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"I'm excited! Yes, definitely looking forward to the season, ?? told me. "We have a lot of experienced players and six incoming freshmen" Morgan Simpson will be the assistant this year and Brittany McKenney is happy to have someone who knows the game and has played volleyball. A total of 16 girls have come out for the sport this year. Currently, they have two practices a day. Coach McKenney will be experimenting with letting every girl play at different positions. She wants to learn their...
Booster Club is looking for new members and volunteers to help promote our high school student athletes and activities. We are always open to new ideas and are looking for volunteers to help with upcoming projects. All community members are welcome to help, you do not need to be a member. We won’t be holding monthly meetings this year, but instead meetings will be held at the start of each sport season and as needed so that parents can become involved in supporting the sports in which their kids participate. As you can tell they are worth b...
In Spring, 1974, some friends were visiting and mentioned the Hi-Line Senior Citizens Center one of them belonged to. An interested Big sandy individual called a group to her home to discuss the possibility of organizing a similar group and a nominating committee was chosen. On May 14, 1974, the organizational meeting was held in the Vet’s meeting room. It was a pot luck. 48 people were present. A county Commissioner explained the project was not a welfare program but centers were being set up throughout the state for Senior Citizens, age 5...
Nothing brings more joy than running into kids who want to share their lives with me. I love the park right next to the Mountaineer and walking on the sidewalk by the library. Of course, I have to know them before I join in their conversations, but that is one of the great opportunities we have in Big Sandy. We are a small community, and we know each other. After recently resigning from the Big Sandy Senior Center Board, I am still looking forward to my involvement with the Senior Center...
It's exciting to find a cook so experienced and passionate. Robin Coyler and John Johnson came in June for a vacation and stayed for a week to visit friends and relatives. They moved to Big Sandy in 2016 after deciding this was where they wanted to live. They have two foster children. They are glad they stayed here. It was the sense of community they wanted. Robin's passion has always been children and the elderly, so it's the people she will be cooking for that most excites her about the job....
The Board of Trustees held a regular meeting on July 19. After the pledge Chairman Genererux introduced the new superintendent, Dan, and asked if he would like to say a few words. Dan Schrock asked, "What can we do for the kids?" It's all about that question. He invited anyone to reach out to him to ask questions or visit about any concerns. He has been using most of his time recruiting teachers. Mr. Schrock has made numerous contacts with various schools. He did mention that he has three...
The Big Sandy Medical Center's Wellness Center has finally got its direction solidly in place. Ryan Labuda has a degree in Business Management and is a Certified Trainer. Kurt Strutz has a Master's in Physical Therapy. They are excited to offer residents a place to strengthen their bodies and improve mobility and health. Last thing Ryan and Kurt said to me after the interview was to make sure the emphasis is on the people who are here getting healthier and stronger and the kids who are...
I have always loved listening to Bob Nelson talk; it doesn't matter the topic, it doesn't matter who the audience is. This time it was to local children at the Big Sandy Library. He answered the question why do you fish? Bob said, "Why do people go skiing? Why do people ride motorbikes? Why do people ride horses all over the place? People have all kinds of wonderful interests." Jane brought several shells and talked about how each was alive when they were in the water. To be honest, I loved the...
The Big Sandy Senior Center Board has hired a cook, Robin Coyler, for the center with an opening date of August 1st, hopefully. Robin formally worked for the Big Sandy nursing home and needed to give them time to hire a new cook. At the last meeting, the members discussed meal tickets. They have been found. Individuals having meal tickets can either get a refund or continue using them. You will be contacted personally by Terry Grant. The next meeting is on June 20th, a Wednesday, starting at 5:00. Although they had their annual meeting last...
The town of Big Sandy held a regular meeting on June 22nd. Every council member was present, along with two members of the public. The SWPP (stormwater pollution permit) has finally come through. ACME is updating the construction schedule. The council asked them to go to town and update the businesses on Johannes Avenue. A start date is tentatively set for July 5th. There were no further public comments at the Second Reading of Ordinance 2021-01. Rich Jespersen moved to pass the ordinance. Jon Sheehy seconded, and the motion passed unanimously....
It's early morning when I write this, and the birds are singing loudly. I love the mornings because it's a new day, and possibilities are just beginning. Kelly and Jody Haaland have lived here for four years and are now moving on to new possibilities. I wanted to tell them thank you and goodbye. I wanted to tell them, "I enjoyed getting to know you! Being a school superintendent is a difficult job." Kelly was always willing to work with me, and when I needed some time to ask questions, he...
"Summertime and the living is easy," as the song goes. Not for our farmers and ranchers, but maybe for the children of the community. It could be that I'm getting older, but more children are riding bikes this summer. Don't get me wrong; I love that the children and their parents can feel safe in this small town. I love watching them laugh and enjoy each other. There are so many places where children can't play outside without adults present. There are so many places children have to stay in...
Tina Cook said, “It started small with just Tracy and I and our kids--two families and a spattering of older widows. The boys would light fireworks, and we would have a barbeque. It just got bigger and bigger.” They will be serving hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, chips, cookies, water, and “maybe watermelon .”Tina said, “We ask for a $5.00 donation, but if you don’t have the money, we don’t care. We won’t turn you away. Just come over and join the community.” It starts at 6:00. At the Ball park, The last part of this bash begins in the dark. Plea...
Natalen Gasvoda has opened Blushing Willow Salon, a new beauty shop in Big Sandy. She chose the name because she likes "Willow," which means new beginnings. She completed her schooling in 2016 and worked at the Top Hat in Havre for six years. Natalen is married to Adrian Gasvoda, and they are expecting their first child in August. Although she will be closed for a while after the baby is born, Natalen can still take a few appointments for July. The Blushing Willow is located at 88 Johannes Ave....
Most of the time at the last Senior Center meeting was spent looking at and discussing the new by-laws. The by-laws were tabled until the next meeting because Barb Ophus will bring an amendment forward. Barb would like to see the board include younger members of our community. Currently, in the new by-laws, the membership age is 50. The board felt senior citizens should have the responsibility of running the center. They would love to see younger members of our community involved by being a part of the committees appointed to help energize the...
I got excited when I saw the pictures of Big Sandy's first pool. I had heard a swimming pool before our current pool was somewhere by the Big Sandy Lumber. I have been searching for information through old newspapers. I haven't yet found much about how it was built and by whom. The first mention of a pool was in October of 1917. A splatter of pool articles was mentioned running through 1919, but it was about small groups trying to raise funds for a pool every time. They talk about family...
It was a beautiful afternoon, and I was enjoying the greenness of the prairie as I drove home. I saw him on a stretch of highway in the distance. I stopped my car, rolled my window down, and waited for him to stop. I laughed because I wouldn't have stopped if I were enjoying a bicycle ride easily coasting down a hill, but he did. I introduced myself as the local newspaper owner, and he was a story. He smiled and told me he was going on a Bike Packing Tour. It was over 300 miles. He was going...
The next meeting of the Big Sandy Senior Center will be on June 20th at 5:00. The board members have been working on getting the final report from the accountant and hope to have it to present to the members. They will also have new by-laws for the members to consider. The hiring of a cook for the Center is in full swing. Applications, resume, and references have been received. Background checks and interviews will take place before hiring. There will be a brief period where members can voice their opinion about the priorities—a b...
I love our Big Sandy Library. It’s a new brand of the library. I remember going to Valley County Library, only to be “shhhh”! This library is full of life and laughter. That is not saying you can’t find a time when it’s quiet, but you’ll need to know when the times are. Big Sandy is doing a lot of things right with this library. A whole generation is learning to enjoy going to the library. My granddaughter Dorothea went into the library to get Henry and came out with a book in her hand. She said she had the book reserved so she could read it ne...
It took three years. It started when Amanda Robertson was the music teacher at Big Sandy Highschool. She encouraged him to get one. His idea was that every pianist could play it in the area. Also, Doug thought they could give smaller, more often recitals, The area at the Cultural Center area is not big enough to allow for large audiences. But he believes the more concerts, the better because it would be good for the kids who have difficulty playing before large audiences. "One time is not enough...
We can complain all we want about gas prices. We can't go places as we want. Our fast pace style of living must slow down. We can't afford to go 100 miles an hour. We can blame it on a wide variety of reasons. Political rhetoric is off the charts. Let's stop. How can we use this for our good? My granddaughter Faith Cator made an idea jar a couple of days ago. It was painted like a strawberry with Summer Ideas across the front. One of the ideas was to camp in their backyard. Everyone family...
One of the most incredible things about watching little swimmers make it down the 25-meter race is the huge smile on Coach Travis Bauman. I smiled at him, and he said, "How can you not smile!" Only 14 swimmers of the Big Sandy Baracuda swim team attended the Chinook Swim meet. Twelve swimmers made it to the finals on Sunday. It was a beautiful day. Most everyone swimming improved their times. Henry Merrill and D'Aree Sunchild won high point for their age group. Henry shared first place with two...
On Friday, June 31, I learned from Don Shomo that the Havre Daily News had a mechanical problem with their press. They tried to weld it, but it didn't hold. They are ordering a new part but have no idea when they will receive the part. He encouraged me to call Lewistown Argus and ask if they could print the paper. Lewistown Argus told me they were very short staff and too busy to print another paper. He recommended the Miles City Star. He didn't think he could print it till Thursday, and I would have to travel to get it. I am still waiting on...
On June 2, the Big Sandy School Board interviewed one candidate for Superintendent. They held a meet and greet at 8:30 for staff and community members. There were two candidates, but Gregory Derm pulled out at the last minute. Daniel Schrock was present. There was some concern that the information did not get to the public quickly enough. The Montana School Board Association representative explained they could only be posted 48 hours before the interview. Which meant it could not be published in the Big Sandy Mountaineer. It was posted on the...
At the Big Sandy Senior Center Annual Meeting the members voted to elect three new board members to the board. New board members are Terry Grant, Karen Baumann, and Wendy Kleinsasser. Gloria Godfrey, Deloris Prybil, and Pam Gasvoda have served their terms. They have worked many years of service and they were thanked by the members. The meeting started with a statement by Nichole Thennis, the Older Americans Acts Nutrition Program manager. “Currently, in Chouteau County 11.5% or 660 people are at this time battling food insecurity, 94% of t...
