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"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" Proverbs 15:1 What is my response to abrasive people? It's a constant struggle. I can usually keep my mouth shut, but not always! If harsh words stir me up to be harsh back, I'm no better than the person who offended me. It's a battle of self-control and understanding. Walking in the cool September weather after the nice rain, I found myself taking pictures of odd things, like always. But the picture of the thistle growing by a...
Don Jenkins has been diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis. The official medical definition says it is, "Many different things may cause damage to the lungs that results in pulmonary Fibrosis. Examples include long-term exposure to certain toxins, radiation therapy, some medicines, and certain medical conditions" that cause the disease. Don Jenkins graduated from Big Sandy High School in 1979. He coached wrestling for 14 years and was the assistant football coach for 14 years. He also loved being th...
Marty Demarest has been preaching at the Methodist Church. I went to worship with them and found him full of joy and the Spirit of God, as they do. I couldn't wait to interview him. Marty said, "I am a lay preacher. I am exactly what Brother Van was: a layman called by God to bring the Word of God. I can preach at three churches on a Sunday, no problem. I love it. I absolutely love it. I drove 230 miles today. The Spirit of God sustains you if God calls you to the work. Before this, Marty wrote...
Montana has more independently owned bookstores per capital than any other state. A group of those shops have banded together to help promote their businesses and attract a peculiar type of tourism around the state. The Montana Bookstore Trail is the product of that effort. For the past 2 years, the Trail has raised awareness of these small businesses in our state. The concept is quite clever. Bookstore explorers get a passport, which they get stamped at each place they visit. The passport has...
Hearts for Hep is a benefit for Casten Heppner. It will take place at the Jerry Martin Memorial Hall in Big Sandy, Montana, on Saturday, September 14, starting at 5 p.m. Dinner will be served, followed by live and silent Auctions. Casten and Katie and their children have lived here for years and are still Big Sandy people in our hearts. Katie wrote on Facebook (she gave me permission to use it), "We traveled to Mayo, and we were able to see Casten's mass. The team assessed it to be an arachnoid...
4-H and FFA Youth Meet Excellence Criteria for Livestock Carcass Quality The 2024 Chouteau County 4-H and FFA livestock carcass ultrasound took place at the Chouteau County fairgrounds. A total of 89 Chouteau County animals were evaluated for carcass quality by Elin Kittelmann, Ultrasound Technician from Ekalaka. The purpose of the carcass contest is to teach youth how to correctly select, feed and finish livestock based on carcass data. If carcass criteria are met, youth can be confident they are producing a quality product that is safe,...
Okay, I'm going to say this upfront: This team is worth watching. Come and enjoy the Big Sandy Girls' skills and help support them. Their first matches are away on August 30th at North Star and August 31st at Belt for a tournament. The first home matches are September 12th against Highwood and September 19th against CJI. I walked into the Big Sandy gym, and the first thing I noticed was that the girls were exhausted and sweating. I said, "Hard practice," and they said yes! At the beginning of...
Some believe we are in a rebuilding year, but Coach Tucker Tayor answered that question right up front. We have lost a lot of talented football players over the last three years, some of whom are playing football just down the road, but head coach Tucker Taylor believes there are athletes ready to step up and, given the chance, will do well for the Pioneers. There are four seniors this year: Sonny Phillips, Darrell Sunchild, Ryder Galbavy, and Severin Heimbigner. Although he cannot play this...
As I parked my car, I couldn't help but smile at the sight of a couple of fair rides, all free to ride on Thursday night! The fair is a place for kids and adults alike, a place where everyone can have fun. There's something about seeing kids enjoying themselves that brings a smile to everyone's face. The 4-H clubs had to have their animals there on Wednesday, but the opening day was on Thursday, with entries due that afternoon and judging starting in the livestock building. Most food booths...
When I stepped outside my car at the MSU Northern football parking lot, I was surprised to hear the players cheering loudly. Realizing they were looking forward to playing football this year was fun. Three of the players are from Big Sandy Pioneers, but what's truly fascinating is that four of them are cousins! Braydon Cline, Wylee Snapp, Lane Demontiney, and Crawford Terry share a unique bond. Lane also happens to be a cousin to Joe Quinn Demontiney. Each player has a unique role on the team:...
Skate Park Jam was once again a bustling event, with an even more significant presence of families and kids, making it a genuinely inclusive gathering. The participation of world-famous skaters added to the excitement. On Saturday morning, Randy Katen, a pro skater since 1977, generously shared his skating tips with all the kids. The skate park was a generous donation from Jeff Ament, Pearl Jam, who was also present. It's amazing how far people come. One always comes from Brazil, and two came...
Blaine Ophus was sworn in as a council member on August 8 at the start of the monthly meeting, replacing Danielle Weaver, who resigned. Sarah Strissel from Bear Paw Development was present at the meeting to discuss the removal of the old Motel on the main street. There are rules concerning removing asbestos and lead-paste paint that must be strictly followed. The city needs some in-kind contribution, which is still being determined. She reported that they were present in Big Sandy that day to...
Learning keeps you young and vibrant! It was my mother's favorite activity, always attending different workshops. I've spoken to many older individuals who credit learning new things for their vitality and zest for life. The spice of life is trying new activities. Are you bored? Try something different! At the farm, there is a pit that has a mother duck and six ducklings. We watch them daily. We questioned how and when they would learn to fly and get up over all the plant life and hills...
On August 4th, Tannin Baumann stepped into the MMA arena for the first time. His debut took place at The Northern Winz, in an outdoor tent area. Tannin's journey to this moment was marked by six months of rigorous training, a testament to his unwavering dedication to the sport. Tannin informed me, "It's a mix of boxing, kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, and grappling. It's just a mix of a bunch of different fighting techniques." Tannin has found that his wrestling knowledge is a big part of MMA....
At its regular annual meeting, the Big Sandy Senior Center voted to raise its meals to $7.00. This was necessary to cover the cost of food and supplies, which kept going up. They could also use donations of any kind because donations are a key factor for keeping the center running. While monetary donations are greatly appreciated, there are other diverse ways to contribute. The following items were mentioned: Eggs, vegetables, powdered lemonade, coffee, tea, toilet paper, trash bags, dish soap, computer paper, file folders, file hangers, pens,...
With the recent hot weather, the right time to discuss how to have a nice lawn without using so much water is now. What is a Waterwise lawn, and how does it work? There is and will continue to be a battle about who owns the water in our state. Working for change is essential because the planet is worth the effort. My 100-year-old uncle Les Rutledge said, "Do what you can while you can. It is one lawn, one neighborhood at a time." With the help of Waterwise Project LLC, he created a...
Recently, wrestling camp came to Big Sandy. Kyle Rodewald held a four-day wrestling camp in the city hall. It was scheduled at the school, but the electrical company decided that was the week they were coming to town, and all the electricity at the high school would be turned off. The wrestling mats covered the city hall floor well, but it did get hot in there towards the end of the day. Kyle told me, "I think the youngest is kindergarten up to seniors," for a total of 34 kids. They came from...
Big Sandy Barracuda took 3rd in class A with 17 swimmers. The state swim meet was held in Sidney last week, and the western division's best faced the eastern division's best. The state meet consists of 19 teams. The teams that competed were Big Sandy, Bitterroot, Chester, Chinook, Choteau, Columbia Falls, Conrad, Cut Bank, Fort Benton, Glasgow, Glendive, Harlem, Lewistown, Malta, Plentywood, Roundup, Scobey, Sidney, and Shelby. There were 451 swimmers from around the state. The Barracuda's had a...
While driving to and from Big Sandy, I noticed large flocks of what looked like small white birds. I had to find out what they were because I had never seen them in our area before. I researched at the All About Birds Organization and Audubon sites. "The Arctic Tern is a small, slender gray-and-white bird with angular wings, the Arctic Tern is well known for its long yearly migration. It travels from its Arctic breeding grounds to Antarctica, where it enjoys the Antarctic summer, covering...
Les Rutledge was born in 1924 in Big Sandy and graduated in 1942. He just celebrated his 100th birthday. Les has led a full, interesting, thought-provoking, and rewarding life. Two years after high school, he found himself in Germany during WWII. He received his education from the University of Montana, the University of Utah, the University of Washington, and an institute in Sweden. All the education helped him teach neurosurgery for 32 years at the University of Michigan Medical School. He...
Kristie Rutledge is a certified LPA (Lay Pastoral Associate). The ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Churches of America) has an LPA program. The truth is, she has wanted to be an LPA since high school. Her mentor is PR Megan Howeisch from First Lutheran in Havre. The Big Sandy Christ Lutheran has two LPAs, Dan Leader and Kristie Rutledge. Havre is a good support system with Marilyn Henry, Mary Stevens (music and no preaching), Lynn Steinmetz, and Josh Gomez. The Hi-Line has another LPA, Judy Vosen....
We just read an article about how Big Sandy Activities required new vans. However, Big Sandy is more than new vans. Those who have lived in Big Sandy know Big Sandy Activities was started by Connie Green, who was passionate about serving people with disabilities in 1974. They started a day program in 1975 and Incorporated in 1976. She hired Doris Gullickson and then Lenore Marx. Doris and Lenore still work for Big Sandy Activities; the only individual here is Donald Christianson. The first group...
Every summer, the Big Sandy Saddle Club organizes two months of O-mok-see, an Indian word meaning Big Dance. The next Big Dance is July 14th. I couldn't help but think of four girls who love their horses. Let me introduce you to them: Holli, Katie, Maddie, and Liz Williams. They all work and train their own horses. It's taken so long to sit down with them, between my schedule and theirs and the road conditions because of the rain, but finally, over a cup of coffee with creamer, we sat around the...
We were constantly told that the Big Sandy Pool could not continue to be patched and survive. The time is here. The Kiddie pool is gone. Leslie Gregory, Big Sandy Pool Manager, told me, "When I came to work (at the pol) that morning, water was coming out of the side of the deck, like under the deck. There's a crack there. Where did all this water come from? It's not gushing, but it's enough to put water in our alley. I walked over there. Tim Labuda, thinks it's one of the jets that circulates...
Sue King, a devoted Methodist Pastor with a profound love for science and the Lord, bid farewell to her last Sunday Service in Big Sandy this past Sunday. Her pastoral duties also extended to Havre and Chester, where she traveled each Sunday. Now, she embarks on a new journey, taking up a science teaching role at Chester, where she will be imparting her knowledge to junior high and senior high school students at CJI High School. Sue said, "My Bachelor's was in chemistry, and then I have a...
