Articles written by zoe merrill


Sorted by date  Results 776 - 800 of 937

Page Up

  • The Reason We have Red Ribbon Week

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 24, 2018

    Red Ribbon week is celebrated nationally normally between October 23-31. This year both the high school and the grade school will be focusing on the purpose of Red Ribbon Week which is to encourage student to make a commitment to live safe and drug-free lives. Red Ribbon week was first created in 1988 after an DEA Agent Enrique Camarerena was kidnapped, tortured and murdered in Guadalajara Mexico as an undercover agent. His home town placed red ribbons around to try and increase awareness to...

  • Enjoying Retirement: Gwen Ophus after 35 years

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 24, 2018

    Gwen has been a part of Big Sandy's down town business for 35 years. She married Shane Ophus in 1984 and started her business down town in the Odd Fellows Hall. It cost $50-$75 a month to rent the front part of that building, and that was for everything! She opened her current shop in 1986. Gwen had a lot of people try to discourage her from opening her own shop, but those who had shops in town already weren't interested in hiring anyone. She always knew that eventually she wanted to have her...

  • Pioneers Post Season Schedule

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 24, 2018

    This Saturday October 27th the Pioneers Football Team will host White Sulfur spring at 1:00 in the first round playoff game for the Pioneers. At 9 am the football moms will be serving breakfast for the community and families at the football concessions area. It’s just a little pregame get together to show support for the boys. If the weather turns bad they’ll move it inside. They’ll be serving biscuits & gravy, eggs, fruit, and sausage. “A little of everything.” The Lady Pioneers will begin the District Tournament this week on Thursday,...

  • Exciting Beginnings with FFA and New Leadership

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 17, 2018

    Recently in Malta the FFA attended their first FFA fall district contest. They participated in range science and livestock judging. Out of 10 teams and with 45 students in range science Big Sandy's FFA chapter won first place. Katherine Bold won first place, Grace Finke placed 4th, Kassidy Pursley placed 5th, Stacey Allderdice placed 6th and Brady Pleninger placed 7th. The junior livestock team placed eighth. Mattie Gasvoda was the highest individual from Big Sandy placing 23rd. Senior...

  • A fun filled day for everyone at Chili Feed

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 17, 2018

    Also named Spirit Week, it is when the entire town celebrates our heroes the local fire fighters and the kids spend the entire week celebrating the pride of being a Pioneer. The week's celebration started with five days of spirit! Both schools dressed up each day in spirit gear on Monday it was beach day, Tuesday duo day (sometimes triple day), Wednesday cowboy day, Thursday character day, and Friday was purple and gold day. The grade school had a contest for a Pioneer motto to be put on a...

  • Last days of the Soccer Season

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 17, 2018

    Soccer played their last games of the year this last weekend in Geraldine. Soccer brings out each child's personalities especially when they are five years old. If they are prone to be a little reserved they'll most likely just stand in place, or notice a rock and sit down to look at it rather than paying any attention to the ball being dribbled past them. Some children are more aggressive and there they are, at the youngest of ages running up and down the field, where their position was to go...

  • Chili Feed is Friday, Oct. 12

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 10, 2018

    Friday October 12th. The annual Fireman's Chili Feed will take place again at city hall starting at 4:00. Children can ride the firetrucks starting at 4:00. The annual fund raisers helps off-set the cost of a volunteer fire department. They still need to finish paying for some new equipment. Also within the year they'll be looking at buying a much-needed new ambulance. The grade school Punt Pass and Kick takes place the same day starting around 1:00 that afternoon. It's a full afternoon with...

  • The Medical Guild Rummage Sale a Huge Success

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 10, 2018

    This year's Medical Guild Rummage Sale was a huge success. Rough count says they made more money than before. More people attended this year and they came from Havre, The Hutterite Colony, Box Elder, Rocky Boy, and Seattle Washington. The weather was really nice. Mail, flyers, and advertising more on the internet this year could have contributed to the huge turn out. Also, this year the high school let the students out during PE classes to shop for spirit week costumes. Monday's are usually...

  • Paul Tuss, Democrat, Senate District 14 sits down with The Mountaineer

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 10, 2018

    Paul Tuss met me at the Bear Paw Deli on his way to Fort Benton. He grabs a cup of coffee and a scone. He's tired, but feels encouraged and empowered, not by his efforts, but by the people in this district. He tells me he has knocked on 6,700 doors. "People are genuinely nice! Regardless of their political persuasion. The number one over-arching issue that comes up again and again. Regardless of any specific issues related to taxation, education, or health care is the end of the partisan...

  • Thoughts with Zoe

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 10, 2018

    Partial Life or Complete Life Even in a small community, and maybe because I live in a small community, I often live in a bubble of my own world. My life is busy, doing and going, and I quickly don't seem to have time to continue my own development. I've left behind the dreams of my youth, I don't even stay connected friends I've had for a long time, and I seldom make time to venture out of my own comfort zone. This last week, I became more intensely aware of the longings of a friend. I...

  • Tucker Taylor Loves History and Big Sandy

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 3, 2018

    Tucker Taylor is the new social studies teacher at Big Sandy High School. He graduated from the University of Montana Western in Dillion with a Bachelor's Degrees in Modern History and Social Studies. Tucker has spent the last two years being a substitute teacher in Sheridan and Belgrade, Montana. While he was going to school at Western he was the Assistant Wrestling Coach at Dillion for four years. Last year he was the Assistant coach at Belgrade. "I chose history when I was younger because my...

  • Russ Tempel a Public Servant of 20 Years

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 3, 2018

    Russ Tempel grabbed a hamburger and sat down to visit with me at The Mint Saturday morning. I wanted to talk about the race and get to know him a little bit better. I introduced him to my grandsons and their friend, "This is Russ Tempel he makes the laws we have to obey." They were so impressed! Their faces looked up at him wide-eyed and they had wow looks! He shook their hand, said he was glad to meet them. He handed them a political postcard. One took it and looked at it and ran to his mother...

  • Montana rates in Second Place in Deer verses Car accidents

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 3, 2018

    The state of Montana takes 2nd place in the United States for deer-car crashes. The ability to detect wildlife when you are driving is an important skill if you are driving in Montana. Animal collisions which are mostly deer here in central Montana most often happen at dawn or dusk. You are a rare driver if you have never hit an animal while driving. According to the Montana Highway Patrol driving with your eyes focused fixed on the road ahead of you is the most common driving error. You have to drive making a conscious effort to scan for deer...

  • Sibra and Downs Reading Event a Must Go

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 3, 2018

    Please come and discover a new creative world right here in Big Sandy October 5th 7:00 PM at Craig Edwards Gallery again this year. They both love returning every year to Big Sandy and going to the Medical Guild Rummage sale. For Steve, it’s of course returning home and Christian Down loves getting to know people in our committee. Both will bring their wives this year and are looking forward to another night of sharing their writing. Last year I attended their reading at Craig Edwards Gallery and was inspired. Sibra shared about using a w...

  • Thoughts with Zoe

    Zoe Merrill|Oct 3, 2018

    We have a hidden place on our farm, where I love to go and just sit. It's a sand coulee where the Cotton Woods have grown so tall. In the spring, a river goes through there, but in the fall, it is just a dried-out water way full of different kinds of brush and Choke Cherries bushes. It is the most magical place as the leaves are so beautiful. I am reminded of a quote from John Burroughs, "How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days." You can only see the...

  • Alan Merrill Discusses 2018 Farm Bill

    Zoe Merrill|Sep 26, 2018

    Alan Merrill attended the National Farmers Union Fly-In in Washington D.C. where 350 farmers meet face-to-face with top Trump administration officials and members of Congress. Alan said, "these are desperate times." He visited, along with the rest of the Montana's delegation, a number of House and Senate Legislators offices including Congressman Greg Gianforte, Senator Steve Daines, and Senator Jon Tester. According to Merrill, "Our Montana Farmers Union fly-in was a big success in my opinion....

  • Medical Guild Auxiliary has long served the city of Big Sandy

    Zoe Merrill|Sep 26, 2018

    The Medical Guild Auxiliary was established in 1965. The new officers this year are President, Lisa Sipler, Joleen Williams is the Vice-President, Reggie Jappe is the Treasurer and Lisa Genereux is the Secretary. They don’t really have a membership anymore because they changed the by-laws so whoever comes is considered a member. Sipler and Jappe were so encouraged by a few senior members of our community, Edna Bitz, Barb Dixon, Roberta Whetham and Coralee Welty when they attended the luncheon to help plan the Rummage Sale. They still care a...

  • School Board Hires a New Basketball Coach

    Zoe Merrill|Sep 26, 2018

    At the recent Big Sandy School Board meeting Thomas Dilworth was hired as the Pioneer Girls Varsity Basketball Coach with his assistant as Naomi Terry. Terry will also be the Junior High Girls Basketball Coach. The Big Sandy High School Student Council approached the School Board about how-to create a functional tennis court. They recognized it as a big project and to completely redo the tennis court it would cost $70,000. There are options, and at this point they are just researching the...

  • Writing workshop offered in Big Sandy, October 3rd

    Zoe Merrill|Sep 26, 2018

    An exciting opportunity for anyone wishing to explore their desire to write. For any famer wishing to learn how to express himself in words. Or if you enjoyed writing in high school and somewhere deep the desire remains. Christian Downes and Steve Sibra will be giving a writing workshop in Big Sandy at Craig Edward Gallery Oct 3rd at 7:00 PM. It will only last 45 minutes to an hour with a lecture on the craft of writing giving those who attend a prompt. Attendees will meet again at 5:00 PM at th...

  • Big Sandy Junior Explorer Series at the Library

    Zoe Merrill|Sep 26, 2018

    Kristina Smith, Friends of the Missouri, and Mark Peterson from the BLM came to the Big Sandy Library to give a program on fossils and the Upper Missouri River Breaks. Kristina Smith said, "We want to do this because not all the school or the libraries or museums can travel. We wanted to educate kids and our neighbors on the Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument and also on what all that entails. The total environment if you will The BLM has a lot of programs having to do with stewardship, wit...

  • Mountaineer Photo Contest

    Zoe Merrill|Sep 26, 2018

    The Mountaineer announces a 2018 Photographic Contest. There are four categories: Community People, Agriculture Activities, Community Activities, and Nature (Scenery/or Animals) Photos can be either be in color or in black and white. Each photographer can enter one photo per month. Each photo will be required to be digitally emailed to bsm1@mtintouch.net. The Mountaineer reserves the right to publish the photographs, which are entered depending on the availability of space in the paper,...

  • Thirty-Eight Pioneers Walk the Suicide Awareness Walk

    Zoe Merrill|Sep 19, 2018

    Thirty-eight students from Big Sandy High School traveled to Turner, Montana to participate in the fourth Annual Tristan Billmayer Suicide/Awareness Walk. They left at 7:30 so they could participate in the day's activities starting with a pancake breakfast sponsored by the Turner/Hogeland Lions Club. Melanie Schwarzbach, Big Sandy High School Student Council Advisor, accompanied the 18 students and told me there was a large crowd there. When breakfast was done everyone moved to the Turner...

  • Lions, Tigers, Wolves and Bears Oh My-It's Boy Scouts Again

    Zoe Merrill|Sep 19, 2018

    Lianna Heimbigner, Scout leader, held a recruiting meeting to try and recharter the Boys Scouts in Big Sandy. She needs at least five kids before the Scouts can be re-chartered. The Lions are for Kindergarteners, Tigers for 1st grade, Wolf's for 2nd grade, Bears for 3rd grade, and Webelelos for 4th & 5th grade. These are Dens and the Pack is all the Dens together. Usually the Dens will meet up to two times a month, where they will have activities. The Pack meetings are once a month where all age...

  • Charna Ophus Seibert Living Triumphant

    Zoe Merrill|Sep 19, 2018

    Zoe: “When did your first cancer show up?” Charna: “My first Breast Cancer diagnoses was in 2015 when Marcellus was 9 months old. Zoe: “That must have been hard” Charna: “We prayed forever for him, and after 5 miscarriages we got him and nine months into his life I got the diagnoses of stage 3 breast cancer. God gave me a such a good consolation to get married after 40 and find a good husband which was a good consolation. And then it was hard, at that time when we were trying to have a baby, and then when we got Marcellus. It was such a bles...

  • Mountaineer Photo Contest

    Zoe Merrill|Sep 19, 2018

    The Mountaineer announces a 2018 Photographic Contest. There are four categories: Community People, Agriculture Activities, Community Activities, and Nature (Scenery/or Animals) Photos can be either be in color or in black and white. Each photographer can enter one photo per month. Each photo will be required to be digitally emailed to bsm1@mtintouch.net. The Mountaineer reserves the right to publish the photographs, which are entered depending on the availability of space in the paper,...

Page Down