We have come a long way. And have a long way to go. When I was a young boy, my grandparents took me and my two sisters on a summer road trip from our hometown in northern Wisconsin to my aunt’s place in southern California. Before that trip, my family’s meager means prevented us from […]

Have you noticed, lately, just within our own country the number of controversies, sensible and non-sensible hearings on Capitol Hill, protests and outright outrage among “We The People” on things important to our nation’s health? Look at just these: (1) “Citizens United’s” faltering stand on “corporations are people.” Los Angeles just joined 175 other cities […]

It’s true that Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has suggested due to overwhelming public outcry they will revisit the walleye suppression issue in Noxon Reservoir, but it has not yet announced a decision to stop attempted eradication. In the interest of accuracy, it truly is speculation as to how walleye were introduced. FWP’s Draft Environmental […]

Thanks to the Flathead Beacon for the excellent reporting of the Flathead County Commission meeting at which the Agency on Aging Director Lisa Sheppard’s position was discussed (May 8 Beacon: “Commission Keeps AOA Director as Employee”). It is apparent Commissioner Gary Krueger did not take in account the vital support the AOA provides to the […]

There are presently 2 million incarcerated in U.S. prisons. This is 1/4 of the entire world’s incarcerated. Most of the incarcerated in the U.S. are serving terms for crimes that are drug related. It is odd that laws prohibiting the use and sale of “illegal” drugs were enacted considering the utter failure of the prohibition […]

Last month the City of Whitefish formally asked Flathead County to participate in a joint corridor plan for doughnut property along U.S. Highway 93 south of the city limits. Seriously? This is the same Whitefish that has sued Flathead County twice to tie up our doughnut properties for the past five years in ongoing litigation. […]

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks has met with public opposition over their plan to suppress illegal walleye in Noxon Reservoir. In response, Region 1 said they “will most likely respond by drafting a new EA and providing more public inclusion.” Let’s make one thing perfectly clear; the population of invasive walleye in Noxon Reservoir is […]

An article in the newsletter “Quarterly” was shown to me that highlights yet another wilderness bill. This one is HR 1187, introduced in 1992 and presently sponsored by New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney. The bill (Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act) calls for an additional 24 million acres of federal land in Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and […]

Looking around at the audience of the National Geographic Magazine global warming film documentary showing of “Chasing Ice” in Whitefish, one could see the usual crowd of environmentalists and Democrats, but not a Republican or Tea Party member was to be seen as they must have done their typical covering of eyes and ears, along […]

Serving you is the greatest privilege of my life. Over the past 40 years, I’ve had one goal: make life better for the people of this state. You don’t become longest serving senator in Montana without a lot of help from a lot of people. I am grateful for the opportunity you have given me. […]

I apologize to Commissioner Cal Scott. Before he was elected, I wrote letters in opposition of him to the media. At that time I did not believe he would make a good commissioner. However, after attending a commission meeting, my opinion of Scott has changed. My initial judgment of you was wrong. I was at […]

I am one of the site managers at Whitefish Community Center. We have had an excellent nutrition program for 35 years provided by Agency on Aging. Our center alone serves 10 to 20 seniors who eat at the center daily and enjoy fellowship with each other and with the volunteers who serve them. We also […]

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council would like to thank the representatives and senators who came forward to support the proposed Water Rights Compact entered into by the Tribes, the State of Montana and the United States of America. The compact was an elegant solution to the complex pattern of land-ownership and water use […]

As the coal debate heats up on the West Coast, our state is left hoping and waiting for the approval of five proposed coal export terminals in the Pacific Northwest. Our state economy is closely connected with the coal industry —keenly feeling the ups and downs of this industry. And, right now, the proposed Pacific […]

Development of the coal industry in eastern Montana will affect farming and tourism industries. You might wonder how? As both political parties push for more “dirty” coal development to create jobs and a better Montana economy, it will mean that there will be a increase in the number of trains that travel through the Flathead […]