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January of every year has lots of farm forums around the state of Montana. Except for delivery of grain and feeding livestock agriculture farmers and ranchers are finding time to attend. I heard the other day that there is still a need for health insurance for farmers and ranchers, but no one seems to be visiting about that. Speakers are discussing with attendees that they need to write a business plan every year. Revisit your skills to determine training you may need to learn, i.e. agricultural...
The Big Sandy Senior Center announced they will be closed on Fridays. Linda Schwarzbach President of the Big Sandy Senior Center Board said, "We are trying to get it open again, but when the participation falls and you can't pencil it out and keep it even; it gets a little scary. It's starting to pick up on the four days. When we start getting a few more people, we will open it up again." Renee Hansen said, "If we want the senior citizens to be open we can buy a food ticket whether we use it or...
On January 6 Bailey Gasvoda and Bryanna Goodman participated in a Cross–Fit competition in Spokane Washington at the fair-grounds. They left the competition very inspired and after talking to them you'll realize you're inspired too! Cross Fit uses rowing machines, assault bikes (bikes that use both your arms and your legs), bar bells with weights. Bailey Gasvoda said, "I just started Cross Fit in August. Bryanna was such a good teammate, because she is so strong. She's been doing it for a l...
The Big Sandy City Council met as usual on January 9th, with all council members present Shaud Schwarzbach-Mayor, Colby Baumgarn, Darin Ray, Ted Pursley, and Jon Sheehy. All employees of the city were also present, Wendy Kleinsausser, City Clerk, Tim Labuda and Larry Geyer Big Sandy’s maintenance personnel. There was one Big Sandy residence but he gave no public comment. Dennis Hale, Chouteau Country Sheriff’s Deputy, report was short. The digital speed signs on the outside of town are working again. Those serving on the Pivot Committee at the...
The Big Sandy Booster Club met January 8th with nine moms attending at the Big Sandy Senior Citizen’s. Melanie Schwarzbach gave the Financial Report. Currently they have $13,790.00 for future projects. There was considerable exciting discussion about the numerous opportunities for future contributions they could make. The posters are up at the high school where names of the Corporate Sponsors and Life time membership are displayed professionally. They hadn’t been updated since 1994. Pep’s is now a Corporate Sponsors. New Pioneer clothes and g...
The USDA's Farm Service Agency is closed because of the government shut down, but the new farm bill, The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, has increased the agencies abilities for loan guarantees $1.75 million an increase from $1.40 Million. It also increased the direct farm ownership loans to $600,000 which doubles and increased direct operating loans by $100,000 to $400,000. I researched on line at the American Bankers Association/Agricultural Banking and found that bank lenders are glad....
Picture Reggie Jappe sitting on a deck overlooking a lake in Texas working on her craft projects and sewing quilts. That's what she will be doing! Why not retire!? Leah Grubb, CEO of the Big Sandy Medical Center said, "She will be missed. She's fun! The residences are going to miss her. She always made their days better." Lisa Sipler told me she always personalized her activities to with the residences. Whatever they liked to do she would do one on one with them. "With one she would bake, with...
Morgan Simpson was a cheerleader in Big Sandy when she was in high school. She was a cheerleader for two years in 2002 and 2003. She really enjoyed it. I asked her if that was why she wanted to be a coach. Morgan told me, “The girls approached me. They wanted a program again. And there is no reason there shouldn’t be a program. We have the girls that have the interest in it. We have the uniforms. They fit and they look good. They just needed a coach to help them.” Morgan moved to Big Sandy...
Happy New Year! I bought myself a Craig Edwards art photograph. I saw wings of creativity and new directions. I just wanted to know more about the picture so I asked Craig Edwards to tell me about his photograph. Glen and Anita Cook were eating lunch with me and when she saw it she said, "I see a seed pods exploding." Craig said, "It's pigeon wing impressions in the dust of the ceiling in a grain bin." I wanted to know if he actually knew it would turn out to be such an awesome picture. He...
January 3, 2018...We discovered that the Montana Department of Health and Human Services budget was cut by $49 million. Some programs in Chouteau County were cut completely in the Office of Public Assistance. Programs being affected Suppled Nutritional Assistance, TANF, and CHIP. Private First-Class Christopher Stiles, US Marine Corps was home visiting for Christmas. January 10...Brady Pleninger, Travis Pegar, Abriana Blanion, and Alicia Bjornstad studied, interviewed and wrote an article about...
The Christ Lutheran Church had dimmed the lights of the sanctuary and the Christmas tree looked like it had a thousand lights when I entered. Traditional Christmas music was playing quietly in the background. As families walked in with laughter and excitement knowing full well their child was very excited about the program. The lights in the sanctuary went up just so the kids could see their parents and pictures could be taken. The church was full. Full of parents, grandparents, siblings, aunt...
Starting January 1, 2019 Heather Pleninger will become the fourth Executive Director in the history of Big Sandy Activities. Lorrie Merrill is stepping down from the position to pursue a different opportunity and to give her more time to write. Connie Green was the first Executive Director when she retired after 20 years. Jean Denning took the reigns as the Executive Director in 1995. She was the Executive Director for 11 years, before Lorrie Merrill became the Executive Director in 2006. Big...
Every New Year 71% of all new year resolutions are to diet or eat healthier; exercise more (65%), or lose weight (54%). So, it is time to at least to try again. Julie Myers and LIFT Fitness of Big Sandy gives you that opportunity. She has three classes a day, each for one hour, five days a week. The first one starts at 8:00 AM. That class has an average of four clients. She has two classes in the afternoon one that starts at 4:30 and one that starts at 5:30. The 5:30 class is the fullest...
We have a new Farm Bill. In the new Farm Bill, industrial hemp will no longer be considered a controlled substance. However, the USDA needs to establish new regulations although the state of Montana has regulations already established because of the Montana Hemp Pilot Program. It requires the Montana Department of Agriculture to monitor hemp seed planting. In order to plant industrial hemp, the grower must have a 2019 Pilot Program license and work with the Montana Department of Agriculture to...
For every pint of blood donated three lives are saved. You can give blood this Christmas on Thursday, December 27 from 1:00- 7:00 PM. To make an appointment, call the American Red Cross at 406-403-0956 or visit redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code; bigsandy. Fear stops most first-time givers however the process is nothing to fear. According to Rachel Baumgarn Big Sandy's organizer "it isn't as scary as you think it is". All you have to do is make an appointment, bring a photo ID and...
After spending a month of asking about individual Christmas memories, it became very obvious that most of our memories are around food while sitting with family celebrating and laughing. So, the Christmas Food Baskets are more than just supplying a meal to families needing a little extra help. Christmas baskets are in fact supplying the Christmas memory for the entire family. Currently there are 23 families/100 individuals receiving Christmas Food Baskets. This year according to Heather Wolery, “F.E. Miley is going to be collecting food items f...
When we talk about what gifts we got, we hardly remember the physical gifts given to us over the years. When we talk about what kind of gifts we want to give we talk about making time for loved ones, laughter, security, family, and hope and peace. During interviewing about Christmas memories, the conversation with Larry Bitz turned to what gifts he would like to give. "Christmas for me is a season. It wows me. It overwhelms me. I love the message of the music of the season. If I could give a...
The upstairs bedroom had some wooden steps to the dining room. The living room was closed off during Christmas because there was no heat in the room, so all six of the dining room chairs where claimed by a member of the family by putting their Christmas stocking on it. She couldn't wait till morning so she snuck through the boys' rooms and down the steep stairs afraid at any moment she'd fall down the steps. In the dark, she found her chair and saw the beautiful black hair baby doll sitting...
Sometimes you can hear comments like there isn't anything to do in Big Sandy. This Saturday the opposite was true. It was a full of activities. Starting with Erik Sietsema's Open House- book sale/signing/reading his book at Craig Edwards Gallery. When I walked in to the event his daughter Abbey met me and asked, "How many books do you want to buy?" Pastor Sean and Vanessa Janssen opened their home for their first Christmas Open House party. When you walked into their home it was incredible the...
"It's exciting." Erik Siestsema has just received the first boxes full of his book and is looking forward to Saturday December 15th 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM for the official book reveal and reading at Craig Edwards Art Gallery in Big Sandy. He'll be reading a sample from his book at 2:00 and at 4:00. Come help him celebrate and support him as an author and purchase a great children's book for Christmas. Erik can't wait to personally sign "The Curse of the Vassal Fruit" for community friends. Copies...
Before I could write a single word the first song by the 5th grade band was over-It was Joy. Second one sounded like the first. But the last one was totally different. Yes, there were squeaks a plenty, which is what I love about the 5th grade band. Considering I remember making a number of squeaks when I was a senior on a bassoon solo. There is a huge difference between the 5th and the 6th grade bands an indication of Amanda Robertson's abilities as a music teachers. The first song was a melody...
Most Christmas memories tug at the heart! But some Christmas memories are filled with pain too. The four children share two bedrooms. The girl's bedroom was bigger, but they shared a double bed which filled most of the room. The boy's room was smaller, mostly just enough to hold a bunkbed. It was Christmas morning and upstairs both bedrooms were stirring. They were excited to see what Santa brought them. The oldest daughter knew better, but she enjoyed the younger children's excitement. They...
The head coach for the Big Sandy Boys Pioneer team for the second year is once again Tomas Dilworth. This year the Pioneer squad is made up of three junior players Ryan Roth, Brock Proulx, Jeremiah Genereux, and Elijah Wagoner who is out for the year because of injury. There are two sophomores Kade Strutz and Parker Proulx. There are four eighth graders Crawford Terry, Braydon Cline, Kody Strutz, and Austin Haugen. There are a lot of young people coming out for basketball who has seen some...
Namoi Terry is head coach this year for the Pioneers Girls Basketball. Seniors are Grace Finke, Jaylyn Cline. Juniors Lainey Gregory, Amanda Cline, Stacy Allderdice, Seanna Demontiney, and Erin Taylor. Sophomore Madison Terry and Freshman Amiya Griffith. Eight graders playing this year Amy and Mattie Gasvoda, Laynee Ophus, Kylee Sternberg, Caydence Pleninger, Daisy LaBuda, and Jaycee Worrell. According to coach Thomas Dilworth it was clear after two weeks of basketball practice that Naomi knows...
This year's Head Wrestling Coach is Tucker Taylor the new history teacher in Big Sandy. He was selected as Teacher of the Month in September so he is well liked by the students. The feeling is mutual, he likes teaching here. "I like it, I've always wanted to teach in a small town. I like Big Sandy. I really like the kids." As a teacher, he believes Big Sandy does a good job of balancing sports and academics. "At the Booster Club Winter kick off I noticed that many of our Science Olympia scientis...
