News you can use
News you can use
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It’s been an honor serving as chair of the Hill County Democratic Party over the last 2.5 years. This election cycle saw many ups and downs, but for Hill County, it was mostly ups. Last summer the Hill County Democrats hosted a “We Love the Montana Constitution” Rally in Pepin Park featuring an impassioned and educational presentation by Mae Nan Ellingson, the youngest delegate to attend the 1972 Constitutional Convention. This June we hosted over 250 people from across the state at the Montana Democratic Party Platf...
Once upon a time, in the far northern reaches of China, bordering Mongolia, there lived a beautiful princess. Oh, wait, wrong story. Start again. Once upon a time, in the far northern reaches of China, bordering Mongolia, a factory dedicated to producing the best umbrella clotheslines in the world, meticulously began to piece together the very Prince of All Clotheslines. Disclosure: Parts of this story have been fictionalized. However the main thread of the story is absolute...
There will be monks here tomorrow morning,” is what I figured Jorge was telling me. In Spanish, “monks” sounds like “monkeys” in English. But I was pretty sure we were not having monkeys over for breakfast. Jorge is my landlord here in Mexico, and he speaks only Spanish to me. He will speak some English when my husband, Peter, is around. But if it’s just me, he’ll stick to Spanish, and I am fine with that, but it doesn’t mean I get 100% of what he says. “Very good!” I...
My friends, I don’t have a story for today. Instead, I’ll send a poem. It is raw, fresh and flawed, but I no longer care about flaws. I’ve been thinking a lot about love. Remember how we used to say “Make love, not war”? Today my chant would be, “Make love, not hate”. Love is difficult, takes careful consideration, time, decisions. That’s my experience. I’m so fortunate to have known and to know so much love. I’m human. I get angry, frustrated, irritated at my friends, but...
So I’m doing a show after all. The problem with me (and I might not be alone in this) is that I have a hard time imagining anything between close to perfect and nothing at all. I’d been planning to do a first show featuring material from my columns, and it was overwhelming. A fully realized show involves a lot of preparation and getting every detail down all at once. A close-to-perfect show requires a ton of rehearsal and usually a lot of help from others to make it hap...
I am quick to criticize other people’s luxuries. “Buying a latte every day?” I say. “What a waste!” But, of course, I have Peter making me coffee, and I can have it exactly the way I like it. (Lots of milk, not too much coffee.) I think sailboats and horses are crazy expensive, but campers and RVs make sense — because that’s what I grew up with. “Economics don’t count when you are talking about campers!” my father has repeatedly told me. My father is a frugal man. He live...
In each life it seems there might be one or two individuals with whom, no matter how hard we try, we simply cannot communicate. We usually marry them. Seriously, if nothing else, we surround ourselves with people of like mind. We act together in ways beneficial to both parties. We are on the same track, click-clacking to the same destination. However, now and then we encounter a person with whom out tongue jumps the track, derails, stops at the wrong station, or otherwise...
It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent Havre and Hill County in the Montana Legislature. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to assure our special part of rural Montana has a seat at the table in Helena. My commitment to the residents of House District 27 has never been stronger. But there’s also a lot more work to do. I want to take my experience with me to the upcoming session to assure the priorities of Havre, Hill County and the Hi-Line get the attention they deserve. Over the past several months, our c...
The northeast wind doth blow! Just like that, fall is no longer on the way but has arrived. This is not our prevailing wind but is our October wind, here in Etzatlan, Jalisco. Not that much can be said to prevail these uncertain days. Conditions here are generally mild. This morning the winds are at 6-7 mph, gusting to 25! For us, this is windy! I love autumn. One thing I love most is that the air carries whiffs of spices. Spicy scents seem to be layered, to waft around my...
You may not have had occasion to know what the Clerk of the Montana Supreme does, or how important the office and this election are. The present Clerk is Bowen Greenwood, a Republican and former political director. His opponent, Erin Farris-Olsen, is an experienced attorney with an impeccable reputation for hard work, honesty and integrity. Based on the facts that follow, permit me to recommend, to every Montana voter, that you cast your vote for Erin Farris-Olsen. The duties of the Clerk are administrative and ministerial....
As a candidate for State Auditor, I know very well how challenging it is to raise the profile of the office. It is an important office that has a direct impact on all Montanans, but a lot of folks don’t know much about it. Per Montana law, the purpose of the office is to ‘protect Montana insurance consumers.’ My campaign is focused on that role and my qualification for the position based on four decades of ethical business experience. Unfortunately, my opponent is running on lies and issues unrelated to the Montana State...
Over the weekend, Felix met his three other mothers. Felix is our cat, and we adopted him from Mexico. We are now back in Mexico for the first time since we adopted him and, of course, Felix is with us. When my husband, Peter, and I first discussed adopting a cat, I had in mind some needy little creature who would cuddle on my lap when I read. Instead, we got Felix. Felix was a street cat for two years before he was scooped up by his foster mothers. He was very skinny when...
For months, I have been bedeviled by a TV ad with a handsome young couple meeting with their “wealth advisor.” The couple stirs from their daydreams about going on safari for their honeymoon when their advisor asks what they would like to invest their money in. They reply that they would like to buy a ranch, with horses, in Montana. Now I know, from a lifetime as part of the agricultural sector and 24 years in the State Senate, that the best farms and ranches, the greatest pillars of their communities, for multiple gen...
Scritch, scratch, scrape, scratch, scritch. Chips flying. Breathing dust. I really should have eye protectors. I cannot believe I am doing this job. Just last week, just days ago, I told you I do anything to avoid using sandpaper. Here I am, sanding down metal rocking chairs, one pair so old that the only thing holding them together might be the paint. I proceed cautiously, dust up my nose, in my hair, in the fibers of my clothing. Oh, well. Must be done. It was not my idea. K...
Often I say that I am never bored. It’s true. Always I find plenty to do, things that I enjoy and want to do. Fortunately, I grew up learning to like whatever I am doing. I give credit to the good Sisters at St. Joseph’s. Even today, I take pleasure in plunging my hands into warm dishwater or ironing creases into my cotton pants. I’m not pure or perfect. I dislike touching sandpaper and a lot of things in my home would be better detailed had I not skipped a crucial step in a p...
When something is no longer working for the benefit of our state and country, “we the people” have a duty to lawfully and peacefully work to reform our government. Not long ago, Montana had a proud tradition of being a purple state. We valued the character and competence of a person running for office, over their party label. A person may be a Republican or Democrat because that’s the political philosophy they generally agreed with, but both the candidate and voters cared more about working for the good of their community, ne...
As a public school teacher at F.E. Miley Elementary in Big Sandy, I took great pride in preparing my students to be the next generation of Montana leaders. The students who walked in and out of my classroom all had the potential to impact our state in meaningful ways: as nurses and doctors in communities along the Hi-Line that desperately need more folks in medicine; as police officers and firefighters keeping their hometowns safe; as farmers and small business owners moving our state’s economy forward. Many of my students s...
I am writing this, talking about this hard subject, for you, for that one person out there who needs to hear that you are not alone. This is a topic nobody wants to talk about. Me, included. Let’s sweep it under the rug and pretend that lump isn’t real. I’ve lost my son. Again. Last time I lost him, the County Sheriff picked him up in a ditch, beat up with broken bones, a backpack containing heroin and other contraband. Landed in jail. The County had a special program, uniqu...
This past week, we held our final interim Local Government Committee meeting prior to session starting. We had a report from the League of Cities and Towns. They feel some of the bills passed last session did not take into consideration the input from the League should have had stronger consideration. Their opinion is that these bills infringed upon local control of zoning. Last session we had no less than 56 bills introduced dealing with housing or lack thereof. There is no doubt a housing problem exists. Many of these...
by Mary Ann Dunwell We’ve all heard the age-old maxim, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That applies to our state’s health care programs that ensure working Montanans stay healthy, hospitals thrive, and windfall returns on investment for taxpayers and patients. One of my goals for the next state legislative session starting in January is to keep looking out for Montanans. An essential part of this is protecting the Medicaid program, which provides health care for lower income working families who often work two or more job...
Editor’s note. After saying early in his campaign that “our hospitals have been built around federal subsidies. In my opinion, we need to return health care to pure privatization,” Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy has since said that he does not support eliminating Medicaid or Medicare. Montana is home to around 16 Federally Qualified Health Centers (CHCs), including Partnership Health in Missoula, Sapphire CHC in Hamilton, and others across the state including in Havre, Chinook and Harlem. These centers provi...
On September 27th, across the State of Montana, we celebrate Native American Day. In Rocky Boy, this day includes a parade and various activities meant to highlight and showcase our culture and traditions, but this year holds even greater significance for us at Rocky Boy Health Center. In addition to the national celebration, we will be commemorating our 50th Anniversary of the establishment of the Rocky Boy Health Center and 30 years since the Chippewa Cree Tribe entered into self-governance agreements with the Indian...
My morning readings include a short poem by Rumi as translated by Coleman Barks. One morning this past week, I read: Who makes these changes? I shoot an arrow right. It lands left. I ride after a deer And find myself chased by a hog. I plot to get what I want And end up in prison. I dig pits to trap others And fall in. I should be suspicious Of what I want. And that pretty much says it. My life in a nutshell. Rumi has not become my daily horoscope. Some days his words mean...
“Ye Party Zealots, thus it fares with you, When Party Rage too warmly you pursue; Both Sides club Nonsense and impetuous Pride, And Folly joins whom Sentiments divide.” ~ Benjamin Franklin The danger of powerful political parties being obsessed with dominating and destroying democracy was also echoed by our greatest founder George Washington when in his farewell address he cautioned that “In contemplating the causes which may disturb our union,” he particularly identified the “spirit of party,” which he warned would ultim...
I have a problem with inspirational quotes. “You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream another dream,” is a quote attributed to C.S. Lewis. He didn’t say it. “It is never too late to be what you might have been” is something George Eliot is supposed to have said. She never said that, either. I could keep on going, but it’s a safe bet that, if you read it on Facebook and it is attributed to Mother Teresa, Einstein or Keanu Reeves, they almost certainly did not say...
