Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1462 - 1486 of 1558
I recently talked with Leonard Wortman about the Protest Form regarding the establishment of a Rural Ambulance District. I was confused about 1) the first paragraph and all the legal jargon. 2) a failure to respond is a “yes” vote. 3) if you return the form but do not make a selection, it is a “no” vote!! Leonard said all of this jargon is a legal state requirement. And that he and many others whom he talks to are also confused. Well, Well, Well! I personally plan to vote no. I am not opposed to ambulance services. I think ambulance service to...
I so enjoyed your Letters to the Editor last week. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. Are you all still wearing your ruby slippers, clicking your heels and living in “Wonder Land”? I really believe you and your ghost writer have been telling stories for so long you actually believe them. How sad! I just thought I would remind you, the people in town know the truth. Three hundred and fifty five people signed the recall petition. The people in town have spoken. We all know what they think of the way the town has been run. So keep writi...
Of the twelve years that we have lived here, this is only my second letter to the editor. I feel strongly about this issue that I feel it is time for me to write another. And, I for one appreciate all that the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce has done for our little town. The Chamber should be commended for all the wonderful local activities. And, I am sure they would appreciate all the help they can get. However, I am writing about a concern with the Chamber’s activity on their Facebook site. They recently reposted on their site an a...
Being a teenager is by no means easy. While it certainly can be a time that comes with memories that will last a lifetime, there are also a lot of social and peer pressures that can make things tough. This is perhaps even more difficult in a day and age with social media sites and instant access to things like Netflix or YouTube. Last week, officials at Whitehall High School provided parents and community members with information about a recent show released on Netflix called “13 Reasons Why”. The show has quickly become a talking point amo...
I spent a few minutes last week looking up plane tickets for a possible trip to watch a University of Wyoming football game this fall. I haven’t been able to go the past couple years and I really want to make it to a game. Until 2015 I had been to at least one game a season since I can remember, but I’m a bit too far away to make a regular trip these days. I was looking a hotels and restaurants in Laramie, WY and I suddenly became flooded with memories of my first year of college. It was a wonderful experience to get nostalgic and think about s...
As is the case with any small town, there were plenty of rumors floating around Whitehall about what happened during a shooting incident April 15. While some of the information spreading around was not true, some of it was. Even though the story wasn’t what many thought, it is always tough to see crime in a small town. As sad as it is, crime does happen in Whitehall and other small towns across the United States. Nowhere is immune from this. Nobody should turn a blind eye to drug use or violence because it does happen, possibly more than s...
Viral videos are a huge deal in 2017. Everyone has a phone, and everyone is recording just about everything they can to post to YouTube or a variety of other platforms. While there are certainly millions of horrible videos, there are some that are well worth watching. The other day Melissa and I were discussing several “social experiment” videos. The subjects of the videos were homeless residents in various places around the world. A lot of people like to turn a blind eye, but the homeless problem in large areas is a huge epidemic. It’s not j...
During a comment period at last week’s Community Transition Advisory Committee meeting in Whitehall, Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine Safety Director Jim Loomis reminded those in attendance about the dangers of using a cell phone while driving. Loomis said that every day in the United States, 15 people die as a direct result of using a phone while driving. He said everyone has phones, but encouraged everyone to think of the consequences and to not use them while operating a vehicle. I was very encouraged to hear what Loomis had to say, and I think...
Ever have one of those days where nothing seems to go right? This appeared to be the case for me last Friday. Boy, did I end up wrong, but it didn't start well. I had made plans to go to a concert in Missoula, but it seemed that everything that could go wrong did. Because our truck isn't working, we decided to rent a car so Melissa would be able to travel around for work or an emergency. One of us would have to stay in town to get pictures. This seemed simple enough. It wasn't. We showed up at...
The last week of the month will provide a shining example of some of the great things that happen throughout the year in Whitehall. The annual Town of Whitehall Spring Clean up is scheduled for April 24 to 28 and local residents will be busy sprucing up the town for the summer months. This is an important event for Whitehall because it not only makes the town visually look better; it also allows residents to take pride in their community. During the summer, Whitehall will see an increase in tourists and visitors, and they will be coming to a...
When I was growing up, I would read just about everything I could get my hands on. I would go to the library, prefer to get a book for a gift, and when I was in the bathroom would always have a newspaper or at least read the back of the shampoo bottle. That last part probably sounds weird, but I guarantee I am not the only person who reads this that has done the same thing. We had a bookcase in our house that I grabbed a few books out of from time to time, but there were several hardback books t...
I need to begin by doing some housekeeping. This is my attempt to make the “workers” of the town hall happy. I need to state I am a resident of Madison County living in Whitehall. Now, my response to the Mayor of Whitehall. Your office workers say, I should not have any say about Whitehall because I live in Madison County. However, you do take my tax monies. Well, why should you have anything to say about the District? Thanks to you, Whitehall is not part of the District. Nowhere in the letter, did I read that the mayor accepted any responsibil...
The Guest Editorial by Mayor Dale Davis asks the question, “Is the ambulance tax district a good idea for our community?” I do not think he answered his question. What I and, I will guess, 99 percent of the folks in this area, want is for an ambulance to arrive when we need one within the shortest time and with the right equipment and sufficient, adequately trained personnel to attend my needs and transport me to a medical facility that can treat me. For years, the Whitehall Ambulance folks did a great job at this. They also brought a very sign...
(Note from the publisher: This is the second part of a guest editorial submitted last week.) On the 17th of January, 2017, the Jefferson County Commission created Resolution No. 04-2017; a resolution of intent to create Jefferson Valley Regional EMS & Rescue Ambulance District. What is the significance of this resolution? First, since the 16th of July 2016, this is the seventh resolution written for forming this service tax district. Resolutions were made, then rescinded for lack of content or incorrect procedure. Our county officials...
Later this month, the Ledger will be publishing the annual Destination Whitehall special edition. If you’re not familiar with the publication, it has a wide variety of stories about some of the events and places that make the area a truly wonderful place not live and visit. There is detailed information about some of the great fishing, backcountry opportunities, the Lewis and Clark Caverns, the Lewis and Clark Murals, the Brooke Barn, Frontier Days and the history of the area. It is distributed not only in Whitehall, but also throughout S...
In talking with a variety of people, both in and out of this proposed tax district, the general consensus is people are tired of hearing about it. Unfortunately, it is the elephant in the room and cannot be ignored. Not only does avoiding the problem allow the problem to continue, but will erode the trust of those who do. Together, we can get through this. Property owners living within Whitehall School District, excluding Whitehall proper, have been receiving their protest documents from Jefferson County. This procedural document was missed by... Full story
Next Thursday and Friday students at Whitehall students will take to the stage for the annual spring play at the high school. The performance of “Dearly Departed” is scheduled for April 6 and 7 at 7 p.m. in the high school multi purpose room. The students have put in numerous hours of work for this play and I really hope there is a great turnout. Under the direction of Cheri Shaw, the high school performances are always great, and it also gives local residents something different to do. Along with the daily duty of going to school and hom...
I just could not get ahead last week. While I certainly had things going on that I could not control, I did not make things easier with some really genius mistakes. I usually get up at 7:30 for work, and am out the door by 8. I hate morning, so I just try and rush through what I need to do to get ready as quickly as possible. Last Wednesday I went through the same morning routine as normal. Things were going smoothly till I went to put a little bit of product in my hair. I thought I had put gel in my hair, but realized a few seconds later I...
This Saturday, the Whitehall High School Athletic Hall of Fame will induct its second class at a special ceremony. The Ledger would like to encourage residents to attend the ceremony that will take place starting at 6 p.m. at the high school. The first ceremony for the inaugural class last year was a special day for the community. It was great to see the former athletes, coaches, and teams come together. There were people who had not seen each other in years, and witnessing them catch up after a long absence made a great day even better....
I had someone tell me the other day I complain a lot in my columns. I just had to smile because I knew it was true. At the same time, if I didn’t have somewhere to vent I would probably go a little bit crazy. I’m probably just a few more years till I will be peering out the window every time I hear a little noise, waiting to catch some young hooligans on my lawn. After the conversation, I decided I would make this column very positive and would not complain about anything. As hard as it may be to do, I am going to sit here and share a few thi...
At a meeting last week, the Whitehall School Board of Trustees voted to rehire K-5 Principal Britt McLean and 6-12 Principal Hannah Nieskens. Prior to the vote, Superintendent John Sullivan lauded the two administrators and recommended them both for rehire. While it was certainly not a surprise, it was a great decision by the Board. The two are both assets to the not only the school, but the community. They are different in personality, but it is very obvious they both care about the students, teachers, staff and community. They both have the t...
When I first made a trip to Whitehall to look a purchasing the newspaper, I visited during that strange time when the wind was not blowing. After growing up in Southwest Wyoming where the wind never seems to stop, I thought to myself if I move to Montana it is not only going to be so great to get some beautiful scenery, but also to a place with not as much wind. I was so right about the scenery, but I think I just so happened to visit on the only two days of the year when the wind wasn’t b...
Gary Lee Nylund, 70, of Whitehall, Montana (and Cook, MN), completed his earthly chores on Friday, March 10, 2017 at Ft. Harrison, MT, and is resting in his loving Savior's arms. Gary was born on November 4, 1946 to Theodore "Ted" and Eva (Sokoloski) Nylund in Cook, MN. He attended Cook High School and graduated in 1964. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp from 1966-1968. Gary was a purchasing agent for many years with various companies and a self-employed contractor. There...
I’ve only lived in the area for a short amount of time, but I proudly call myself a Whitehall Trojan. I really enjoying following the Whitehall High School teams and this takes me a lot of different places throughout the state. While I am certainly there to do a job, that does not stop me from cheering and taking pride in both the team and the community they represent. Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Southern B Divisional Basketball Tournament in Billings. I was once again proud of our community for coming out to represent t...
A few weeks ago I decided to take a Friday off and relax at home. Seemed like a great idea and everything was going well until I got out of bed and checked my email. While most of it was junk, there was one email that made me want to crawl right back into bed. It was from Melissa and had to do with a headline I wrote in the prior Wednesday's paper. Instead of putting "Season of promise for Lady Trojans", I had put "Season of promise for Lady Wolves". I'm sure a lot of people were wondering what...
