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The Old Testament history of the Jewish people records a major series of events that changes the religion, how people thought, and in some ways, the course of Western Civilization. This story takes place a few hundred years before the birth of Jesus. Israel was conquered by one of the first great empires in human history: the Babylonians. Their leader, King Nebuchadnezzar, marched his armies all over the known world and made most of it his own. Israel had resisted conquest by lesser empires through God’s protection. Now, God announced that thei...
The Big Sandy Medical Services Foundation voted this week to donate $15,000 to the Medical Center’s kitchen renovation project. The money being given is the total amount raised by their fundraiser last year. Harry Bold explains: “The $15,000 we gave today was from our fall fundraiser. We sent out a fundraising letter to all the box holders in the Big Sandy and surrounding communities. The money will go towards the remodel of the kitchen to help purchase needed things such as a new reach-in or walk-in cooler and a fan for the exhaust system over...
When I was a kid, my favorite books were the Choose Your Own Adventure series. These books usually told some sort of adventure story about time travel, monsters, knights, detectives, or some other exciting tale. Every few pages, when the main character reached a major decision, you would make the choice for them. Based on the path you decided, the story to take you would jump to a different page and continue on. I loved these books because I got to steer the story. One of the habits I developed was keeping a finger on the page where I made a...
Big Sandy's Memorial Day observations took place May 30th. The holiday has been taking place in America for 154 years, after being instated to honor Union Soldiers killed in the Civil War. Incidentally, the first Memorial Day also landed on May 30th. All of the standard Big Sandy events took place this year. During the breakfast, parade, and service, I took the time to visit with locals regarding how they observe the day. At the museum entrance, I stopped to visit with Amy Sibra, who was...
F.E. Miley Elementary School wrapped up the school year with their annual open house extravaganza. The well-loved tradition is an opportunity for parents and folks from the community to visit the classrooms and see the things the kids have been learning and working on all year. Heather Wolery, the principal, explained: "The extravaganza has been going on for a long time. Every classroom does a big project, and then they share it with the community. It's a pretty big deal at the end of the year,...
After the final day of school this year, the Big Sandy Schools Facebook Page posted a short video of "Mr. T's last walk out the door after 49 years." Kids cheered on and accompanied the well-loved teacher as he headed down the front walk for the last time. Mr. T has worked part time for the last several years in the library and helping kids one-on-one with school work. Much of the reason for his long tenure has been his love for teaching kids and for our little town. Dick Thornton started...
Hunter Snapp, one of the 2022 graduates from Big Sandy High School, received a certificate of recognition from the Montana State Department of Labor and Industry for completing a Welding and Machining Pre-Apprenticeship Program. Hunter has been working toward completing the program at Chauncey Terry's shop in Big Sandy for around a year. Chauncey explains that he was approached about the program as a way to help students as they join apprenticeship programs and start trade school. He explained t...
Editor’s Note: This story was to go with last week’s article about the Montana Children’s Theater story. We did not have the room last week. Last week, the Montana Children’s Theater came to Big Sandy to work with our kids to put on a musical show depicting the life of Johnny Appleseed. The story included a few elements of truth, but the legend of Johnny Appleseed has grown larger than life. The story of the real man is fascinating. John Chapman was born in Massachusetts in 1776. He left home and the state by the 1790s. He initially settled...
I got my first job when I was 16. I worked at a bakery/deli making sandwiches, serving customers, washing dishes, and doing other minimum wage-type restaurant work. Since then (for about 30 years), I have rarely had a stretch of time where I did not work. I’ve unloaded trucks, tracked inventory, made concrete roof tiles, been an exterminator, been a salesperson, done ministry work, and about everything else you can think of. At some point along the way I learned an interesting lesson. Mark Twain once said that “If you find a job you enjoy, you...
The Montana Children's Theater wrapped up its week of work in Big Sandy with two showings of "Johnny Appleseed" (the musical retelling of the legend of Johnny Appleseed) and marks the first time since before the Pandemic shut down the country. The community is very pleased to have the organization back in Big Sandy after such a long furlough. The show, as is typical of past Missoula Children's Theater productions, was spectacular with professional direction and high production values. Amanda...
National Nursing Home Week concluded last Friday with a community parade for the residents of the Senior Center. Celebrations took place all week with games, costumes, special meals, and other festivities. Leah Griffin, the CEO of the Medical Center, explains the event: "It's National Hospital week. We celebrate all week, and we always end with a Friday parade with the community. I think it's been three years since the last one. So this is cool. Although, the weather is not permitting us to be...
Last Thursday, Big Sandy Schools conducted its annual active shooter drills at the High School and at FE Miley Elementary. I subbed at the elementary school and was a part of the drills that morning. I will not be going into detail in this article regarding the specifics of the drill itself. However, I thought it would be interesting to offer some observations and experiences regarding the day itself. For those who have not been in town for past active shooter drills, the entire drill is fairly...
With the 2021-2022 school year nearing an end, the Big Sandy High School Ag Classes are working on some interesting projects that will soon be available for sale or auction to the community. The proceeds of these sales will go to the local FFA chapter and to help defray the expenses of future student trips. In addition, the summer will bring with it some exciting opportunities for students to participate in FFA activities. The most obvious project, based on its sheer size and presence in the...
Every Spring brings with it the powerful chinook winds that fill main street with tumbleweeds and knock out the power on occasion. Another consequence of the Spring windstorms is trash blowing from the dump and onto the highway. For members of our community that live on the highway across from the dump, this means tons of cleaning. Betty Jo Chauvet recently drew attention to the matter with a Facebook post exclaiming that she had just spent two hours cleaning the ditches in front of her...
The school music program played its part in last week's "Art Week" activities. Both the Elementary and High School made noteworthy contributions to the activities. Last week, the High School held a midweek concert in preparation for the pressure of performing for judges. As a follow up, on Tuesday evening the school presented an encore performance. The full band played several pieces in the High School Auditorium before adjourning to City Hall. After having an opportunity to enjoy the artwork...
Around 17 years ago I was hired to work as a chaplain at a metal health facility for kids. I had been a youth pastor for a number of years and was decent at working with kids. That was about all I had going for me, apart from interviewing well. I suspect that within the first few months, it became clear that I wasn’t quite ideal for the job, and I am absolutely certain I made a ton of mistakes over the years. The biggest redeeming factor for my time there came in the form of a few men who invested in me. They talked me through my errors and m...
The Big Sandy High School Music Program put on a recital last Wednesday, April 20th, in preparation for the District Music Festival which took place in Havre on Friday the 22nd and Saturday the 23rd. The concert was an opportunity for various musicians and singers to perform their festival pieces in front of an audience. The opportunity was especially important because playing in public can be difficult for some students. This concert helped prepare the students to play for judges later. Due to...
The Missoula Children’s Theater is returning to Big Sandy to put on a performance of “Johnny Appleseed” with our local students. Rehearsals are open to children from Kindergarten through 12th grade. They will take place at the High School Auditorium on May 16th from 4 PM to 6 PM. They will also be looking for backstage help for the performance. Amanda Hoffman, who helps run the Big Sandy Theater group explains the program: “Montana’s Children’s Theater is an organization out of Missoula that goes around and puts plays on for Children K...
I have been preaching through the book of Acts at my church for the past 8 months, taking time off for a Lent and Christmas series. This past Sunday, I reached chapter 17 and began delving into Paul’s visit to Athens, in ancient Greece. While reflecting on the text, I had an interesting realization. Paul arrives in Athens with the goal of waiting there for several traveling companions to meet him. Most translations say that he looked around the city and was troubled by the excess of idols. The word in the original Greek would be stronger t...
The clients at Big Sandy Activities received a special gift this Easter weekend. The clients received 21 baby chicks and a duckling as pets. Heather Pleninger, the Executive Director at BSA, explained the gift. "I really wanted to do something fun for their Easter. We've never done something like this before. We've never had chickens. I always thought that they'd be fun. When I brought it up to the guys, they seemed pretty excited. But I really don't think they got the gist of what we were...
A few times in my life, I’ve read a news story involving someone who was shot by a friend while “testing” their brand new bullet proof vest. I’ve also seen videos of the same stupid stunt. I will say confidently that I would not test out a bulletproof vest if I owned one. This is mainly because every time I read about these “tests” they go wrong. It’s an example of when it’s easy to trust something when it doesn’t matter, than be put in a position where I have to act on that general sense of belief. While studying for the Easter sermon thi...
Holy Week is the most important time in the church calendar year , which culminates in the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. Our community churches will be offering different options for worship and observance during Holy Week. The community is welcome to join any of these church bodies in celebrating the holiday. The following is a summary of the various days, their meaning, and what the various churches are doing to observe the days. On Thursday of Easter week, the Last Supper took place. This is when the disciples...
The news of the Senior Center closing for a deep audit this month has prompted many in the community to ask an important question: “What can we do for the seniors who depend on the center for their meals?” The answer has arrived as Big Sandy Medical Center stepped up to fill the temporary void. Leah Griffin, the CEO of the Medical Center, explains how the idea came about: “It was a group effort. Everybody had heard scuttlebutt about the Senior Center. Then, a few of them reached out to some of the board. But ultimately, it was the kitch...
Big Sandy High School held its Carnival for the first time since Covid restrictions prompted its cancelation 2 years ago. The event was well attended and ran smoothly, despite the hiatus. "It's like riding a bicycle. You never forget how to do it," explained Melanie Schwarzbach. She quickly added, "I've got a nice little group of kids to work with, and it's a time-honored tradition that the community enjoys." Many of the patrons and school staff I spoke with expressed joy at the return of the...
Range Management Suggestions for the Upcoming Season Below are a few range management suggestions from Dr. Jeff Mosley (MSU Extension Range Management specialist). 1. Delay turn-out onto native range as long as possible to let the grass get ahead of the livestock as much as possible. Use tame pasture more heavily to delay turnout on native range. 2. Reduce stocking rate in the pastures you graze in May and June by at least 20%. 3. You can reduce stocking rate in late spring by reducing the number of days you keep the livestock in your May and...
