Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana

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  • Horoscopes: Week of 3/23/2022

    Mar 23, 2022

    ARIES Mar 21Apr 20 Spending time alone could be good for you this week, Aries. While working toward your goals, you also are enjoying some much-needed peace and quiet. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 Your friends may be pushing you to move forward since you seem to be stuck in the past, Taurus. Don’t stay stagnant for too long or you may lose motivation for change. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 A collaboration with someone close to you yields surprising results, Gemini. You may have been looking for inspiration for some time and finally found it. CANCER Jun 22/Jul...

  • Dear Editor: Western Legacy Center

    LEONARD WORTMAN|Mar 16, 2022

    Dear Editor, It is difficult to respond to an anonymous letter writer. You don’t know if the person is truly a concerned citizen or someone that is just trying to stir the pot. I will try to take this opportunity to explain the Western Legacy Center concept, as briefly as possible. This project actually started as a rest area in Boulder after the State announced they were going to close the two rest areas at Jefferson City. The concept from the beginning has always been the same, get people to pull off the Interstate highways and get them i...

  • Dear Editor: Need for Crosswalk

    Charles Haddon Shank|Mar 16, 2022

    Dear Editor, It has recently come to my attention, or rather awareness, that there is a need for a posted crosswalk across from the Town Pump, near the northern end of Whitehall Street. While at the Mint Bar the other night for Pool League, I bumped into an older trucker friend of mine from Canada who apprised me of this issue. He acknowledged that for younger (20s-40s) truckers who must fuel up at the diesel pumps on the east side of Whitehall Street, then run across a usually busy thoroughfare to pay their fuel bill, there is no big problem....

  • Thought Provokers: 3/16/2022

    Mar 16, 2022

    Face tattoos are a sign of great financial security. Batman can only work at night because otherwise, Bruce Wayne would have tan lines on his face. It’s easier for most people to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism. People who are 20 years old have lived 10% of their life through COVlD. Hot water heaters are really cold water heaters. At least one person you know was disappointed by how your voice sounded when you first started talking to them. If you own a nuclear bunker you’d need to stay within a 10-mile radius at all...

  • Connecting Point: No Stone Left Unturned

    BILL LANES|Mar 16, 2022

    Within the pages of the Bible, there are particular passages that leave us with questions. For the “brightest” and “best” scholars or the average Christian there is some common criteria used for proper Bible interpretation. Step one; understand the original author’s intent, context, and cultural background. Step two; understand the genre of Scripture; Narrative/Historical, Prophecy, Epistle, Wisdom, Poetry, and Apocalyptic. Step three; carefully determine the proper application. Many general principles taught by the original author can be br...

  • Why Was a Letter Published Unsigned?

    ELIZABETH PULLMAN, Whitehall Ledger|Mar 9, 2022

    I have received several phone calls concerning last week’s Letter to the Editor regarding the Western Legacy Center. The policy to the left has been in the newspaper since I began. “Names will be withheld by request only if deemed a matter of personal/business safety.” This policy is why the letter was left anonymous, as I am sure others will be in the future. This is not only my policy but the policy of most journalistic entities. Regarding the Western Legacy Center, there are many reasons not to sign. Perhaps a business owner wants to speak...

  • Thought Provokers: 3/9/2022

    Mar 9, 2022

    I just helped a friend move out of his house... libraries must be the heaviest buildings in the world. We are very lucky that mosquitoes cannot carry rabies. The voice in your head is an amazing singer. We laugh at other countries and groups of people for falling victim to misinformation, but we never think about what we might have fallen for and still don’t know about. The idea that a business won’t survive without good marketing was probably good marketing by marketing businesses marketing the need for marketing. Hash Browns are nothing more...

  • Dear Editor: The Freedom Convoy

    DON LEPINSKY|Mar 9, 2022

    Dear Editor, The first amendment of the constitution is a beautiful thing! Freedom of speech and religion is as important as the second amendment. Maybe more so. Recently, I observed the Freedom Convoy rolling by Whitehall on I-90 protesting mandatory Covid-19 restrictions. Whether your car has a Biden/Harris bumper sticker, or you are flying a Trump flag, I strongly support our right to free speech, to a point. However, when protests violate the rights of others by burning and looting at one or two BLM demonstrations, deliberately disrupting...

  • Dear Editor: Support for Western Legacy Center

    KRISTY HEPPLER|Mar 9, 2022

    Dear Editor, In the Letters to the Editor, I read the concerns of an unnamed business owner about the Western Legacy Center (WLC). The issues I’ve read seem outlandish, to me at least. The first comment about it residing on the outskirts of town makes no sense. Many businesses (including Jefferson Fresh Foods, Whitehall Truck & Towing, Liberty Place, etc.) are not located centrally in town yet are still a vital part of the town’s businesses. I don’t see an issue if the WLC is directing people to local shops, the Jefferson Valley Museum, and r...

  • Dear Editor: No More Public Restrooms

    CHARLES HADDON SHANK|Mar 9, 2022

    Dear Editor, It saddens me a letter like this must be written! I realize that I’m not the only one that has noticed this issue and not the only one bothered by it. But dang, people! This issue is most definitely NOT confined to our little town, though certain of the populace of our little town are the main subjects of this short rant. I understand the impetus behind certain businesses in town (honestly, probably the majority of them) closing their restroom facilities to the general public. Several years ago (at most), there were public r...

  • Go Ask Jo: 3/9/2022

    Jo|Mar 9, 2022

    Dear Jo, My husband, who is in his 60s, wears a baseball cap all day, every day, to hide a bald spot on the back of his head. He has worn that same dirty cap for two years and even wears it to work. He wears it in the house and only removes it when he is sleeping. I have suggested he wash it or replace it, but he refuses and he makes a tsk-tsk noise when I tell him I don’t think it’s healthy to wear something filthy on your head for two years. Signed, Disgusted with the Dingy Hat Dear Disgusted, Well, I see two options. First, you can do a nig...

  • Connecting Point: Navigating Emotions

    BILL LANES|Mar 9, 2022

    At fifty-one years old, I still find glory, fun, and contentment in our vast and wild Montana. Specifically, on my boating experiences, I have enjoyed small raft, one-man skiff, canoe, and kayak. I’ve been dunked by them all. I’ve never had the experience of sailing, yet and still, with little watercraft knowledge, I respect the wind. I recall one fishing trip on a small reservoir in the Pintler Range southwest of Anaconda as a child. My grandfather and father took me on many fishing trips. I was a nine-year-old. “How do you tie that hook...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 3/9/2022

    Mar 9, 2022

    ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, the universe is subtly trying to tell you to slow down a bit. Don’t ignore those nagging feelings that you should take breaks whenever you can manage them. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 Prioritize your goals and put yourself first for the time being, Taurus. All eyes will be on you and you want to be sure that you are presenting the best version of yourself this week. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, take every opportunity to foster growth in your professional ambitions. Network as much as you can and explore continuing l...

  • Dear Editor: Thank You Council!

    ARCYLLE SHAW|Mar 2, 2022

    Dear Editor, I read that the Town Council approved TIF money for a sidewalk on Division as far as the Museum. What a wonderful benefit to so many! It will make the ‘stroll’ to the Museum so much nicer and easier. Thank you to the Council! Arcylle Shaw Cardwell, Montana...

  • Dear Editor: Western Legacy Center a Blessing?

    Concerned Citizen and Business Owner|Mar 2, 2022

    Dear Editor, Whitehall, and Jefferson County Residents, I am writing this letter for clarification and to address some concerns about the coming Western Legacy Center and its participation in and benefits to the community. Is the Western Legacy Center really going to be a blessing for Whitehall residents and its businesses? It is to be located at an exit off the interstate, so why would visitors venture into Whitehall after a stop at the Western Legacy Center? It is said that the Western Legacy Center is to have a Montana-made gift shop in its...

  • Dear Editor: Rebuttal to Op-Ed in 2/23/22

    RON JUNG|Mar 2, 2022

    Dear Editor, This is an all too short rebuttal to Democratic Chairman Robyn Driscoll’s OP-ED in the February 23, 2022 edition of the Ledger. Republicans are not the only political party talented in speaking out of both sides of their mouths. One of the oldest and best ploys straight from the Democrat party playbook is “accuse the accuser.” It is laughable and sad that challenging issues we find ourselves currently dealing with can be so manipulated. Such as the debt our friends on both sides of the aisle have created in making us a debto...

  • Thought Provokers: 3/2/2022

    Mar 2, 2022

    People only made such a big deal about 2/22/2022 because they’re salty that they won’t be alive for 2/22/2222. You can be a full-grown adult but people will still think you peed your pants if there is a wet stain on them. The people that hate their alarm the most usually choose to hear it multiple times each morning. Everyone thought it was touching and heartbreaking when E.T. tried to contact his relatives. But no one thinks the same when their dog tries to do the same at 3 AM. The guy in Blues Clues was paid to dance and sing and talk to him...

  • Go Ask Jo: 3/2/2022

    Jo|Mar 2, 2022

    Dear Jo, Have you ever met someone, liked them immediately only to find out they really don’t like you, which hurts your feelings? I know, I know, leave it be. Walk away. Why does it matter? Well, I am sometimes too sensitive of a person. How do I come to terms that not everyone has to like me? I have always felt like this, hurt if someone does not like or agree with me. Help! Signed, Cares Too Much Dear Cares, I can relate, but LET THAT $#%& GO!!! There is nothing to be gained by letting how others feel about you determine how you feel a...

  • Connecting Point: Building 101

    BILL LANES|Mar 2, 2022

    I grew up watching the television series This Old House, a 1980’s home improvement show. With only one television in our home, our family accepted my father’s choice. The construction variety of the show was dad’s attraction. Now, I, too, dabble in my own home projects, and it’s very motivational. When I get done with a fence or patio, there’s just something about it. Moreover, I’ve had the pleasure of working side by side with my father on numerous occasions; in turn, I see the wisdom in doing the same with my wife’s and my children. Are...

  • Horoscopes: Week of 3/2/2022

    Mar 2, 2022

    ARIES Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, an exciting relationship may soon develop after you socialize with friends. If you already are involved romantically, someone you meet could be an important ally. TAURUS Apr 21/May 21 Unexpected changes are the name of the game this week, Taurus. This could mean anything from learning a new skill to having to train a new coworker. GEMINI May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, there’s potential to meet someone interesting on a trip you will be taking shortly. Strike up conversations with those around you, as you never know what will h...

  • Dear Editor: Thankful

    DEE ANNA|Feb 23, 2022

    Dear Editor, I am thankful the sun rises and sets every day! I am thankful I have perfect water to drink that gives my body life, that gives all living things life! I am thankful I have air to breathe that provides oxygen for all life systems! I am thankful I can grow food from seeds in rich soil. I am thankful I was allowed the gifts of jobs so I could buy a car that others assembled and drive on a highway that others constructed with some of my working tax money because of decisions my politicians and community put together for all of us. I...

  • Dear Editor: Questions About Whitehall

    A Concerned New Resident of Whitehall|Feb 23, 2022

    Dear Editor, I am new to town and was curious as to why there are so many ambulances parked in driveways or in front of houses? I would also like to know why there is a Town Hall building with two large fire/ambulance bays in it but no fire trucks or ambulances. This building seems like such a waste for a small town. I was wondering what they use it for and why the ambulances are not making use of this wonderful building? Also regarding our police department. Are they paid by the county or the city? Where is their office located here in...

  • Thought Provokers: 2/23/2022

    Feb 23, 2022

    Seeing someone consume multiple beers at a Chili’s at 9am is suspect. Move that Chili’s to inside an airport and suddenly it’s totally normal. Because dinosaurs didn’t kill anyone last year, and (hopefully) you didn’t either, statistically speaking you were as dangerous as a dinosaur last year. Every machine is a smoke machine if you operate it incorrectly. Stairs are surprisingly dangerous for being everywhere. Calendars are non-perishable, but they still have a sell-by date. Almost every thought we post has probably already been thought....

  • Go Ask Jo: 2/23/2022

    Jo|Feb 23, 2022

    Dear Jo, I hope this reaches you in time for this week’s paper because I need advice! It is cold, really cold. As a matter of fact, it is booger freezing weather. I hate it when it gets this cold. I always get that horrible frozen booger feeling in my nose and it seems like I am always around people when that happens. How can you pick ‘em and flick ‘em when people are there?! I know, it sounds gross, but it is a serious booger issue when you have to try to find a way to get frozen, hair-pulling boogers out of your nose and try to be polit...

  • Connecting Point: Time, Order & Purpose

    BILL LANES|Feb 23, 2022

    Time directs our lives, including daily routines and special events marked by the calendar. From a personal perspective, time puts limits on us. God, on the other hand, is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. God is sovereign. His (and ours) course history. But, we humans from about twenty years old until we are 105 (as the old song says) see short windows counted as the present. When circumstance challenges us, our assumptions lead us to believe something is wrong. That is not necessarily the whole truth. God has a purpose in...

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