Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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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,...
I wanted to use this week’s editorial as a reminder the deadline for the 2017 phone book is Tuesday, January 31. If you would like to advertise in this year’s edition, or would like an number added, changed, or removed from the book, please get a hold of us by emailing advertising@whitehallledger.com or by calling 406-287-5301. There isn’t a day that goes by that someone doesn’t come in and grab at least one phonebook. I am amazed how many people use this book on a regular basis. It’s a great way to advertise your business. Your ad will be s...
Every newspaper is a little bit different when it comes to listening to police calls. Some will have the scanner on at all times, some will just turn it on when they hear sirens, and some won't turn it on at all. I've found there has to be some sort of happy medium, but this was gained from experiencing all three. The first newspaper I worked at had the scanner going all the time. It was a town much larger than Whitehall and it never stopped. It was almost impossible to get anything done with...
The 2017 session of the Montana State Legislature started earlier this month in Helena. In the first few days of the session, there were a lot of concerns voiced about the budget and how it will affect communities across the state. While it is never easy dealing with less money, the primary concern of this budget should be schools, towns and communities, safety and infrastructure. The students in each and every school need to be taken care of during this session. This means a top priority is the funding that will allow for quality staff,...
There are some things that happen every once in a while in life that absolutely blow my mind. Last week was a perfect example. I had stopped for coffee at a local convenience store and was making my way out of the building when someone opened the door for me. I politely thanked the man who seemed to be in his late 20's or early 30's. What came next confused me to the point it rendered me silent. He proceeded to tell me "You're not welcome". At first I thought I must had heard him wrong, but I di...
It would be safe to say the past few years have been difficult for the Whitehall High School girl's basketball team. As soon as the team took to the court to open the 2016-17 season, this changed in a heartbeat. The Lady Trojans were able to open the season with three consecutive victories, already matching their win total for the previous two seasons combined. They dropped their next two games, but showed last Thursday that the culture of Whitehall girl's basketball had changed. They shook off...
When I first started out as a reporter I always had the dream of frantically running into the printing facility and screaming, "Stop the press". I had seen this in multiple movies and television shows and it always seemed so dramatic. A few years later I would get the chance after a major error was discovered. Turns out it was not as exciting as I had pictured it. In fact, I think I just made the press crew mad and got called about every name in the book. I think half of it was the fact I came...
Last Sunday marked the first day of 2017. While I most certainly don’t have a crystal ball that will allow me to see what will happen in the New Year, I’m sure there will be plenty of great stories to tell in the Ledger courtesy of the great people of Whitehall and the surrounding areas. Looking back at 2016, I had plenty to be thankful for as the Publisher of the Whitehall Ledger. I’d like to share some of the things I’m most thankful for. It would be impossible to get everyone I’d like to into this editorial, but these are some of the thing...
A few minutes ago I was busy getting the web site ready to publish and my cell phone started going bezerk. I didn't recognize the number, so I just turned the ringer off and went back to the task at hand. This didn't stop the caller. Over and over again someone was trying to reach me from Cambridge, MA. I don't know much about Cambridge, other than it is the home of Harvard University, and I seriously doubt someone was calling to ask my advice on scholarly matters. I figured if it was important,...
This edition of the Whitehall Ledger features a couple of year-end stories that are a great way to take a quick glance back at 2016. It’s a bit of a daunting task going through the first 51 issues of the Ledger, but at the same time is worthwhile to be reminded of some of the amazing people who work and live here. While the area does not have a large population, there are certainly quite a few events throughout the year. Some of the bigger events include Frontier Days, the Christmas Stroll, and the Black Tie/Blue Jeans fundraiser. The common t...
