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Last year, the CDC released a report that documented a 50% increase in emergency room visits for suspected suicides for girls ages 12 to 17. The numbers for boys in the same age range rose as well, but not nearly as dramatically. Gallons of newspaper ink has been spilled trying to explain this tragic spike, offering explanations and theories galore. Regardless of why it’s happening, the fear that these tragic stories strike in the hearts of parents can be paralyzing. There are so many unknowns and “what ifs”; it can easily make parents feel...
With the war in Ukraine passing the one month mark and millions of citizens fleeing the Russian invading force, Big Sandy Church of God had begun discussing how to support those in need. The effort took on additional urgency in response to impassioned pleas from Irina Gulenko. Irina immigrated from Ukraine to Big Sandy last year to marry Duane Bierwagon. As news of the invasion and destruction of her homeland began, Irina has watched from afar with horror. "I can't sleep I can't think about...
I recently read that employees, by a wide margin, prefer recognition for their work and contributions over bonuses or financial incentives. This seems counterintuitive, but there is a strange truth about what motivates humans in life: we want to know our work is meaningful and appreciated. This isn’t to say that money isn’t important. There are limits to this idea. Very few people would go to work every day in order to receive nice words and encouragement. However, one of the areas where employers often fall short in motivating their peo...
With Easter 3 weeks away, The Black Granary has begun taking order from families looking to add something special to their holiday celebration. Mary Merril, who owns and operates the bakery, explained that they will be offering a couple of special items this year that people can order. Customers have the choice of special Easter items including Cinnamon or Orange Star Bread, Sunbeam Crescent Dinner Rolls, Whole Quiches, Key Lime Tarts, Lemon Curd Tarts with Pate Sucre Crust, or Carrot Cake. In...
March 16th through the 20th was Western Art Week in Great Falls and local photographer Craig Edwards was there selling prints of photos depicting aspects and artifacts of life in Big Sandy. In addition to fine art, Craig sold limited edition jars filled with Big Sandy itself. Craig's photography is well known to residents of our community and can be seen in his art gallery in town or hanging in various businesses in the region. However, his dirt sales are a less well known business venture that...
The nation of Ethiopia, which is in Northeastern Africa, was once a lush, fruitful, and green nation. Over the past century, that situation has changed. The nation has seen nearly 40% of its forests cut down and sold off. The result of these actions has been that the once green nation has been turned into a vast desert. The famines of the 80s, which captured the attention of the American media, were a direct result of the ecological disaster that has taken place. Over the weekend, I came across a photo collage of Ethiopian Orthodox Churches...
Electric cars and trucks are becoming increasingly common around the country. Battery electric locomotives are in development or already on the rails in some areas. This raises the question of whether or not electric tractors are on the horizon for agribusiness. I asked Ron Harmon of Big Equipment in Havre, MT about the future of tractor manufacturing. "There are some people that are working on electronic electric tractors. And let's just call them diesel electric... There's been a sprayer and...
Images from the Russian invasion of Ukraine have dominated the news for the past month, and with it, stories of the human suffering as refugees flee their homeland. With photos of bombed out cities, stories of Russian forces targeting civilians, and video of the over 2.5 million refugees that flooded into Western Ukraine and Europe, it's obvious that help is desperately needed. However, it can be difficult for individuals to know how to do something to ease the sufferings and meet the needs of...
Big Sandy Organics has experienced a growth spurt over the last few years. Big Sandy residents have certainly noticed the facility expansions as the organization has grown. In November of 2020, Thomas and Heather Dilworth purchased the company from Bob Quinn. Heather explained that the first big contract they landed came to them right off the bat: "Right after we bought the business, we had a company named Snack Nation contact us. They send boxes of snacks and goodies to homes. It's a...
Big Sandy Organics is looking for ways to give back to the community. The company has seen some significant growth over the last couple of years and now they are looking for ways to serve the town. Heather Dilworth explained that the idea behind the initiative came form her husband, who also coined the tagline: “We’re more than a company. We’re a community.” Heather explained that “he actually made a stamp out of it. And we stamp it on our envelopes and things…” She went on to explain that though she didn’t grow up in a small town, her husba...
Last Wednesday, Christ Lutheran Church kicked off its services for observing Lent with an Ash Wednesday Service midday on March 6th. Ash Wednesday is the first day of the season where churches begin to prepare to celebrate Good Friday and Easter. Melanie Schwarzbach, who is currently the chair of the board at Christ Lutheran, explained: "We take time out of our week to reflect upon Jesus' journey to the cross and to be mindful of the sacrifices He made for us." The time taken out of the week...
Over the last few years, I’ve begun to rely more and more on reading glasses. Last Sunday, I forgot to bring a pair to the pulpit when I went up to preach the sermon. I asked my son to run down to my office and grab a pair. He brought back a pair of black framed readers that came from a drawer in my desk. As soon as I saw them, I realized that they were a pair of fake glasses I picked up for Halloween a few years ago. I didn’t want to stop talking and explain why I needed a different pair, so I put them on and did the best I could by squinting...
Big Sandy's own Farmerlicious, Inc. received a $75,000 planning grant from the Department of Agriculture to launch a line of organic lentil snacks. The new snack will be manufactured by the Big Sandy Organics and be will be in stores locally by April 15th. The plan is currently to release in the River Market in Fort Benton and the Grocery Store in Big Sandy. Donna Cook, who came up with the snack idea, explained the lentil snack business: "I am always looking for a heart healthy snack, due to...
Last week, I spent some time reading the earliest issue of the Mountaineer that is included in the online database of newspapers. I recounted a few of the articles for context on just how old the paper was before diving into the front page editorials opining on the future of the town. One of the articles I touched on was about the Heiberg family arriving in Big Sandy from Grand Island, Nebraska to homestead west of town. Friday evening, I got a call from Jay Warrall. He spotted the Heiberg name...
The MontanaNewspapers.org website features an archive of publications from all over the state going back more than a century. The Mountaineer is one of many newspapers included on the site and is a goldmine for those looking to learn more about our little community. The oldest issue of the paper they have included in their database is from 111 years ago next Wednesday. Out of general interest, I spent some time reading that issue, particularly in light of material I have read about 1911 as an important year in our town’s history. By the end o...
The Montana Actors' Theatre wrapped up its presentation of the musical "Spamalot" over Valentines weekend. My wife and I attended one of the last showings on a date and were blown away by the show they put on. Spamalot is a musical adaptation of the film: "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." For those unfamiliar with the cult classic film, it follows the exploits of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they search for the Holy Grail. In true Monty Python style, it is very silly. The...
John Dewey, the American psychologist, educator, and philosopher once said: “Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes.” Dewey’s words represent something far larger and more profound than it seems on the face of it. For years, I had my own version of it: “I’d rather hear what I can do better next time instead of what I did great today, because knowing where to grow is the only way I will improve.” Failure is scary. Falling short, missing the mark, saying the wrong thing...
The Grocery Store’s Big Screen TV SuperBowl drawing took place Saturday morning. The grand prize went to Madison Jenkins. Ronnie Simpson described the Jenkins’ reaction: “They were ecstatic. They’re probably watching the game on it right now. It’s a pretty cool smart tv.” Madison described her own reaction: “I was pretty shocked because I never win anything.” Shoppers could enter by just shopping at the grocery store. “To get an entry, you had to spend $50 at the store, and you were able to be entered into the drawing for the contest,” explain...
The Big Sandy Public Library will be celebrating the five year anniversary of the opening of the main street building on Monday, February 14th. To celebrate the new building’s birthday, they will be raffling off a quilt, which is on display at the library. Tickets are 6 for $5 and can be purchased at the library or from a member of the Friends of the Library. They will also be offering cookies and refreshments. Visitors can check out the various binders documenting the history of our branch and the efforts to build the new building. A slide s...
How Big Sandy got its name is a bit of a mystery, but an article from the February 2, 1922 issue of the Mountaineer offers a reasonable answer. Karen Reinertson and Renee Hanson found it last week while researching for the Old Timer’s Column. It’s an interesting story, which explains how Big Sandy Creek, which runs near our little community, was named. The town itself is named after the creek. Here is the account published around a century ago. —Erik HERE IS THE STORY (The original headline!) The following account of the origin of the names Big...
My daughter turned 11 this weekend. When we moved to Big Sandy, she had recently celebrated her first birthday. I am scratching my head as to how the time has gone by so quickly and how few years I have left before she is an actual, legal adult and going off to college. I know that this is not a unique realization, and I have been well aware that her growing up was inevitable. Still, every birthday and milestone is a reminder that time is going by. In context of this discussion, I want to point out one of the best decisions I have made as a par...
Montana History author, Roberta A. Beute will be visiting Big Sandy for a reading of her first book on Tuesday, February 15th at 4 PM at the Big Sandy Public Library. As It Was: A Common Thread began as an effort on Roberta’s part to preserve some of the stories of the ranchers in the Sweet Grass Hills. She began by interviewing her neighbors, many of them homesteaders or descendants of homesteaders. Before long, she was researching the various factors that brought all of the people and resources to our state and made it into what it is t...
Big Sandy hosted a Gun Show over the weekend of January 28th to the 30th. The event, which featured 15 vendors and 50 tables, attracted a steady stream of customers and folks just looking to browse and visit with others interested in buying or collecting firearms. As Glen, one of the vendors, put it: "All gun shows are good gun shows. Some are just better than others." This year's show was organized by Keith Hanson, the former owner of The Mountaineer and Mayor of Chinook. Local vendor and...
The Gun Show over the past weekend provided an opportunity for locals to shop for guns, ammunition, and other shooting sports items. It also brought a lot of traffic to our community and benefitted out local businesses. From the restaurants, to The Motel, to The Grocery Store, the show brought money into our community as people came through to look at and buy guns. Keith Hanson, who organized the event, explained that the show benefits both the vendors and the community businesses: “When my wife and I decided to do this show, as prior owners o...
Early in my career in ministry, a particular author wrote a series of popular books on dating and marriage. He was a young man and had been married for a short period of time. He was also good looking, charismatic, and had a great marketing department pushing his work. That individual made a great deal of money selling dating/marriage advice. Recently, he put out a statement indicating that his books were not very wise, and that he was sorry for any damage he caused. He mainly did so because Christian folks who read his work and followed his...
