before...
A Big Sandy native and her husband have published a book dealing with his experiences in 1967 Atlanta while living in an all black dorm. Bridge of Demarcation by Duane and Loretta Johnson tells the story of a racially-charged time through the eyes of a native born Montanan. Much of the story is told through the nearly 50 love letters he wrote during the time. Loretta Johnson, whose maiden name is Nepil, grew up southeast of Big Sandy and graduated from Big Sandy High School in 1964. She still...
The Senior Center Board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, July 27th did not take place as planned since two of the board members who were present for the meeting submitted their letters of resignation. In addition, the previous board president, Gloria Godfrey, resigned as a non-voting consultant member. A third board member resigned in absentia. Due to a lack of quorum the meeting was canceled and a public discussion forum was held. The resignations took place in response to a letter sent to the...
Big Sandy Church of God held its Family Camp in the Bear Paw Mountains from Thursday, July 28, to Sunday the 31st. This is the 4th year of the newly revived Family Camp get together, organized by Rebecca Wiehe, who grew up in the church. When I asked her about the reason for organizing the outing, Rebecca explained: "I have way so many amazing memories as a kid of camp and all the fun that we had up here. Having kids was a big part of starting this back up again. We have a church full of kids....
In 1866, the Tingley brothers first settled in Big Sandy. According to Bill Snow, in the Gathering of Memories book, his father was partnered with Oliver Tingley in the operation of the Log Cabin Saloon in 1910, though it isn't clear when the saloon itself first opened. The Log Cabin Saloon garnered its name because it was partially built from logs and sat on main street at the site where Pep's is now. According to Bill, the old log framed portion of the structure was removed around 1914 and rep...
Every other week or so, a hidden treasure takes place on a Sunday afternoon at The Mint. The bi-weekly Pinochle tournament is a gathering of locals and newcomers joining in friendly games of pinochle throughout the afternoon. My wife has been playing for several years after being introduced to Pinochle at the Larry Bitz family farm nearly a decade ago. There is a collection of regulars, but newcomers and novices are always welcome. Maggie Cline explained that the Sunday afternoon card game has...
This week, I finished reading a biography of C.S. Lewis written by a student and personal friend of his. The book is unique in that it offered a personal account of the life of an author I hold in high esteem. I love Lewis’ writings, both his non-fiction and fiction works. I’ve read most of his books at this point, many of them several times. Even though I have read many of his books and letters, I have never read anything by any of his friends. However, this larger than life man whose work I absolutely love, was human. C.S. Lewis, the mos...
Big Sandy High School student, Hunter Moore, exercised his musical chops and stage presence last week while attending a musical theater production of Forever Plaid. Hunter was called on stage to play piano and dance as a part of the show. Hunter is an exceptionally talented member of the school band and choir. The Moore family travels to Fort Peck every summer for vacation. "We went camping and then fishing. That's what we always do. And the first day we got there, we went to a play in the Fort...
For the fifth consecutive year, I will be riding in the Great Cycle Challenge to raise money to fight children's cancer. In the past 4 years, I have ridden nearly a thousand miles as a part of the challenge, raising $3,227.01 in total. This year, I am increasing my fundraising goal from my previous target of $500 for the last 4 years to $1,000. I am also increasing the number of miles I intend to ride to 300, from my previous goal of 200 for the month. Throughout the month of September, I will...
I recently came across a great line: “Every Olympic event should have an average person competing for reference.” I am not sure who said it originally, but it is brilliant. First off, it’s funny. I can only imagine what it would be like to race against world class athletes as an out of shape, middle-aged man. More importantly, there is an edge of truth to the idea. Comparing the elite to the average makes it clear what is really going on in the race. I may brag that I can outrun my neighbor, but only because I am not talking about racing Jesse...
Big Sandy's own Steve Sibra has released a new book through Swallow Publishers. "Shoes For Baby" is a collection of poetry that reflects a great deal of growth for Steve as a writer. Historically, his work has been more narrative, telling brief snapshots of stories with sometimes silly or outlandish imagery. That style has made Steve's work fun and surreal to read (or better yet-listen to him read.) He explains that over the past few years, he has become a more introspective and serious writer...
This week, we are celebrating our Independence as a nation. It is easy to say that we are living in “interesting times” where so many things seem to be in flux and conflict between our fellow Americans simmers hotter and hotter. Divisions along the political spectrum are high and so are the prices of almost everything we need on a daily basis to survive. While reflecting on the crazy challenges we face as a nation, I decided to look back at The Mountaineer from other periods of turmoil to see what The July 3rd issue of the paper from 1947 lea...
Dan Schrock, Big Sandy Schools' new superintendent, arrived in town over the 4th of July weekend. Dan has been working in Montana for a few years, but is originally from Michigan. "I grew up in lower Michigan, but I graduated from college at Northern Michigan University Marquette up there in the U.P. (upper peninsula). Then I came out to Montana after that." Dan is an outdoors enthusiast who enjoys camping, fishing, hunting, and travel. His preference for outdoor hobbies has heavily influenced h...
Most people know Daniel in the Bible from the story of the lions’ den. The account of that event takes place in the 6th chapter of the book, when Daniel was around 70-years old. He had spent his entire life up until this point working in the courts of Babylon. When the Medo-Persian empire captured Babylon and took over, they appointed tax collectors/administrators to run their newly acquired territory. Daniel naturally rose to the top of the ranks because he was experienced, hard working, willing to say/do hard things in service of the king, a...
With school out and the days growing hotter and longer, the Big Sandy Public Library has launched its always popular summer reading program. The theme for this year's program is Oceans of Possibilities. Pirate ships, buried treasure, and various sea creatures adorn the building to set the mood, and the calendar has been filled to overflowing with a treasure trove of activities for children, teenagers, and adults. Historically, the library has been a gathering point for kids after school and...
The 5th Annual Big Sandy Community Yard Sale took place last Saturday, June 25th. Shoppers were greeted by two new options for sales this year. In addition to the standard yard sales throughout town, City Hall hosted a craft sale and Christ Lutheran Church put on a community rummage sale fundraiser. Most of the folks I spoke with commented on the excellent weather for this year’s activities: A warm sunny day, but not hot. The excellent weather brought out the deal seekers. As one veteran yard saler explained, this years traffic was a mix of b...
