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It's snowing, and it's the beginning of the track season. When I talked to Wendy Taylor, head coach of the Big Sandy Pioneer track teams, she clapped her hands and said, "I'm ready. Bring it!" "Shersteen Andreasen is our distance coach and our javelin coach. Tucker Taylor is new to us this year and will be our jumping coach for the triple, long, and high jumps. He will also help with the sprints. And then we have Charlie Klimas from Harve, who will still be our throwing, discus, and shotput coac...
The big night was, as always, a big success. The 39th Annual Rotary Club Benefit and Banquet with a Vegas Casino theme is in the books. The big prize of the $3,000 was Dr Larry Obie from Havre, who gave it to the Big Sandy Swimming Pool fundraiser. Dylan Laslovich won the Milwaukee set; Colby and Rachel Baumgarn won the Traeger Grill; Daren and Tracy Schuster won the Vortex Binoculars; Ty and Dusty Cline won the Kitchen Aid Mixer; Robin and Cinda Pearson won the Ninja Oven; Ron Wiens won the...
The press release said, “Big Sandy Organics, LLC in Big Sandy, Mont., received a (three-million-dollar grant) to increase processing capacity for organic grains and pulse crops by acquiring advanced equipment to enhance product quality, reduce labor-intensive processes, and reduce production costs. The project will also expand the organic market by promoting collaborative product development and diversification.” Heather wrote, “The grant will help us become so much more efficient, take on more business, and produce a better-quality produ...
It was a play that will be remembered! It was a musical in Big Sandy! It was a comedy with a number of fun music parts. In my opinion, the sarcasm about politicians was front and center. The play was two and a half hours long but entertaining in every 17 scenes. The amount of work they went through had to be immense. There were 41 members of the cast and 12 members of the crew, including four directors: Amanda Hoffman, Dianna Keane, Michelle Danreuther, and Stephanie Drga. It all takes place at...
We know very little about the NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations). What most people have heard about it is the NFHS Network, where they live stream events at high schools (and at the junior high level, too). The NFHS owns the NFHS Network, but first, we are going to do a little background history on who and what the NFHS is. I am hoping to turn this into a three-part series over the next few weeks. This part of the series will be about how it got started and the multiple different facets that come with NFHS. Several...
I know I should walk and am inspired by those who do. I just had a physical, and she assured me I was healthy enough to walk. I thought doing my research and revising the value of walking would help me become motivated. I hope it will help motivate you. Let’s face it: walking has numerous health benefits for people of every age. It can help with current health concerns and prevent others. It’s easy to do, and the weather is cooperating. 1. We all know walking burns calories, and many need to lose weight to get healthier. 2. Walking 30 minutes d...
Big Sandy wants to support our nearby small town and its efforts at bringing home a state championship! Congratulations to the Box Elder Bears and their boys' basketball team on going undefeated this season with a very impressive record of 26-0! After visiting with other people who know more about basketball than I do, I was even more impressed by the Bears. After leaving that discussion, I listened to them about what they noticed watching the Bears basketball team, specifically their coach,...
Two Big Sandy residents celebrated their 98th birthday recently. They both still live in their homes. Glen Cook and his wife Anita have moved to town to make life a little easier. Ruth Merrill still lives on the land she was born on and lived her entire life. I just wanted to visit with them both for a couple of minutes, especially after I compiled a list of what happened in their lifetime: World War II, Women had just gained the right to vote, the dropping of the first atomic bomb on...
A Montana Masonic Foundation Grant was awarded to Big Sandy High school's Music Program. The grant funded was $4,952.00 for the purchase of two Kettle Drums. TJ Bond wrote, "These drums are a foundational sound in many band setting and ours have been extremely past due to be replaced. With these new drums, our bank will perform with a much fuller sound which will help concerts here as well as it competition. It is a huge honor to receive money for these drums, they are very expensive!" Their...
Whenever we play a sport, the goal is to win. And it feels great to win; it hurts when we lose. I am a devoted fan of Pioneers sports; I am proud of the winning, but I also know that winning isn't the lesson the girls will take with them into adulthood. Ok, they'll remember the glory days, but more importantly, who they have become in the process. After all, those profound lessons learned during the hard work, the resiliency to never give up, the effort, and the ability to work as a team will...
The Big Sandy Rotary Club hopes you would be interested in contributing to their 39th Annual Benefit Banquet. It started 40 years ago, but there wasn’t one during COVID. They scheduled it for March 16, 2024, and it has been held since 1984. Banquet proceeds support a long list of recipients: Volunteer Fire Department & EMTs, Food Bank, Senior Center, Rotary Youth Leadership Center (RYLA), the Library, The Swim Pool Project, Big Sandy Activities, Medical Center, Historical Society, Big Sandy Cemetery, the annual East Egg Hunt; upkeep of the l...
It isn't about the sport. It's about supporting the kids, friends, and community. There was a fundraiser/dinner- a Divisional Tournament Pep Rally with a Spaghetti Dinner, a 3-Point shoot, a pop shot, and Little Pioneer Basketball games on Tuesday, the 20th. On February 29th, there will be a Dodgeball Tournament at 7:30 pm following the junior high Wrestling. If you had attended the Pep Rally, it would have been obvious to see our support for each other. Ella Jurenka told me they fed 150 people...
Dana Darlington, a neighbor of mine, sent a press release saying he is running for House District 26. "It consists of all of Chouteau County and about a third, maybe a little more of Cascade County. It's a whole new district." I'm interested in why he decided to run for office. I asked him who was going to be doing his calving for him. Dana said, "My lovely bride!" The event started all this-"for the past 25 years, ever since President Clinton signed the National Monument that moved right throug...
Did anyone know there was even a Chouteau County Library Foundation? "The Chouteau County Library Foundation is to meet the educational and literary needs of the people of Chouteau County by managing funds, donations, and bequests that will provide ongoing services, programs, and maintenance of the Chouteau County Library." So begins the charter of the Chouteau County Library Foundation. Rich Jesperson is one of the newest members of the Foundation and as the newly elected Chair of the...
The Big Sandy Public Schools K-12 School District #2 has two open Big Sandy Trustee positions. The deadline for filing is March 28, 2024. There will be two seats open for the position of district Trustee; both Kelly Rutledge’s and Anna Bold’s seats are up for election. At the time of printing, the Mountaineer did not know if they would be running again. The Big Sandy School encourages community members to run. All interested community members over 18 years of age, registered voters, and district residents are eligible to run for the Board of...
Taking first is big. The Big Sandy FFA Senior team took 1st place, with Severin Heimbigner taking first individually. Cooper followed up, taking fifth out of several hundred kids. Conner Sibra and Christian Windrel supported him. It was interesting because Severin was chosen as the first tenor in the Honors Choir just a few weeks earlier. I was interested that he had succeeded in two totally different areas so close together. I asked Severin about his first-place win in FFA. "The contest I took...
The Big Sandy Medical Center has introduced a new mental health provider, Cheyenne Feltz, DNP PMHNP-BC, who is a Board Certified (BC) Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with a Doctor of Nursing (DNP). Cheyenne said, "I know Ron (Wiens) is really passionate about mental health as well. He’s investing a lot into making sure there's some mental health access here.” Cheyenne was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a big city that is very different from here. “But my family's all from Montana. I think it was three days...
There is nothing here to say that hasn't been said. So, there is no new news, but the weather is the topic. Staying home keeps articles at a minimum. Here is a list of the new record lows set on Saturday, January 13, 2024, for the main climate locations within Montana. Record location: Saturday's Low Temp; (Old Record & Year) • Billings: -26° (-22° in 1972 & 1997) • Bozeman: -45° (-32° in 1997) • Butte: -45° (-34° in 1997) • Cut Bank: -41° (-36° in 1972) • Dillon: -41° (-17° in 2007) • Glasgow:...
Everyone has personal heroes; one of mine is Karli Phillips. It isn't just because of her spiritual journey and honest vulnerability and not because she and her husband, Glen, have experienced a real miracle in their daughter, Yancy. Not because they opened their home to adopt their niece and nephews after the death of Glen's mom and dad, but because her heart is so gentle and real. Last October, Karli had a life-changing weekend. She went to a Labeled and Loved Sisters Retreat. Karli wrote, "...
Dora Mahood blessed Big Sandy by distributing $400,000 for various causes throughout the town. Everyone deserves acknowledgment when the Big Sandy Mountaineer runs obituaries, and I don’t know the person I read about them. Dora Frieda Mahood, 94, passed away on October 10, 2023, and we ran her obituary. I now wish I had an opportunity to visit with her. Dora Mahood gave back in a big way to her hometown. She donated $400,000 in total. The Big Sandy School was given $50 K, and you can read about that in a separate article about that donation i...
Both the Big Sandy High School and Lift can help you achieve the goal of getting healthy in 2024. "Big Sandy School District strives to make the building available to the public for community activities and to provide access to the fitness areas; however, we do need to maintain reasonable security in the building to protect the district from liability. Your access to the building is a privilege, and users must agree to follow all security guidelines set forth by the district." Users of the...
A new year is always a time for reflection. During December, I heard the word hope many times and realized I needed to renew my hope. Life is hard, and sometimes depression tells us the future is bleak. Listening to politics never mentions how the future looks bright! I was challenged by an article I read to eavesdrop on conversations around me and see how many of them had hope in the tone of their conversation. And to be honest, that day, there was none. I hope those who read this paper realize that I am a Christian; if not, let me clarify...
It's the perfect article to start the New Year-a true example of doing something special for your friends. I didn't even know Levi would play basketball this year until I saw him play in the game. It was then that I looked at the Pioneer roster and saw we had another senior playing basketball. I asked him when he last played, and he said he played his Freshman year and then quit. So why has he started to play this year? Levi said, "This year, seniors weren't available." He smiled and said, "I'm...
It's always the same. A wonderful celebration of Christmas is the Elementary Christmas Concert. This year was the biggest turnout. The auditorium was almost full. It started with the 4th-grade class playing recorders. They played Good King Wenceslas and Snowfall. The 5th grade band, in their very first concert, played Go Tell Aunt Rhody, A Mozart Melody, and Jingle Bells. Every student in the 5th grade must play in the band, so it's a delightful concert with squeaks and squawks. The 6th-grade...
Christmas 2023 I can’t help but stop my hectic life and think about what I need to do for Christmas. Once again, I didn’t get decorations up, once again, no letters, no Christmas cookies, and I still don’t have all my presents bought. But I have spent more time this year preparing my heart for Christmas’s meaning. Richard Foster is one of my favorite writers. His book Celebration of Discipline remains a compelling book for me. The first sentence says, “ Superficiality is the curse of our age.” My faith affects all my relationships with my fam...
