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As you read this, the election is over and hopefully we know who the president is, we know how people voted on the constitutional initiatives, and life can get back to normal. Hopefully our mailboxes are less full of campaign materials that end up in the trash and the television ads are back to promoting medicines and the latest model of trucks. I feel like I'm suffering from election overload, though it's till one of my favorite times of the year as a journalist. It's been interesting this year to see people get so involved as the election dre...
I bought my first Deuce and a Quarter in 1990 from Gail Lewis who was the clean-up man at the LP mill in Trout Creek. “Deuce and a Quarter” was the nickname for the Buick Electra 225, as in two twenty-five—the deuce and a quarter. It was 225 inches long and this 1970 four-door hardtop had the biggest stock engine made up to that time, a massive 455 cubic inch eight-cylinder engine. It was fast, but thirsty. “It’ll pass anything but a gas station” was the word. The 25-gallon fuel tank was ba...
Over the course of the last couple of years, I’ve gotten to know quite a few authors who are independently published, or self-published, meaning you can purchase their books on Amazon, but not necessarily in a bookstore. This used to be unheard of, but more and more it’s becoming the norm. Did you know that Margaret Atwood was originally a self-published author? I decided to make October the Month of Indie Reads and I read four of my friends books to see if they hold muster, and boy howdy do they ever! I read lots of other books too, of course,...
It's almost over. I haven't heard anyone talk about how they wish they could see more political ads and mailers or listen to and read more about politics. On Tuesday, local, state and national races and issues will be decided. I get chills when I think about what a privilege it is to be in this country and help decide what happens here. Legislative bodies make laws and they are enforced, but we have a choice of who we put in office and what changes are made to the constitution. I love getting my ballot and feel proud when I walk in the...
Inflation is one of the top priorities for most voters. Electric rates are one of the driving factors in this. The current Public Service Commission is doing nothing to address this and have been nothing more than a rubber stamp for the rate increases by Northwestern Energy. Our current representative on this Commission, Jennifer Fielder, has been one of the worst Commissioners for allowing this to happen. There is a bright spot for future representation on the Public Service Commission and that is Elena Evans. She is an Independent and not...
There are people in this world who possess the wisdom of generations, and carry it with them with grace, aplomb, and equanimity. Shelly Fyant is one of those people. She is a friend, a mother, an inspirational community leader, and she is, by any metric, the most qualified candidate to represent Montana’s House District 91. Shelly is other-centered, she is a strategic thinker, and she has a vision for a healthy, equitable, and sustainable Montana that starts now and ensures future generations will enjoy the beauty and abundance we all t...
A friend of mine has a condition, prosopagnosia, wherein he doesn’t recognize faces. He can meet me ten times, and every time is the first time. Not really, he’s begun to recognize my voice, he remembers my name and connects it to my voice, he’s begun putting things together like the way I smell (assuming I don’t change laundry detergent, start wearing perfume, etc.), he’s begun to “recognize” me because he runs into me at the same place every time we meet and I don’t change any other outward clues about who I am. His wife can change her hair s...
Do you ever catch yourself daydreaming about that epic bucket-list trip - experiences like a luxury cruise, an African safari, a tour through Japan or staying in an overwater bungalow in Bora Bora - only to quickly brush it off, thinking it’s just out of reach? Trust me, it’s not! That dream trip you’ve always wanted is within reach, and with a little planning, it could be closer than you think. I know it can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re balancing work, family, and everything else that comes with “adulting.” It’s easy to put o...
As I was skimming the crowd at the Rex Theater fundraiser on Saturday, I saw several new faces. There were people I didn't know, and people who I had never seen at the Rex fundraiser before. The same was true of the organizers. "Head Wrangler" Rob Viens, who coordinated the event, moved to Thompson Falls in 2022. The primary forces behind the Save the Rex effort who got the community going were the Mundays and the Wilsons, two families who also moved to the area in the last decade. Before you get too excited, let me say that there were plenty o...
I just got a flier in the mail from the Montana Republican Party asking me to vote “no” on CI-126, that’s the ballot initiative to allow a primary election where the top four vote getters advance to the general election. Instead of Montana voters having to vote a Republican, Democratic, Green, or Libertarian party ballot in the primary election, all candidates of those parties would be listed on the same, unified, ballot. I think it’s a good idea, and, thanks for asking, I’ll tell you why. I wa...
I am not a person to make many complaints or share negative actions. However, after going to the local source to find answers I am at a loss as to how to proceed. I recently arrived home after a two-week absence from my home of many years in Sanders County. Like many county residents I have experienced the ongoing traffic snags on Highway 200 this past summer, to gain high speed internet and never complained. I am a proponent of the project and know the importance of having the ability to communicate with our families, pursue educational...
In an effort to provide information about the Church Street Emergency Water Main Replacement (CSEWMR) project, this month’s article may be a little technical. We’ll try to keep it user friendly. The CSEWMR project was approved in the October 15, 2024, Thompson Falls City Council meeting. The CSEWMR project generally consists of replacing approximately 1,200 linear feet of 10” diameter PVC water main, water main fittings, gate valves, connection to existing water distribution system and connecting to existing water services and fire hydra...
I think absentee voting is one of the best inventions. I really appreciate having the opportunity to review the ballot, review the voter guide and make informed decisions. Some thoughts are worth repeating. Every year, I write about keeping our communities clean around Beautification Days. There's a reminder to shop local and give local around the holidays. And every election cycle, I urge readers to be informed voters. I hate to admit it, but when I was younger and a new voter, I would just vote for names I had heard of for most state races....
Absentee ballots will be received this week. I’m asking you to consider voting “yes” for CI-126. This Constitutional Initiative will change Montana to open primary elections putting all candidates on one primary ballot. We can then vote for the person, and not be limited to the now monopolized primary ballot of party allegiance. Up to top 4 candidates in 10 different Montana races would advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation. This will encourage moderate voices and choices, instead of empowering extremists or party...
CI-128 cleverly, deceptively, provides for abortion through the ninth month for any reason whatsoever. Here’s how: Part (2) of Constitutional Initiative 128 states after the unborn child would likely survive outside the womb, “. . . in no circumstance shall the government deny or burden access to an abortion that, in the good faith judgment of a treating health care professional, is medically indicated to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient.” Understand that the mother’s health includes mental health, and mental health can be...
We are retired Montanans living in all seven counties within District 4 of the Public Service Commission. Most of us are on fixed incomes. Some of us are Republicans and some are Democrats. But all of us are voting for Elena Evans, an Independent candidate for the PSC. We’re voting for Elena because she’s a nonpartisan candidate who is fighting for affordable power and because her opponent, Jennifer Fielder, has cost ratepayers millions. Fielder was the deciding vote against a $9.1 million dollar rebate for NorthWestern Energy customers, and...
Dear Editor, With much interest I read Carl Brooker's Letter to the Editor published in THE SANDERS COUNTY LEDGER on October 3. I would like to offer my thanks and appreciation to Ms. Brooker for taking the time and energy to inform the citizens of this county and state concerning the past behavior of Jennifer Fielder. It certainly seems serious consideration must be exercised by those of us who will vote for the next District 4 Public Service Commissioner. I own a few shares of stock, not many but a few, in NorthWestern Energy. Naturally I wan...
I will be voting for Jennifer Fielder again, she is doing a great job on the Public Service Commission. Under the policies of the current administration, America is trapped with an actual inflation rate of a little over 27%. Consumers are all aware of how this added cost has a negative impacted every facet of our life and eats up our real income. Unfortunately utilities are also struggling with the high 27% inflation rate, and increased property taxes, affecting building service lines, servicing existing lines, and delivering power to us....
I've written the story about how my brother and his buddy, when I was little, told me that deer were aliens and that's why their eyes glowed. I was scared of deer until I could hunt. Then I became a hunter and took out one of those alien deer each year. I don't know if it's age or hormones or what, but I have found myself feeling guilty with hunting these days. The last elk I killed, I felt really bad. I was happy to help provide for my family, and I love eating elk and deer and cows and pigs and chickens, but I just don't want to do the...
President Franklin D. Roosevelt must have known just how today’s Montana Republican leadership feels. Full of important ideas for rebuilding America in the wake of the Great Depression, Roosevelt was stymied by the Supreme Court which ruled that many of his grand plans were unconstitutional. He decided that the most effective means toward having his way was to change the only branch of government that stood against him, and the plan he devised was to expand the number of justices on the court a...
Anybody who read Carol Brooker’s letter in the 3 October Ledger who goes on to vote for Jennifer Fielder is voting solely for the political party and against their own best interests. Please be an informed voter and read the many facts included in Carol’s letter, detailing how Jennifer Fielder has performed her duties as an elected official over a number of years. Unless you are unconcerned about utility rates that continue to rise in the face of enormous profits for utility companies, vote for the change Elena Evans will bring to the pos...
Anybody who read Carol Brooker’s letter in the 3 October Ledger who goes on to vote for Jennifer Fielder is voting solely for the political party and against their own best interests. Please be an informed voter and read the many facts included in Carol’s letter, detailing how Jennifer Fielder has performed her duties as an elected official over a number of years. Unless you are unconcerned about utility rates that continue to rise in the face of enormous profits for utility companies, vote for the change Elena Evans will bring to the pos...
Truly one of the richest aspects of living in a small community like Thompson Falls is reaping the benefits of the many “community-minded” people who chose to call this place home. This community mindedness manifests itself in many ways/occasions. Beautification Days is only one of many. It has been our fortune to witness this on a much “closer to home” scale. Over the course of the last five months, there have been many improvements made to our senior citizens’ center. Among these are: the acquisition of 20 padded chairs with arms, a major p...
A September to Remember! Gorgeous weather and a steady market. This is one of the most abundant closing markets for the real estate season and a beautiful interest rate drop will most certainly help this along. The election is heating up, with instability sending people our way once again. They feel safe in the mountains. . . and so do we! As to the real estate market, the seasonality is setting in with fewer new listings on the market. Those older loans with low interest rate loans are also...
Earlier this summer, in the June 13 edition of The Ledger, the Question of the Week asked people if they read the local newspapers. One of the six people said they read The Ledger. Other answers were getting news from friends or a spouse or a parent, or not paying attention to the news at all. It was a bit shocking to see those answers, but it was also a very good question to ask. Recently someone commented to me about that question of the week and didn't know why we asked it. It's a sobering statistic for local newspapers if only one person...
