Sorted by date Results 351 - 375 of 644
Last week, a young man from the community made the trip to Great Falls to receive treatment for a suspected case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF). The decision to seek medical help was made after he suffered a handful of symptoms that prompted a trip to the ER and then to the hospital. Fortunately, tests for the condition ultimately came back negative. However, anyone working in grassy or wooded areas can potentially pick up ticks that carry the bacteria responsible for the illness. With tick season in full swing, it is important to know...
When I was a kid, my friends and I used to play baseball in the backyard. Along with baseball came tons of talk about how different baseball players swung the bat, made catches, slid into bases, or whatever. Then we would practice to play like them. I remember practicing swinging a bat like Pete Rose and sliding into bases head first during ball games. It seemed like the best way to become a better ball player. When I grew up, I began to do the same thing in my professional life. The first pastor I ever worked for had a mix of strengths that I...
Fundraising efforts to build a new community pool have begun and construction plans and cost estimates are being finalized. The committee to raise the estimated $1.75 million dollars is comprised of members of the community and two city council members, whose objective is to fund the project without having to put the costs on the town's taxpayers. So far, the fund raising effort has pulled in a little over $110,000, primarily from Rotary, 2 foundation gifts, and some local donations. Rich...
It is easy to look at other folks and get the sense that they have it all together. I talk to folks often who tell me about how they wish they were more like other people around them. I once talked to two different moms in a week who pointed at each other while claiming they wish they had their lives together like the other one. I have spent years talking to folks who struggle with depression or anxiety lamenting that their lives are not as orderly or happy as their neighbors. This is a tendency that is growing more common with the increased...
6 students at FE Miley Elementary received Kindle readers as prizes for their participation in the Bikes For Books/Kindles for Kids program. Every year 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students participate in the program by reading books and receive tickets to enter a drawing at the end of the year. Mr. Thorton explains the program and how it encourages kids to read more: "The Masons offer their program to encourage the kids to read books. It's nice to have somebody other than the teacher saying that...
On May 20th, F.E. Miley Elementary School put on its annual Open House Extravaganza. Parents and community members were welcomed into the elementary school to see displays and hear presentations put on by students in order to share some of what they have learned during the school year. The Extravaganza was cancelled last year due to the Covid lockdowns, so students, teachers, and parents alike were pleased at the opportunity to resume the tradition. The Kindergarten portion of the open house...
Every 5th and 6th grade student at FE Miley Elementary received a fishing pole last week, compliments of Walleyes Unlimited of Montana, Fresno Chapter. Neil and Bope Kulbeck, along with Charlie Foussard, delivered the fishing poles during classes on Thursday the 20th. Neil explained the reason for the gift of fishing poles: "Our goal is the future of fishing, especially for kids. We normally have a kids' education day for 5th and 6th graders in the spring. Of course, Covid has stopped that....
There is a thinking error that we see in our world often: “The Fallacy of Change.” It refers to the idea that you can change other people through your efforts. It’s hard to see this as a thinking error, because we don’t like the idea that we cannot change others. However, if you think on it carefully, the idea becomes clear. The most common version of this is the stereotype where a gal will date a “bad boy” because she knows she can change him if she just tries hard enough. This rarely turns out well for the young lady who hopes of reforming h...
Tucker Taylor has been teaching history and coaching Big Sandy students for nearly three years. Tucker was raised in Belgrade and has a strong affinity for small town living: "I like it here. I really like small town communities. Both my parents grew up in small towns. My dad is from Circle, Montana. My mom is from Sheridan, Montana. We spend a lot of time out in the rural areas of Montana. I definitely like the closeness of the small town community. Things get kind of chaotic and wild in those...
The Big Sandy Public Library has brought in a new temporary supervisor from Little Flock Preschool. Alfie the Alligator, who is well known to parents and kids who've been associated with the school in the last 10 years, has been staying at the library since last Christmas. He and his book of adventures will remain there for old friends to visit through the fall. Preschool teacher, Keri Cox intruded Alfie to the school as a teaching tool to help children pay attention and get comfortable with...
FE Miley Elementary School put on two live concert performances last week for the first time in over a year. Due to COVID restrictions, live performances were not possible in the past year, and resulted in all of the band and concert performances taking place via streaming video on the school's Facebook page. Before the Wednesday concert, I asked Heather Wolery, the school principal, her thoughts on the live performances. "It's wonderful! I wish we could have done a normal, in-person, at night...
The Big Sandy Food Bank raffle of 1/2 a pig was awarded to Dusty Alderdice after Deb Louvar drew Dusty's ticket as the winner. The Food Bank partnered with Triangle Communications after they were selected, along with several other programs in the area, to receive the meat to raffle off or to distribute among their recipients. Triangle Communications provided posters and tickets and the community showed their support by buying raffle tickets. The raffle raised $2,030 through ticket sales, with an...
One of my favorite arguments to stoke while hanging out with friends is the “Ford-verses-Dodge-or-Chevy-or-whatever” debate. I don’t have strong opinions on the quality of many vehicles or a loyalty to any brand of car. I jut like teasing folks about things like that. The interesting thing to me is when a person in the argument reaches the point where they make crazy absolute statements, like “Ford has never made a car worth owning.” This would mean that in the entire 118 year history of making cars, they never made one vehicle that wasn’t a...
The 5th Coal Mine Coulee Cross-Country Dirt Bike Race will take place this Saturday, May 8th, at Austin Genereux's ranch off of Coal Mine Road just north of town. First held in 2017, the race will likely attract between 175 and 200 racers from all over Montana and the surrounding states. When I asked about the race itself, Austin explained the difference between the Coal Mine Coulee race and a motocross event: "It's a cross-country dirt bike race. Motocross is a race around a track usually...
A special short season of soccer will be held for Big Sandy’s young athletes running from the last week of April into May. The local soccer season typically takes place place in the fall, with practices and games against teams from neighboring towns. Last fall, the season was cancelled due to the Covid lockdowns. The decision to hold a short make-up season for students was made after the league organizer, Rachel Baumgarn, began receiving requests for soccer from area students. “It’s mainly because I had a bunch of kids ask me, because we had t...
In ancient Israel, the Jewish people followed a very strict set of dietary laws. There are a lot of reasons for these laws, most of them having to do with reminding the Jews that they were separate from other nations and holy. In Acts 10, the apostle Peter has a vision in which he is told that the dietary laws are no longer in effect. There are two huge reasons for this taking place. First, because Jesus fulfilled God’s law and filled the need for holiness a spiritual effort rather than a matter of washings and diets. (This is a really s...
Several times a day visitors, stick their heads into the soon-to-be-opened "Black Granary: The Bakery," at the end of Main Street in Big Sandy to ask if there are any pastries to buy or when the shop will finally open. The simple answer is "soon." Mary Merrill hopes to start serving customers with pastries and coffee beginning with a soft opening on May 5th. Mary will be waiting to officially open at a later date once the lease has been completed. " I will close for family things. I have kids...
“If I have a superpower in life, it’s the ability to find almost anything interesting.” My brother told me this last year during a conversation we were having related to how to become a renaissance man. A renaissance man is a well-rounded individual. It really refers to the breed of person who develops abilities and skills in a wide range of areas. It was coined in reference to the type of men who emerged during the Renaissance period who made art, studied philosophy, studied the sciences, and mastered anything else they could access. I’ve spen...
Students at FE Miley Elementary School experienced hands-on instruction for Earth Day this week when they took part in a community cleanup effort organized by the teachers. Several weeks in advance, the Elementary School teachers planned the basics of the day and divided the eastern side of town into areas for each class to engage in clean up. The original plan was for the students to go out primarily in the afternoon, but high winds and the cold weather prompted a change in plans. The majority...
There’s a difficult bit of teaching in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus talks about picking the sawdust out of your neighbor’s eye. The idea is that anyone who is going to set about cleaning the eyes of their neighbors should check their own eyes to make sure they aren’t in worse shape. Jesus’ humorous description is of a guy with a log hanging off his own face while looking for specks of others. The analogy shouldn’t be too surprising coming from a carpenter, who likely had to deal with sawdust in his vision pretty regularly. The cool thin...
Big Sandy High School will be competing in the Spring Music Festival online next week after missing the event last year entirely due to the lockdowns. This year, the Montana High School Association (MHSA) decided that all of the state music festivals would be done digitally, due to concerns over the potential spread of the COVID virus. This decision was a bit of a disappointment for the students and staff who see the festival as a major component of performing arts at the high school level. Music Teacher, TJ Bond, explained the significance of...
Budding musicians in the Big Sandy area have a new resource to learn and grow through the teaching and experience of several local entertainers. The "School of Rock" set out to "give the kids a little bit of music education that is popular music based, not that there's anything wrong with classical music. We just know a little bit about popular music, because we have been playing it forever," explains Chris Meyers who is heading up the School of Rock effort with the help of his father, Larry Mey...
The Big Sandy Food Bank is raffling off a half a pig to raise money to support their food distribution program. Tickets are $5 and the drawing will be held April 30th. They can be purchased from the Senior Center, the offices of the Big Sandy Activity Center, the Mint Bar, or at the Mountaineer Office. They can also be purchased from Terry Grant or LeaAnn Williams. The fundraiser is a result of the generosity of Triangle Communications. The company purchased pigs and cows from 4-H groups last year as a part of their efforts to support the 4-H...
In the first century, when Jesus lived and taught, the Jewish people were living under the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire. The Jewish people were violently opposed to the Romans, a fact that resulted in more than a few violent uprisings that set out to liberate the nation of Israel. They did not succeed and eventually angered the Romans enough that they destroyed the country completely, exported its citizens all over the empire, and outlawed the Jewish faith in Israel entirely. This desire to be liberated seeped into the popular...
Erik Sietsema— For the first few years I was here, when I would tell the kids they could go to children’s church, I would say: ‘If you are a small child, or just very immature, you can go downstairs.’ It was just a joke I’d add in. Sometimes I’d mention someone by name, just to tease them. Well, one year April Fools Day fell on Easter Sunday. It was a pretty full house that day, which is kinda normal for Easter. When I said: ‘If you’re a small child or just very immature, you can go downstairs,’ everyone got up and filed out of the room until I...
