My uncle will call this week. More likely he’ll Skype as Wi-Fi now allows much better video quality around the world. My Mormon bishop uncle calls on Christmas Eve. I cherish these visits. We’ll talk about his traditional Christmas foods like beet salads, turnip casseroles, hams with mustard, liver casseroles, sweet breads and rice pudding […]

In politics timing is everything and that certainly appears to be the case with Lt. Governor John Walsh and Congressman Steve Daines. A year from now one of them will likely be a U.S. Senator, something unimaginable a year ago. Back then no one imagined Sen. Max Baucus would announce his retirement, let alone that […]

Print readers, see flatheadbeacon.com/images/uploads/SpaghettiOsPearlHarbor.png When I say “calendar marketing”, I’m talking about using the context of historical events and dates, holidays and current events to spice up your marketing. Done right, you can briefly tie what you do to the event, date or holiday, have a little fun and perhaps get the attention those about […]

When the state of Washington announced they were taking the unheard-of step of including Montana mines and transportation networks in the scope of an environmental analysis related to a costal port in Washington, a lot of Montana industries took notice. The move was designed to undermine coal mining in Montana, but the precedent it would […]

The national media left the state after Jordan Linn Graham changed her plea. Closing arguments were set to begin in her trial last week when the Kalispell woman acknowledged that she pushed her husband, Cody Johnson, off a cliff in Glacier National Park, killing him on July 7. Graham will be sentenced for second-degree murder […]

By Tim Baldwin The direction of our state and nation is at times determined by people who refuse to vote for the “lesser evil” candidate – effectively causing the majority to be ruled by the minority. Do these protest voters realize what they are doing? The Founders used the lesser-evil principle in politics. James Madison […]

Allen Chrisman’s letter (Dec. 18 Beacon: “Work Collaboratively on Forest Plan”) defending the Flathead National Forest from criticism by Keith Hammer asserts that “The Forest Service made no commitment to the Whitefish Range Partnership that they would adopt our recommendation intact.” That’s correct — but Hammer never alleged such a commitment. He merely argued that […]

Polls consistently show Americans wish they could spend less on Christmas gift-giving. Well, a new study suggests their wish could come true, at least among younger people. Researchers who have tracked the attitudes of high school seniors over decades find the Great Recession of 2007-09 has caused a great reversal: These young people of today […]

I was going to go off on a tear about the ACLU, singing, Hanukkah, statues, retail-establishment customer-service greeting protocols – nah. Just have yourself an awesome Merry Christmas, okay? And a prosperous, healthy, felicitous Happy New Year while we’re at it. OK, now that the warm fuzzies are out of the way, here’s some more […]

Quite often, I talk with business owners about thinking ahead. Something happened Thanksgiving weekend that tells me that I need to change my terminology to “Doing ahead.” Why the change? Primarily, I’m concerned that small businesses are thinking ahead, but stopping there. Thinking ahead discussions often include strategic thoughts of putting yourself out of business […]

By Tim Baldwin In “Daines a Shoe-in?” I stated that Steve Daines “voted to fund Obamacare.” I want to clarify this statement because Daines’ collective actions show he will work to repeal Obamacare. I based my statement on Daines’ vote for HR 2775, which conservative organizations described as funding ObamaCare. Daines sees HR 2775 differently, […]

As a Constitutional Conservative, I find the Tea Party Express endorsement of Congressman Steve Daines for U.S. Senate openly hypocritical. The Tea Party Express claims “six simple principles” as part of their mission statement: • No more bailouts • Reduce the size and intrusiveness of government • Stop raising our taxes • Repeal Obamacare • […]

A recent letter to the editor from Keith Hammer in the Flathead Beacon (Dec. 11: “Lack of Objectivity from Forest Service”) chastised the Flathead National Forest. Hammer stated that comments made to the Whitefish Range Partnership (WRP) demonstrated favoritism. The WRP met over the course of a year and a half to develop a collaborative […]

When I left for work on the day before Thanksgiving in 1950 I put my skis and assorted stuff alongside my carpenter tools. I would pound nails all day Wednesday and then climb in my panel delivery truck and drive 350 miles north from Hollywood on a two-lane road to Mammoth Mountain. Dave McCoy’s ski […]

At the end of next week the daytimes get longer. The week after it’s Christmas. In my family, these times of giving, eating and wonderment can be blissfully intense. A decade ago our parents moved to Florida, fleeing the snow and cold. I routinely spend Thanksgiving with family. Unfortunately they retired to a place I […]