Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1551 - 1575 of 1587
At an early age, I learned that when people start talking politics, things could get ugly in a heartbeat. This happens more and more as the United States inches closer to a Presidential Election. I've seen what started out as a polite and thoughtful discussion turn sour and get to the point where I thought it was going to escalate into a Pro Wrestling match and people would start whacking each other with folding chairs. Citizens from across the nation went to the polls yesterday, and came...
I don’t know if everyone has been following our Trojans Football Team? If you haven’t they are one game away from the State Championship. Our Boys are not the biggest team in the league nor the fastest but they are a team that works together and gets it done! The boys team is 10 wins & 1 loss and have this record because they’re team players. No one is the Super Star, or the Glory Hound. They’re a team that works together for a common goal, to win for their school and for their town of Whitehall. When any team or organization or “Town C...
In the last several issues of the Whitehall Ledger, there has been information about the Noxious Weed Mill Levy that will be on the ballot November 8. The levy passed in 2012 is set to expire in June of 2017. According to Jefferson County Weed and Mosquito Coordinator Jill Allen, the mill levy would be a continuation of the existing mill to maintain what is currently operating the herbicide cost-share program. She added the other two mills would be for the outreach program, continuing education, information pamphlets, and training. In the last...
I keep reading stories about retail businesses that are coming out publicly and stating they will be not be open on Thanksgiving. I'm a little bit surprised by all the hoopla. Are they are expecting the public to come together in unison and laud them for such a bold move? I've really got question them for doing this, because when did it become socially acceptable for them to be open in the first place? I'm not going to get really excited about a big box store doing something they should have...
You can hear the passion in the voice of Ed Handl when he discusses the upcoming Whitehall Rotary Club Harvest Dance. He speaks of the event that will take place Sunday, October 30 starting at 4:30 p.m., as a truly family friendly atmosphere that will have a little bit of something for everyone. The Whitehall Ledger would like to encourage local residents to make their way to the Community Center on Sunday afternoon to spend some time eating, dancing, listening to live music and visiting with their friends and neighbors. While there was a good...
If you’re reading this, the paper has somehow made it out, but at this point I’m not really sure if it is going to happen. I’m writing this on a Tuesday morning, shortly after our external hard drive that we use to store most of our information, quit working. Long story short, all of the work we have done the past several weeks is gone. Everything I had ready to go for this edition of the Ledger is no longer available. The information is recoverable, but will have to be done professionally and I may not get it back for months. So in one day’s...
The voters of Jefferson County will have the chance to vote on whether to continue and strengthen the Jefferson County DES Emergency Radio Broadcast Service on November 8th. Although I am paid a nominal fee to maintain these stations, I am personally convinced that these stations are extremely important to the community in the case of the next future emergency, and that even considering shutting these stations down when we might need them the most would be a disaster in itself. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) states that...
This Friday night is a huge one for the Whitehall/Harrison High School football team. They will be playing for a spot in the Class B playoffs that begin next week, and to finish the regular season with an impressive record of 8-1. They will also be honoring the nine seniors on the 2016 team prior to the game. These are all great reasons to come and support the Trojans. There would be nothing better for them to run onto the field in front of a standing room only crowd. The senior class has given fans so many memories on the gridiron. They need...
It doesn't matter what I'm doing, I keep hearing about creepy clowns. While that doesn't sound serious, it is. It's all over the Internet, television, and it is even coming up in conversations. The kids have actually come home and said the whole school is talking about clowns. I'm honestly not sure how the whole clown shenanigans began, but it really needs to stop. Even Ronald McDonald has had to scale back promotional appearances because people are getting leery of even friendly clowns. I'm...
This Thursday, October 13, non-profit organizations from Whitehall and the surrounding area will come together at the annual Jefferson Valley Community Foundation’s Celebrate Community Grant Award Event. The event is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Borden’s Building Conference Room. All non-profit organizations are invited to attend. The JVCF will be announcing their 2016 grants that include the $2,500 Barrick/Golden Sunlight Mine and possibly up to $10,000 in other grants for local organizations. Since 2002, the foundation has awarded ove...
The list of while I do not like traveling could go on for days. I could go through ten trees worth of paper just describing why people on airplanes make me legally insane. While the stress of traveling can be a little bit much with flying or sharing the road with people that never learned to drive properly, there is one thing I look forward to anywhere I visit. I love to be able to find some of the best local restaurants and to fill up to point I'm nearly sick. When I get up from the table and...
The Jefferson County Commissioners were recently sent an analysis from the Montana Department of Transportation in regards to the possibility of lowering the speed limit for a majority of Homestake Pass. The analysis states that for a ten-mile stretch of the pass, it is recommended the speed limit should be lowered in both east and westbound lanes from 75 to 65 miles per hour. This is a stretch of highway that is used often by local residents and it can be downright nasty during inclement weather. It can be sunny in Whitehall, and a whole nothe...
My eyes are heavy while I'm writing this column, and with every word I type I can feel myself slouching further down into the chair. I've got a horrible cold and the medicine I took this morning is making it difficult to keep my eyes open. As I was getting ready for work this morning, I started thinking to myself what would be a more idea situation, being home sick, or at work feeling 100 percent? My initial answer was that not being sick would be the way to go. There is nothing fun about a...
Before people get too excited about waiving their flags and being all patriotic about democracy, here is some food for thought concerning the article written by Chad Cross. Let me start with our Bill of Rights; Articles V and XIV. Article V tells us that in our great nation we cannot be held to a crime without the right to a jury of our peers, double jeopardy is unlawful, nor can we be deprived without Due Process of law. Article XIV also states that if we are born in these United States that we are American, but also, importantly, “nor can a...
It doesn’t matter if it’s a hot summer day or a cold January afternoon, the Whitehall Senior Center is always full of activity. The center is such an important part of the local community, it’s value immeasurable. Seniors get together to eat, have a cup of coffee, participate in events, and many times just to visit and share stories. This Friday the center will be hosting a fundraising event that will not only bring the community together; it is also integral to day-to-day operations. The Fall Festival Haystack Dinner is scheduled to take...
Social media and the World Wide Web can be a great way to get important or relevant news out quickly. It's one of the boons created by the increasing relevance of technology in our daily lives. Just last week, I was able to use the Whitehall Ledger website to put out a breaking news story that a dinner had been rescheduled. It was convenient, and hopefully spread the word about the event. On the same day, I was also able to witness firsthand the chaos web can create within a matter of moments....
Whether it is in Whitehall, or some of our neighbors like Boulder or Twin Bridges, small businesses play an important role in the local economy. It only takes a few minutes of driving around in Whitehall to see it is a town full of a variety of small businesses, all of which offer something of value to local residents. The businesses are not only located in downtown, there are also many smaller businesses throughout Jefferson County. Every year around Christmas time there is a push nationwide to remind people to shop local during the holiday...
There is an infamous scene from the television show "Breaking Bad" where the main character tosses a pizza on the roof of his home in a fit of rage. As bizarre as that may sound, it seemed completely normal to me. While it wasn't a pizza, I had once done the same thing, and at the time it seemed quite appropriate. To preface the story, I have four sisters and am closer with my sisters Jenny and Megan. I am ten years older than Megan, and would often times have to watch her during the summer...
I had the opportunity last week to attend the Jefferson Valley Community Foundation Grantee Tour and much like last year walked away impressed with all the local organization does for this community. One of the stops on the tour was at Whitehall High School, who was the recipient of a grant that was used for the Shakespeare in the Schools program. As is the case most times I walk into the building, I witnessed a bunch of students wearing Whitehall Trojans apparel. I can say the same thing happens on a visit to the elementary or middle schools....
I've tried multiple times to erase the memories of my junior high school pictures. No matter how hard I try, nothing can be done to remove the images of just how stupid I looked. In one, I had a ridiculous mullet. It wasn't just the run-of-the-mill Billy Ray Cyrus "Achy Breaky Heart", or a hockey mullet, I had my hair feathered on the top and permed in the back. It was just awful. As bad as that hairdo was, it might have been worse the year before when I had some sort of weird Vanilla Ice steps...
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” These famous words are written in our nation’s Declaration of Independence. Our Fore Fathers recognized that the power of government exits only because the people agree to be governed. They also knew that...
Last Saturday I had the chance to attend the cross-country meet hosted by Whitehall High School. I was really impressed with how many people turned out for the event. There were a lot of local residents who showed up to cheer on the Trojans middle school and high school teams. The Whitehall High School cheerleaders also showed up to the event and cheered on not only their classmates, but everyone who participated. That was a job well done by the cheer squad. It was a well-run meet and great job done by all the students, staff, and volunteers...
The start of the school year is an exciting time. There is something special in the air on the first day as kids make their way into a new classroom ready to meet their new teacher, see old friends, and make new ones. I’m sure not all of the kids really want to get back into the routine, but they settle in once they get into the classroom and the first week goes by. As a parent, it is also an exciting time to get the kids back into a routine and out of the house. The summer most likely goes by a bit too fast for kids, but for parents it seems t...
There is something so spell binding about someone telling you "I wouldn't do that if I were you." I'll be the first to say it happens to me more than I would like to admit, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who falls prey to these viscous, yet captivating words. Thankfully this story isn't about me doing something I was told wouldn't be the best of ideas; I will instead give the honor to Melissa. The poor girl is sitting only about five feet from me as I type this and has no idea that I'm about...
I’ve been waiting since February to say these three beautiful worlds. Football is back. This Friday, myself and hundreds others in the surrounding area will be able to get out and support the Whitehall/Harrison football team as they take on Sweet Grass County. If you haven’t been out to see the Trojans play under head coach Dan Lacey, it is well worth it just to see the dynamic offense take to the field. Quarterback Braden Larsen is a gunslinger, and he will have quality targets all over the field. The team only has 25 players, but they cer...
