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, 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....
This year, appears to be more of a return to normalcy. Vaccinations and anti bodies seem to be giving protection and more confidence in activities and life. We are looking at things in our lives and our home that have been neglected or taken for granted. In our hometown, one of these things either neglected or taken for granted is our heritage Lewis and Clark murals. The murals are especially unique to Whitehall. No other town, certainly in our area, perhaps in the state has anything even remote...
Dear Jo, I am a people pleaser, have been all my life. It literally pains me to have people not approve of what I am doing and how I am doing it. I know it is not healthy either physically nor mentally to be this way. How do I gather the confidence to make decisions and go about my life without seeking the approval of others? Signed, Exhausted People Pleaser Dear People Pleaser, Ahhhhh, I have suffered from that one during my life also. I think everyone would like to be accepted and approved of, it is just more pleasant and easier. BUT, you...
Spending time outdoors around water and in swimming pools is a great way to stay active and healthy during summer in Montana. The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), along with local health authorities, want to remind Montanans to stay safe while having fun in the water over the coming months, and to be aware of the related health and safety risks. Over the past 10 years, there have been an average of 20 unintentional drowning deaths per year in Montana. Almost 50% of the drownings occurred in natural water, while others occ...
Dear Editor, Regarding Terry Minow Big Sky 55’s article on big pharmacy: Corporations do not pay taxes no matter their tax rate. If Zoom, which no one had heard of pre-pandemic had it’s profits grow 600%, they would in theory be taxed at a higher rate. No matter the rate paid, the cost are passed on to paying subscribers. t doesn’t matter if it’s a utility, pharmaceutical provider or a food distributor. If you set your prices to the customer you include your tax costs. If we were to tax drug suppliers at a higher rate we would each see it in t...
Dear Jo, What is it that makes people think going ANYWHERE outside their homes in their pajamas is a good idea? Is it such a hardship to simply put on a pair of pants and a shirt to leave your home? Also, now that the weather is warm, people are going out in skimpy clothing, which is not usually something that bothers me. But, when I (along with everyone else) can see more of them than we need to (ie...hiney parts, chest parts, ect.) it seems like people might want to take more pride in how they appear. Am I old, a prude, or justified in my...
Dear Jo, How can you tell if someone is really sorry? I feel like people say “I’m sorry” because they believe it will make me feel better or ease a tense situation, not because they genuinely are sorry. Signed, Sick of sorry Dear Sick, You are right! I feel the only way to tell if people are really sorry is to see if their behavior changes. If the sorry is followed by the same attitude or behavior, you know it was not truly meant. Signed, Jo ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Jo, I am a nurse and I am pregnant. The other day a patient actually asked me if wa...
Dear Jo, I recently became a grandmother for the first time. My daughter-in-law does not believe in circumcision. I have known many men who have suffered later in life because they were not circumcised. Can I step in and let them know how strongly I feel about my grandson’s future health?! Signed, Concerned Grammy Dear Grammy, To circumcise or not to circumcise is, well... not your decision. It is the decision of your beautiful grandson’s parents. It may be time to take a step back and let the scalpel fall, or not fall, where it may. Sig...
Dear Jo, I believe that I am Flying Solo’s mom (letter in last weeks paper). She put her question very nicely, being loved is definitely not all bad. I think a family get-together, honest and open might help, but does not always work, feelings still get hurt. Be happy Solo, your family loves you so much. Do what you do, then let them deal with it. Signed, the Bubble Wrapper Dear Bubble Wrapper, Thank you for writing in. I hope Solo reads this weeks paper. I am sure your comments will be appreciated. Signed, Jo ~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Jo, How many p...
One hundred thirty thousand dollars. That’s what it takes for a down payment to buy an average-priced home in Bozeman, Montana. Then an aspiring homeowner must fork out another $3,000 each month, which is more than two-thirds of their household’s paychecks if they make the median income for the metro area. That’s because the average home in the greater Bozeman area is going for more than $650,000, up from an already astronomical $500,000 in early 2020. A couple of tenured professors at the local Montana State University might be able to swing...
Dear readers, I am going to post a Dear Jo which I have taken the liberty of rewriting to make the content ok to print. To my Dear Jo writer, I hope I both represent your question and give good advice! Jo Dear Jo, I have a big problem….My boyfriend is cheating on me. I am pretty sure it is because I have put the brakes on our sex life. I did this because that is what our entire relationship seemed about. I found myself falling into the trap of putting his “needs” ahead of mine own, but no more! I am about ready to give up on the whole thing...
Dear Jo, I find myself discombobulated after the town Easter egg “hunt”. It appeared to me to be more of a “gathering” of eggs. Just a bunch of non-biodegradable plastic eggs lying on open ground. An Easter egg hunt is just that, a hunt for the eggs, hidden of course by the Easter bunny. This even could’ve been held over at the pavilion, where the eggs could’ve been hidden. I suppose those raised here do not find the town Easter egg gathering odd, I do not know for sure. My suggestion is to re-name the event or actually hide the eggs. Thank...
Dear Editor, Around 6pm on Sunday, April 18th, I headed up to our MT Web business location on Noble Street. When I pulled up the hill, I saw a fire with flames about three feet high spreading south rapidly through the grass. I called my wife and told her to call the fire department while I began to stomp at the edge of it to keep it from spreading. However, it jumped the alley with a big gust of wind, carrying it to Chris & Gretchen Tavenner’s lawn. I ran over and began stomping the area out, got two areas put out, then began working on the m...
Dear Jo, I try to keep myself well-groomed and looking sharp, so I shave every couple of days. For the most part, this works out fairly well, but I sometimes ‘nick’ (sorry, Nick) myself and end up bleeding like a stuck pig. How would you suggest I keep it clean without bleeding out or forgetting to pull the toilet paper off my cuts? Signed, Clean-shaven but NOT cut-free Dear Clean and Cut, Being well-groomed and looking sharp IS important. I have two suggestions. First, are you taking your time while you do your grooming? You may be trying to...
Dear Jo, Can you please advise me on a family situation? I recently moved to Montana in order to be closer to my aunt. She is a remarkable woman whom I love and respect. Her son, my cousin, recently moved back to Montana also. I enjoy time together with both. However, every time I go out to eat with them, he hits on the waitress. Now this may not seem like such a bad thing, but seriously, it is so bad that certain restaurants send men to the table to take our order his reputation is so bad. It is not funny, but is embarrassing and makes the...
The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) has confirmed that an adult male from Richland County has been diagnosed with hantavirus infection. The individual acquired the illness while working out of state where there was an occupational exposure to mice. The individual was hospitalized but is now in the process of recovering at home. DPHHS and local public health agencies remind Montanans and visitors to the state to be aware of the risk of hantavirus and to take precautions to avoid exposures to rodents, their droppings and...
