Staff Columns and Editorials

Writers on the Range

Heard Around the West

Goodbye to babies

I often claim that I’m not sentimental. And I’m not, except when I am.
Each time my older son outgrows his clothes, I go through his closet and carefully wash and fold everything, then pack it up into a large plastic bin in the basement.
When one container is full, I buy a new one and the old one goes into storage.
When my younger son was born, we reaped the benefits of my hyper-organization. It’s impossible to estimate exactly how much money we’ve saved on clothes in the last three years.

Taking Pride in the West

 

What is it about the old cowboy music that brings such joy to Central Montanans and people all over the country? What is it that attracts so many people to the old way of life?

Farmers markets -- spoiled by their own success?

People go to farmers markets for many reasons. The jovial, wholesome atmosphere makes people feel good about their communities and the hard work put in by area farmers. Sometimes, we even want to buy something. But actually purchasing food is becoming an increasingly rare act, according to a recent Washington Post article.

Heard Around the West

Utah
Few Bureau of Land Management rangers patrol the vast Bears Ears region of Utah, so it hasn’t been hard for grave robbers to loot Native American artifacts, or for vandals to carve their names on sandstone petroglyphs. But Utah Republican Rep. Mike Noel is a staunch opponent of any federal management of public lands, and he holds humanity blameless. The real culprit, he said recently, is the small but fearless badger:

A bug in my skort

First off, I should clarify the definition of a skort for those of you fashion novices.
A skort looks like a skirt, but it has shorts built in underneath.
It’s a handy way to maintain your modesty when you want to play with your kids at the park or chase after the stack of oranges your son knocks down in the grocery store.
There really aren’t many downsides to a skort.
Until you are walking along minding your own business, headed through a parking lot to a work meeting, and suddenly you feel a burning pain directly below your belly button.

Home is where the hope is: Can Lewistown embrace civil understanding?

Lewistown is the heart of Montana. It represents true community – a place where we can raise our children with small-town values. Regardless of race, religion, or political view, we are a community made stronger by our diversity. In fact, if history has taught us anything, it’s that communities are weakened when fear, intolerance, bigotry and ignorance are allowed to overpower compassion and tolerance. So when I read these sentiments in our local paper, they strike a blow against the place I, and my family, have made our home for almost a decade. I wasn’t born in Montana.

Central Montanans lose out if Ackley Lake is closed to camping

The heat is on in Central Montana, and that means Ackley Lake State Park will be a busy place this weekend. 

Throughout the summer, the reservoir near Hobson is popular with boaters, fishermen, and swimmers. Along a narrow strip of land that surrounds the water you will often find dozens of tents and campers. 

But that could be changing soon.  

Remembering Pat Summitt

Monday night I finished reading Pat Summitt’s latest book titled “Sum It Up.” The book was written by Summitt with Sally Jenkins after Summitt received the news that she had early-onset dementia (Alzheimer’s disease) in 2011. Before I went to sleep I wondered how Summitt was doing. One never heard about her after she retired from coaching at Tennessee following her diagnosis. It was very much a surprise to hear on the radio on Tuesday morning that Summitt had died at the age of 64.

Thanks, Kevin

On June 30, Kevin Myhre will retire from his position as Lewistown’s city manager. After 25 years serving the community in law enforcement and city government, he is ready for a new challenge. For most of those years, I have had a front-row seat to Kevin’s career, while working at the News-Argus. There is a unique relationship between a local newspaper and the government of the city it covers. A newspaper celebrates the accomplishments of the city, but it also has a responsibility to be a watchdog of the government and report on the problems the city encounters.

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