Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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The other day when picking up a sandwich for lunch I decided to grab a bag of Doritos as a side. I got an interesting surprise when I opened the bag and an astonishing four chips came out. I've noticed the amount of chips that generally come in bags has slowly decreased over the years, but this seemed a little bit ridiculous. So rather than pay for some tasty chips, it appears I spent money on a brightly colored bag of air. It's almost as if with each new flavor introduced, they decide to put...
There was a special feeling in the air Friday night in downtown Whitehall, when shortly after 5 p.m., a large crowd started to make their way to the Star Theater for a special premiere/fundraiser screening of the film “The Ballad of Lefty Brown”. The event served as a wonderful opportunity for local residents to be able to meet the films star Bill Pullman and director Jared Moshe, but more importantly was a chance to raise a significant amount of money for the Jefferson Valley Museum. In total around $12,000 was raised for the museum and the...
I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was in the ninth grade and my friend Paul handed me a CD that he insisted I borrow for a few days. It wasn’t uncommon for him to turn me onto different kinds of music, but this day was different. He insisted I go right home and listen. He said to skip homework, chores, or whatever else I needed to do because these 11 songs would change my life. Little did I know, but Paul was right. His kind gesture of letting me borrow the album “Ten” by Pearl Jam has given me over 20 years of enjoyment. Pearl Jam’s...
Each and every year, the Whitehall Country Store does an incredible job giving back to the local community. In last week’s edition of the Whitehall Ledger there was an article about the Country Store announcing they would be giving five scholarships to local students, and this is another amazing example of their importance to the community. A $5,000 scholarship will be integral to the each of the five students. When going to college every dollar helps, and this is a great opportunity for local students. The Ledger would like to thank the b...
A few weeks ago, I wrote a column that discussed the dangers of teenagers completing challenges they found out about on social media. It wasn’t more than a week after I wrote about this topic that the national media started reporting about a challenge that was sweeping the nation that involved teenagers eating laundry detergent “pods”. I honestly could not believe what I was reading as the word about the challenge spread like wildlife on the news and social media. When I wrote the column I figured there would be a new stupid thing for teena...
I'm probably a week or two late on this, but I figure it is still January so it is still most likely timely. I've never been one to make a New Year's resolution and I'm certainly not going to start this year. I tried one once or twice and it didn't last long. I'm not talking about I only made it to the Super Bowl, I didn't even make it past the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Instead, what I will do is share what I would like to see more of in 2018. There are so many wonderful things in the world,...
Just a few weeks into 2018, members of the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce are already working hard planning events for the year. With the start of the new year, this is a perfect time for local businesses to join the chamber or for volunteers to help plan and work at upcoming events. While the chamber staff and many active members do a great job promoting Whitehall, they also work diligently to put together events throughout the year. There hard work does not go unnoticed, but they could always use an extra hand. One of the huge upcoming events...
Since it was built in the 1990’s, the Varsity Gym at Whitehall High School has served as a large gathering spot for the local community. Large groups gather throughout the year for sporting events, concerts, and graduation. The gym area is also most likely the place that is visited by more people from out of town over the course of the year. Often times the gym is the only thing people may visit when in town and its appearance is important. Over the past several weeks, school officials have been...
Trying to take a vacation while owning a weekly newspaper can be tricky. Not only is it important to get the product out to customers each and every week, I also have a postal permit that requires me to publish even if I had some sort of crazy idea of combining a couple of issues at the end of the year or during the summer. In the past couple years I have taken a three-day weekend several times, and once took four days in a row off. Despite saying I would be taking time off, I would generally spend an hour or two each day getting stuff ready...
The Whitehall High School wrestling team is once again off to a great start with some outstanding performances the first few weeks of the season. Next Tuesday, January 9, the Trojans will wrap up their home schedule for the season when they host the annual Whitehall Mixer scheduled to start at 6 p.m. in the Varsity Gym. The team does not get a lot of chances to wrestle at home, so this is a great opportunity for local fans to cheer them on. For those who may not have been to a wrestling meet in...
I'm sure I'm not the only who probably watched "A Christmas Story" over the holidays, and despite the fact I watched it a million times, it never gets old. For me, it is the quintessential holiday film, and I can most likely recite it word for word if I ever found myself in a predicament where I needed to save my life or win a $1 million. This year I also decided to record and watch "A Christmas Story Live". It was cute and very well done, but it went on and on and after about an two and a half...
In a little under two weeks, a new Mayor and several members will be joining the Whitehall governing body. Incoming Mayor Mary Janacaro-Hensleigh, Montina Rawson, and Jason Good will all be sworn in at the January 8 meeting. While it certainly is an exciting time for both the town and new members, it is also important to thank those who served in office prior to them. I will certainly be the first to say that I didn’t always agree with the previous administration all the time, I do however commend them and thank them for the years of service th...
It’s time for elected officials in Montana to stand up for the safety of residents and pass a law that bans the use of cell phones while driving. How this law has not been passed yet is baffling, and something needs to be done as soon as possible. A lot of people may think this is not a huge issue, but it really is paramount to the safety of residents across the state. Distracted driving is something that can be seen on a daily basis and the consequences are severe. One text, selfie, or post to a social media site can be just enough to cause a...
Earlier this month Google announced the top global searches in 2017. There were of course obvious searches like “Hurricane Irma”, “iPhone 8”, and “Fidget Spinner”, but I was really surprised to see “India National Cricket Team” come in at number ten on the list. I guess with a population of 1.2 billion if cricket is the national sport, it is going to get a lot of searches. I tried to watch cricket once on ESPN at about 4 a.m. and it might have been the most confusing and never ending game I have ever witnessed. I kept hoping a Lion would be l...
Year in and out, area students entertain local residents in December with some great musical performances. For those that are able to look at the paper on Wednesday, December 13, Whitehall K-8 students will be performing what should be a wonderful show at 7 p.m. in the Varsity Gym. There is a western theme for the Christmas show, and the kids have been working hard this school year to make it a wonderful evening for family, friends, and community members. Next week, it will be time for the high school students to shine, this year with the...
I strongly believe there are two types of pet owners in the world – the ones who make up a voice for their pets and those who don’t. For as long as I can remember, each of my pets have had a unique voice of their own and while this may frighten some people, it’s scary to me when people’s pets do not speak out loud about their joys, concerns, or need for some food. It has become so commonplace in our house that often times it is second nature for it to spill out into the public and often times into the office. Our cat Peaches is six years o...
This Saturday, the local community will come together for the annual Whitehall Christmas Stroll. This event is an incredible way for local residents of all ages to spend a day with a variety of activities and shopping opportunities. Volunteers have spent countless hours planning this event, and it is a fun day that truly does bring the community together. Chamber volunteers have really tried to make this the best event possible and the addition of new events in 2017 will be nothing but a boon to this yearly event. For those that my have not...
I have the utmost respect for anyone who works in the fast food industry or waits tables to make a living. I spent a great deal of my younger and skinnier years either flipping a burger or balancing a tray packed with drinks. For the most part, dealing with customers was never a big deal, but occasionally people can get a little salty when they are hungry. Of course there is the small percentage of human beings that are jerks most of the time. Whenever I eat out somewhere, I leave a gracious tip, because I know how much wait staff gets paid an...
An editorial cartoon in today's Whitehall Ledger shows some of the frustrations of shopping for the holidays in a larger community. The streets are crowded, the stores are packed, and everyone seems to be in too big of a hurry. Luckily, this isn’t the case when looking for a holiday gift in Whitehall and the surrounding area. There are plenty of local options that would make the perfect gift. A stop by Whitehall Drug, Saturday Mornings, Cottage Floral, Bloom Health, one of the two quilt shops, Ace, Tona’s Treasures, Corner Store, Moose Cro...
The Thanksgiving evening and middle of the night Black Friday sales at big retailers really should just go away. When I woke up Friday morning, I wanted to get a couple hours of work done so I could enjoy some time off, and before I started writing stories I was perplexed by reading a story about the chaos that ensued at a mall in Alabama. The mall was closed after a fight and this was one of many incidents across the country. These things can get really ugly and downright scary. Watching the...
It’s time for the town and Francine Giono-Janik to come together to do what needs to be done to allow her to return from her suspension from the Whitehall Town Council. Janik was elected to serve the residents of Whitehall and she should be allowed to do that. It is true that Janik did walk out of a meeting, but that doesn’t warrant this long of a suspension. If she has been reluctant to meet with the town to discuss her return, than it is time that takes place if it hasn’t happened prior to this editorial. This means both sides need to come...
Growing up I really despised when someone would say "broken home". Sure my parents divorced when I was five, but I felt that term was just dirty and really not necessary. I probably took it more personal than I should have, but my parents surely were not the first people to ever get a divorce and we all walked away from what happened in one piece, far from broken. With Thanksgiving just a day away, it makes me think back to a highlight of having my parent's gets divorced and my mom getting...
I should probably preface this column by saying these have words have been brewing for awhile, perhaps creating a “storm inside”. The first winter snowstorm of 2017 was a doozy and blanketed Whitehall with over a foot of snow in a little over 24 hours. The winter weather led to some horrific road conditions not only locally, but through the entire Treasure State. In last week’s Whitehall Ledger, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Report was full of accidents that were a result of the horrible mess of snow and ice. Having grown up in Wyoming...
This Friday evening the Whitehall LDS Church is hosting their annual Harvest Dinner with proceeds going to the Whitehall Area Food Pantry. Local resident can also bring non-perishable food items that will also be given to the pantry. With a cost of $6 per person or $25 for a family, this is a very important night for the food pantry. In the past few weeks, I have had several editorials that have talked about the importance of donations during the holiday season, and I feel it is once again highly important to stress the importance of events lik...
Every child deserves something nice for Christmas, and a combined effort of the Star Theater and the Whitehall High School will help to ensure this happens locally. The theater is offering free admission to “Walking Out” from November 17 to 19 to anyone who brings in a sealed toy as part of a Toys For Tots Charity Drive. The high school drama performance of “Over of the River and Through the Woods” will take place November 20 and 21, and all proceeds from the $5 admission price will be donated to Toys for Tots. A simple gesture of brining...
