Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Dear Jo, I have been waiting for so long to meet someone who I am attracted to. I am definitely attracted to the new man in my life. We have a problem though. He has a habit of scratching his, well, you know. He not only does his scratching in private, but is perfectly comfortable scratching on our dates! He even scratched, you know where, at the dinner table in a restaurant! How do I let him know that I really enjoy our time together and find him very attractive, but that he needs to stop!? Signed, Itching To Be Honest Dear Itching, Be honest...
Dear Editor, So, Afghanistan. The War on Terror. America’s “Longest” War. Right? Not even close. Not even in the ballpark. The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs say non-native Americans, AKA U.S. Army, waged war on Native America from approximately 1817 – 1898. That’s 81 years. But that number, 81 years, is simply an “aberration.” For those of us who are not living “the big lie” we know that Native Americans have been victims of violent wars since Columbus “invaded” their shores. That’s 529 years and counting! How about the ongoing war on...
Dear Jo, Halloween is coming. I love Halloween. I watch the shows, love the decorations, I even dress up. The reason I am writing is I have had some people say that Halloween is too close to evil, the devil, that to celebrate it means opening myself up to evil. I am not sure what that means, but I have never felt that way. I would love to get your opinion. Signed, Sincerely Spooked Dear Spooked, I also enjoy Halloween. Halloween has an interesting history. Depending on country and time in history, Halloween or All Hallows Eve was a celebration...
Dear Jo, I have a business idea. It, in my opinion, is a great one! I love to garden and know that chickens can help control pests and fertilize at the same time. If I could bring pet chickens to peoples gardens, for a fee, gardens would benefit from the instant pest control and fertilizing. The hiccup in this plan is my sister. She hates chickens and believes this is a ridiculous idea. Do I go ahead with my idea? Will people make fun of it? Signed, No crappy idea Dear Crappy, If you believe in your idea, why are you letting ANYONE sabotage...
Dear Editor, What can happen by uncaring and repetitious behaviors like Pool Pals Gun Raffles, Chamber of Commerce Multi-gun raffles, Little League Gun Raffles, Veteran’s Gun Shows, Gun sales, gun shops, gun vending machines on every block? NRA “Terrorism” and gun addicted American’s “imprisoned” in denial lead to..... TURN TO THE CENTERFOLD. Gerald Johnson, Cardwell, Montana...
Dear Jo, I am a Christian. I say this because I recently had a discussion with a family member about my love of crystals, rocks and minerals and their healing properties. Scientists have proven that everything gives off energy vibrations. The strength and frequency of those vibrations differ from object to object. There are some earth elements that give off vibrations (energy) far more frequently than others. Some people believe crystals, rocks and minerals have healing properties, some physical and some psychological. The discussion centered...
Montana health care providers can now offer third doses of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to certain immunocompromised individuals following new recently announced federal recommendations. “This is great news because we know the impact COVID-19 has with high-risk groups,” DPHHS Director Adam Meier said. “The updated recommendations will ensure those most vulnerable to complications from COVID-19 can get as much protection as possible.” Meier said while authorized vaccines have proven to be more than 90% effective in protecting against...
Dear Jo, I went to a local fair this past weekend. I am a 50 plus woman. I only mention this because “back in the day” I would be dancing my butt off at the fair. Back then, men asked women to dance; no one stood around like at a high school dance. What is happening? Are there some new rules I am not aware of? All the men just stood around looking at their feet, their beer, their buddies. Is it just me?! Signed, Frustrated Dancer Dear Dancer, Times are changing, that is for sure. I do not believe, however, that there is a new rule book on danci...
Dear Jo, What happened to dressing up to go out on the weekend? Why are we content to head out in our dirty work clothes, sweaty and straight from our jobs, skipping the clean up and fresh duds? I am as guilty as anyone! Signed, Comfortably Sloppy Dear Sloppy, Wait! Are you telling me that body odor and pajama bottoms as part of one’s evening attire is “sloppy?!” What about Crocs with sweatpants, Scooby Doo T-shirt and a baseball hat that looks like it has been through a stampede? People may not dress up like they used to, but we are freer...
Dear Jo, I live in a small town (I know, duh). Well, I want to date, at least I think I do. The problem is, if I date someone local, everyone will know my business? Do I need to avoid this? Should I only date people out of town? Should I even care? Signed, Alone among friends Dear Alone, Honestly, I am surprised you think people will care that much about what you are up to. Unless you are dating someone truly unusual or straight out of the state penitentiary, you should be all set. Don’t do anything crazy or noteworthy and I think you can r...
Hikers are flooding our public lands, so I ask the question: Why can’t people just leave the poor rocks alone? They stack them into monoliths, paint them, write rude words on them. Who looks at a magnificent 350-million-year-old rock and thinks: “That rock needs a makeover!” First point: graffiti is deplorable. I do not want to see your name, your significant other’s name, an ode to your deceased wife (not making this up), or drawings of male genitalia. As for rock stacks, rock cairns were designed to guide the hiker along a sketchy trail....
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” says Paul in Romans 8:1. We would agree with nary a dissenter among us. The dispute arises when someone asks, “What must I do to be ‘in Christ Jesus’?” Then there are hundreds of answers! Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, says some cardinal things. We will list a few and then reason to some conclusions. First, he exhorts “that there be no divisions among you” (1 Cor. 1:10). Next, he applies some things figuratively to himself an Apollos (4:6) for their sakes, that...
Dear Jo, I just moved to Montana, to the Whitehall area. There is a street dance this weekend for Frontier Days. My question is this….what do I wear? Do people dress up? Do they wear jeans, skirts, what?! I don’t want to look like a “rhinestone cowboy” and stand out like a sore thumb! I want to fit in! Signed, Fashionably Desperate Dear Fashionably, Welcome to Montana! Even more so, welcome to Whitehall! This is an easy one. You will see people in everything from summer dresses, boots and jeans to nightmares from that big store I will not name....
Dear Jo, This is a stinky subject, really stinky, dog poo stinky! I live in Whitehall. I love our little town. I know that we need tourism to help our businesses. I even find it interesting to meet new people from sometimes faraway places. BUT, why do they think it is ok to let their visiting pooches poop in our parks and not pick it up? Yuck, disgusting, rude, a real sh___y thing to do. I was having a wonderful stroll through the park the other day, quietly sipping an ice coffee, and slipped in some freshly deposited dog poop. I know, did I...
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Adam Meier announced the agency is seeking public comment on its federal application to expand mental health and substance use treatment services through the Healing and Ending Addiction through Recovery and Treatment (HEART) Initiative. Governor Greg Gianforte recently signed the HEART Initiative into law through HB 701 that was sponsored by Rep. Mike Hopkins of Missoula. Now, DPHHS must begin the federally-required process of submitting a Medicaid Section 1115 waiver application...
Dear Jo, Why do some people (okay, more than “some”) feel they have to get their “kicks” at someone else’s expense? I mean, SERIOUSLY?! Do they actually think about the repercussions before they ‘“steal candy from a baby?” Maybe these people irk me so much because I was one of them? Therefore, I try not to be TOO judgemental, but, DAMN!!!! Signed, Mad as a Hatter in Moline Dear Mad Hatter, OOF! Someone done made you mad! So, we are in an environment, politically and socially (in my humble opinion) where this is the norm. People seem to go out...
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential environmental impacts from a proposed tailing reprocessing project at the Golden Sunlight Mine (GSM). GSM is located approximately five miles northeast of Whitehall, Montana in Jefferson County. The draft statement is available for review at the Whitehall Community Library during regular business hours. Public comment is open from June 15, 2021 to July 2021. The DEQ hosted a public meeting on Tuesday, June 29th where...
Dear Jo, I am so mad! If I hear one more time that I should just appreciate my life right where it is and not keep looking for more, I will scream! Why is it that all of sudden reaching for more is somehow not appreciating where you have come from or where your life is in the moment? Can’t I do both? I do appreciate all that I have been through and recognize that because of that journey, I am where I am today. I also, though, want to reach for more, achieve more, not settle. Is this a bad thing? I feel judged and frustrated! Any advice? S...
Venus and Mars will meet up and be joined by the Moon. To see this event look West where the Sun will set about 9:55 PM on July 11th through 13th. You will see a bright Venus and right next to it will be a dimmer ruby Mars. On the 11th the Moon will be about 4 degrees to the right of Venus. With only 6% visibility it will be a very thin Crescent Moon. On the 12th the Crescent Moon will be about 4 degrees above and to the left of the Venus Mars pair. The 13th the Moon will be about 10 degrees above and to the left of the Venus Mars pair. For...
State officials said today the alarming increase of fentanyl-related fatalities in Montana that occurred in 2020 does not appear to be slowing down thus far into 2021. The Montana Department of Justice’s State Crime Lab reported 41 fentanyl-related deaths in 2020, up from 19 in 2019. Through May 2021, there’s already been 22 total confirmed fentanyl-related fatalities, including 11 statewide in April alone. “This latest trend is extremely concerning and adds to the already existing deadly and costly impact illegal drugs have in Montana commu...
Last spring, at the height of some of the most anxiety-ridden moments of the pandemic, my father read a poem to me over the phone. He’s 89 this year, and while he’s vibrant and healthy I don’t take for granted any opportunity to hear his voice — especially when he’s reciting a poem. The poem, Mary Oliver’s Spring, describes the emergence of a black bear from its winter slumber. Oliver writes: “There is only one question: how to love this world.” This spring, as bruins emerged across the American West, I found myself wondering about the secre...
The recovery of the osprey population, a raptor that returns from the south each spring to the western 2/3s of Montana, is a success story that began almost 50 years ago when a widely used pesticide, DDT, was banned. But this wildlife management success story comes with some conflict. Younger osprey in search of nesting sites to breed and hatch eggs will build nests on power poles, causing outages and putting the birds at risk of electrocution. NorthWestern Energy crews were in Augusta in early...
Dear Editor, THANKS to Elizabeth Pullman for an excellent, balanced article on Steve Wagner and Jim Buterbaugh’s project. John Leyzorek Marlinton, West Virginia...
Dear Jo, I am a procrastinator, really. I put off anything I can until the last moment. I pick up the mail, put the bills under my fruit bowl and carry on. I see my prescription bottles emptying, know I should call, and still put off filling it until the last day. There are many more examples. Yes, it stresses me out. Yes, I know lots of things would be easier if I did not procrastinate. At this point, I am unsure how to change what has become a habit I have had most of my adult life. Any advice? Signed, Procrastination Specialist Dear...
"It's like having gasoline out there," said Brian Steinhardt, forest fire zone manager for Prescott and Coconino national forests in Arizona, in a recent AP story about the increasingly fire-prone West. Now something else is happening - and at the worst possible time. Federal firefighters are leaving the workforce and taking their training and experience with them. The inability of federal agencies to offer competitive pay and benefits is creating hundreds of wildland firefighting vacancies....
