Dr. Doug Pitman’s excellent article titled “Other hazards exist on Big Mountain” noted that excessive speed and poor judgment are significant contributing factors to injury and death on ski hills. On Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 23, I was skiing with two friends down Toni Matt, onto Bench Run, and then down Corkscrew. Without any warning, I […]

Imagine how ridiculous it would sound if one of the farmers in Creston asked, “How can I get a new crop of winter wheat to harvest tomorrow / next week / next month?” Maybe someday the science of farming will allow such a thing, but these days, farmers still have to depend on planting, nourishing, […]

Swank Enterprises secures a big contract to do rehabilitation work on the Many Glacier Hotel. Meanwhile, a squirrel kills the power to much of downtown Kalispell. HIGH PELOSI and OBAMA – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rallies her caucus to pass historic health care legislation, marking a major triumph for President Barack Obama. SWANK ENTERPRISES – […]

Let’s put behind us the recent unseemly and inaccurate charges that Sen. Jon Tester’s bill on timber jobs and wilderness was crafted in secrecy. It’s time to focus on the future and on what the bill will actually accomplish rather than to try to paint some vague conspiracy that best belongs in a pulp fiction […]

Every time a law restoring Second Amendment rights is passed, it is inevitable that a few people will come forward crying that the world as we know it is about to end. Jerry Reckin’s letter (March 3 Beacon: “Guns in Parks Will Change the Ranger Image”) bemoaning the restoration of the right to carry a […]

There is within the United States government an entity called the Government Accountability Office (GAO) with the charge of examining, upon request of Congress, various functions within federal agencies. A request was made by U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.V., asking the GAO to review appeals and litigation filed against U.S. […]

It appears that the city of Kalispell may ban medical marijuana dispensaries because a state law legalizing the businesses conflicts with a federal law and over concerns that catering to potheads may ruin the city’s broad appeal to tourists. These arguments are equally insane. I agree with, and have previously stated, that the medical marijuana […]

Last week, I had the pleasure to speak with this year’s Leadership Flathead (LF) class about business trends and challenges – and discuss strategies to tackle them. If you haven’t participated in Leadership Flathead, you really should try and find a way to do so. If you have employees in leadership positions (or being groomed […]

The North Shore Ranch (east of Somers) was first proposed in 2006, at the height of the boom: 375 homes on 367 acres east of Somers. As expected, the “sprawl” crowd stiffly opposed North Shore. It was denied, rightly so, for some technical shortcomings. In the spring of 2008, after redoing their homework, North Shore’s […]

Work is moving along on the U.S. 93 alternate route. Meanwhile, the Flathead County Fair Board is under fire after dismissing the fair manager. HIGH BARACK OBAMA – The president’s job approval rating is holding steady at 53 percent, according to a new Associated Press poll, even as Congress’ approval drops to an abysmal 22 […]

I would just like to comment on your story about the horse slaughterhouse (Feb. 10 Beacon: “Hard Times for a Western Icon”). A woman quoted said horses, “know they’re being led to death.” I would question whether she herself has ever been to a slaughter facility. I have had the sad task of accompanying my […]

What’s a paycheck worth? More to some people than others. Creating jobs and paychecks is, of course, among the important goals of Sen. Jon Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act – a bill that blazes a trail to healthier, more productive and more sustainable forests in Montana. Big deal! So shouted one of the bill’s […]

For many years, Flathead Lake has enjoyed the reputation of being a premier fishing Mecca for Montana fishermen, sportsmen from adjoining states and from elsewhere. The pristine water of this lake has been home to kokanee salmon, whitefish, yellow perch, westslope cutthroat (flats), bull trout and, last but not least, the sporting favorite, lake trout/mackinaw […]

Last night on Turner Classic Movies, I watched “All the President’s Men”, a movie made from the Carl Bernstein / Bob Woodward book about how they discovered and broke the story on the Watergate break-in and cover up. And what exactly does this have to do with your business? Lots. One thing really leaped off […]

Plum Creek’s VP of northern resources and manufacturing retires on a high note. Meanwhile, growth in liquor sales takes a hit. HIGH STEVE BULLOCK – The Montana attorney general announces a program in Lewis and Clark County to reduce drunken driving requiring daily breath tests for those accused of two DUIs. HANK RICKLEFS – Plum […]