News you can use
News you can use
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Life is such a mixed bag of tricks, isn’t it? In the morning we slide out of bed, make coffee, check the obits to see if we made headlines, put our two hands (some of us are greedy) in the bag and pull out the tricks of the day. Such a mix. Michelle from Oconahua up the road wrote, “Ana’s Mom was hilarious. Always cracking people up in town. She was quite the outspoken young person, the youngest and last of 18. She was the favorite of her father. He was a strict and hones...
I think my next-door neighbors might be superheroes. They both work with computers (at least that’s what they say) and then, every spare moment, they are off doing superhero-type things. My neighbor, Jason, runs 100-mile marathons. He’s even done a few 200-plus-mile marathons. These are held in the mountains. He starts running before the sun is up, runs up a mountain all day, then runs down a mountain all night, then runs up another mountain the next day. He wears a hea...
Police in their traditional role will always be necessary. But it’s time to consider options other than the police for many problems’ facing society where traditional policing is not needed. It’s time to “restructure” our approach to policing. Adaption is America’s strength, and organizations stuck in the past are left behind (remember Kodak?). Our public safety systems, including our police, also need to adapt and address change. This is not just a big-city issue. In our public services, Montana faces many of the same ch...
Having documented policies is a clear showing of intent, purpose, commitment and accountability, and builds trust with owners, managers, partners and others. Recent reluctance of the Hill County Park Board to explain, develop and document policies is eroding trust in managing our Beaver Creek Park. Some feel they should not be confined by policies. Some are afraid of being accused of violating policy and, therefore, it is better to not have policies. Without rules, regulations or policies, some folks that cut hay in the park...
To my fellow hunters and anglers, there are people trying to lock you out of your favorite spots. In November it’s time to vote like your access depends on it. Montana Republicans have nominated the most anti-public lands, anti-conservation slate of candidates in modern Montana history. Led by Greg Gianforte, who sued you and me, the Montana taxpayers, to block our public fishing access on a beloved Montana river. The threat he poses to our public lands cannot be overstated. Make no mistake about it — our fishing and hun...
When I say that I’m a simple person, I mean I’m just a step or two upslope of simpleton-simple. I like things to be straight forward in simple terms. Complicated things are best dealt with if they are easily related to stuff I already understand so I can grasp the big picture and the nuts and bolts of a thing at the same time. I am here to say that this week has failed me miserably. It started with me wanting some beef and my week somehow turned into a lesson on but...
Spring is the time of abundant water. Westslope cutthroat, Montana’s state fish, sense rising flows and commence their age-old spawning migrations upstream to tributaries across Montana. It may seem like an odd time to think about water scarcity and demands, but there are important discussions happening in Washington, D.C., that should concern all Montana anglers and those who care about our world-class fisheries. The Flathead Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited was founded in 1972, dedicated to conserving, protecting, and rest...
Unless the political winds in Washington change quickly, Congress will soon send the Great American Outdoors Act — GAOA — to President Trump’s desk. Trump has assured he’ll sign it into law. This legislation represents a dramatic win for Montana’s public lands, its watersheds and wildlife. The bill mandates full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund — LWCF — a funding mechanism for conservation derived from royalties from offshore gas and oil drilling. Fully funded, the LWCF drops $900 million into wildlife habi...
In quiet desperation, this morning I joined the ranks of those who cut their own hair. Using nail scissors. I do not recommend it. If anyone should ask, I’ll say my favorite hairdresser trimmed it — she’s blind and used a machete. Wind sifts a daily cup of dust through the screens into my casita during these dry days. I scan the sky for clouds, an exercise in futility, while grabbing the mop for the frequent cleanup. I vigorously shake the mop before I take it inside the h...
Editor, Thank you Tammy Walters, owner of The Golden Spike, for not bowing down to Governor Bullock’s unconstitutional and illegal mandates, and Hill County Health Department’s attempt to enforce them. It is sad that fellow business owners and residents in Havre are falling in line to track and rat on their fellow entrepreneurs and neighbors for not falling in line with draconian “recommendations.” America has a republic form of government which means the power of government is held by its people; the people give power t...
I don’t think it’s my imagination that Father’s Day seems like a last-minute add-on. “Oh! We have Mother’s Day. We probably should do something for fathers … ” On Mother’s Day, a bouquet of flowers or brunch seems to do nicely every year. There isn’t an equivalent gesture for Father’s Day. The gift suggestions now being advertised all seem a little desperate. A watch? A wallet? A gas grill? A “whiskey set?” Since my dad’s watch and wallet are with him 90 percent of his waking life, I’m thinking he’d rather choose his own....
In a recent U.S. District Court ruling by Judge Brian Morris, the American public heard loud and clear that the federal administration broke the law when it offered leases on public lands in critical Sage grouse habitat. This court decision speaks volumes about how public lands should be managed, with certainty, and in a manner that considers true multiple use — including maintaining wildlife populations. The Department of Interior was found to have violated the law by issuing an instructional memorandum that abandoned the bi...
America has some reconciling to do with white supremacy, not just the guys in white hoods, but the structures and practices that have kept white people in power and disproportionately hurt people of color. The social movement for Black Lives Matter is making its mark and having a definitive impact, even here in Montana. The people of color leaders in this state have excelled at educating, mobilizing and fundamentally changing the conversations across the state. With every social movement of this scale, there are naysayers...
COIVD-19 is the greatest health crisis our state and nation has faced in over a century. As of the time of this writing, nearly 2 million Americans have become infected and 115,000 people have lost their lives. In Montana, we have benefitted from Gov. Steve Bullock’s vigilant and decisive response. Despite seeing fewer infections than our neighboring states, the virus’s economic impact has been crippling: more than 104,000 people have filed unemployment claims since late March. As our country moves into a new stage of the...
This has been a completely weird decade so far this year, even if you only look at what nature has given us: A viral pandemic, murder hornets, 18 inches of snow in June, a major waterway failure in our state, a broken dam elsewhere, a lunar eclipse, a solar eclipse coming, some sort of alignment with the moon, and a couple planets or with its reiki chakrahs in the seventh house or something, killer tornadoes and several earthquakes centered in Yellowstone. I was trying to...
Outside my big front gate, the one used for truck delivery and such, a clump of lantana took root voluntarily. Lantana wears one of the world’s most beautiful flowers, like rings on its fingers, small circles of purple, pink, yellow, with an orange center. Lantana, an invasive weed, can grow taller than me, and will fill the entire yard if left to its own devices. Back when I had asked for lantana, David at Vivero Centro only shook his head, raised eyebrows and muttered s...
It’s harder to keep in touch with people these days. Things are opening up, but it’s going to be a while before we hop in a car and visit people the way we used to. I met the pastor of my church while walking. She told me the youth group had been meeting via Zoom, and the kids were overcome with shyness, seeing their faces on the screen. I wanted to say, “Don’t they realize they can be seen when they show up in person?” But I sympathized with the teenagers. When my husband P...
We are pleased to announce that the Havre-Hill County Library has re-opened to the public. Like the rest of the world, however, we have made many changes to our operations. We appreciate the patience of the community over these past few months during our closure and ask that everyone continues to be patient with us as we navigate these new circumstances. We understand that they are not ideal for our patrons, nor are they ideal for us, but the safety of our staff, our patrons and the entire community is our first priority....
It’s easy to love my pasture in spring when the vegetation is just getting a good hold of the season — the place is blanketed in green, and looks like a lush, manicured lawn punctuated with bursts of shrubs and trees — but those blissful days are past, and I have entered the chaos period from whence both pride and aggravation grow. By now, the vegetation has grown enough that I know what I have for “good” forage, acceptable weeds and bad weeds — and what needs to be mowed an...
It’s time for the Havre-Hill County Library’s Summer Reading Program, and we are striving for a fun and safe summer. This year’s theme is “Imagine Your Story,” so this summer we are all about fairy tales, myths and legends. The magic begins June 10. There is a signup sheet in the Havre Daily News that you may cut out and return to the library via mail or the book drop. We will also have a virtual sign-up sheet available on Facebook. You may also email or call us with your list of readers, their ages, guardian’s name, phone nu...
He’s not feral. I assume the stranger is a him. He’s not a rack of bones. He yowled around beneath my bedroom windows three nights before I glimpsed him in his white coat with yellow patches. Voice like a diesel tractor with defective brakes. I know why he’s hanging out in the neighborhood. Janet, my next door neighbor, just a few feet over that-away, brought five felines (all fixed) with her when she and Tom moved here from Washington a few months ago to become more-...
I want to make it clear that we are not adopting a dog. I won’t deny it is tempting. We decided not to get another dog because we travel. Dogs and airplane travel do not go well together. Now, however, with no travel in sight, I admit I am consumed with envy when I see happy dog owners on the trail. I have started carrying dog treats just so I can talk to the dogs of complete strangers. The owners are tolerant. The dogs love it. My brother-in-law had our entire extended family...
Editor, Time goes so very fast and many highlight memories fade more quickly than we realize or accept. Recently the 1970 Havre High football team lost a good player and an outstanding teammate, Steve Vandeberg. Steve was very instrumental that season and as the special barbecue host when we had our team reunion years later. We all had gained recognizable talents in the Beef and Brew category of life. We would be remiss if we did not thank him one more time for his playing and reunion efforts. And, if we have one more...
Montanans, especially those of us who live and work in rural areas and small communities, are a hearty bunch. We literally and figuratively weather storms, we help our neighbors when they need a hand, and we also enjoy a quality of life that is second to none — one in which our urban counterparts are often envious. While this may all seem nostalgic or old-fashioned, we know it’s true. In northern Montana, we live, work and raise our families in communities that are full of small businesses who also support our com...
Satire is the only superpower I wield with any sort of natural grace and effectiveness. It’s likely that this shouldn’t be something to brag about, but I would argue that what satire lacks in measurable worth it makes up for in its vast sphere of influence. The key to the wide-ranging power of satire is that it is a multifaceted tool incorporating sarcasm, irony, parody, mockery, travesty, a bit of burlesque and more. Think of it like this: If your superpower was super str...
