Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1501 - 1525 of 1587
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 Resolutions were made, then rescinded for lack of content or incorrect procedure.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...
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...
I cannot complain about the location of the Whitehall Leger office. It is centrally located in downtown Whitehall, which is a real plus. I've worked at or visited smaller newspaper offices whose location was in a bad spot that was not good for the business or customers. If I had a complaint, it would be the door to the office is not made of glass, is heavy, and makes things awkward for people who have never come to the office. I will be sitting here daydreaming, and someone will knock on the...
I would like to take time to commend Whitehall Town Officials for hosting the recent public meeting about the uranium levels in the water. I feel this was an important step to let the community know about what the problem is, and the steps being taken to remedy the problem. This is should be an important issue for each and every resident of the Town of Whitehall, and the public forum was an outstanding way to share information about some of the work being done with the DEQ and NCI Engineering. I do however question the timing and advertising...
It only took a few steps into the Belgrade Events Center Monday night to see there was something special in the air. Not only did Whitehall have a large crowd for their challenge game against Three Forks, they were vocal well before tipoff. It was electric. It reminded me so much of the buzz of excitement created last fall by the Whitehall High School football team. As the Trojans made a deep run into the MHSA Class B Playoffs, downtown came to life with painted store windows, decorated vehicles, and you couldn’t go anywhere without someone t...
I've not met many people that don't love bacon. I try not to judge the people that don't consider it a delicacy, but quite possibly in the back of my mind they might be spies or up to some sort of shenanigans. As good as bacon is, cooking it in a frying pan can be a disaster and even painful. A few years ago, a friend of mine told me he would never cook bacon in a pan anymore. He just throws it in the oven. My mind was blown. Why didn't I think of this sooner? I would no longer need to wear...
While the heart of a library will always be the books, they can also provide a place for the community to gather for a variety of events. This is certainly the case at the Whitehall Community Library. I would really like to encourage residents who have not been the library in a while or at all, to come check out some of the interesting things going on. Some of the the many happenings currently scheduled at the library are computer classes, a writer’s group, book clubs, origami, adult water coloring and Tai Chi. There is truly something for e...
People always ask me what the busiest day is for a small weekly newspaper. That's a pretty easy answer, both Monday and Tuesday are equally hectic, and a lot is getting done to ensure the paper will come out on time. Sometimes the best way to make these days a little less stressful is to not only work hard on Thursday and Friday, but to also work a little bit on the weekends. Even if it's an hour covering an event or writing a story, it lessens the workload of a very small staff. There are a...
The great thing about living in a democracy is people really do have a say. Last week was a perfect example of this both locally and on a national level. United States Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) introduced a bill (HR-621) that would have sold 3.3 million acres of federal land, some of which included Montana as well as neighboring states Wyoming and Idaho. It did not take long for the word of the bill to spread, and there was immediate outrage from outdoor lovers from around the Western United States. The outrage was so severe that C...
I was not in the right mind for any shenanigans. I was in a foul mood last Thursday and things were not going my way at work. I decided to get out of the office and run some errands. I wanted to enjoy the fresh air, so I walked to the bank and post office, but decided to drive to Liberty Place to drop off some things I had printed for them. I was driving near the Corner Store going the speed limit when someone nearly drove right into the side of me. Rather than mouth the world sorry or look away...
This weekend millions around the country will gather at various locations to watch Super Bowl 51. The game that decides the champion of the National Football League, has taken on a life of its own. Along with the die-hard fans, the game also draws interest from the casual fan, people who want to see the halftime show, and people who hate sports and are only interested in watching and deciding the best commercials. Much of this viewing is done at numerous parties at houses, bars, restaurants, and various other places. Many people have vocally...
This week I have a story in the paper about a painting event taken place later this month at Legends. I really feel it's amazing to have events like this in a small town. As much as I would like to go, I don't think that would be the best of ideas. Sure I may go get some pictures and do a little story, but I won't be painting any pictures. While I'm sure I was blessed with a few nice qualities -- drawing, painting, or anything to do with music are not my specialties. When I was in grade school,...
