In the beginning of this school year, the nation’s public schools suffered a significant amount of negative media attention that aligned with the release of the film “Waiting for Superman.” This film features the achievements of selected, privately managed charter schools. It depicts public education as a failed enterprise. I have had the opportunity to […]

Recently, I stopped into a niche retail business for the very first time. They’ve done a nice job with it. Hasn’t been open long, so some of the obvious things I’d suggest to make the place a real customer magnet weren’t in place yet. I think they’ll get there over time. What worries me most […]

In 1974 President Richard Nixon resigned, stating that “the interest of the nation must come before any personal considerations” and acknowledging that some of his private actions were wrong. Those were strong words, but the president’s policies still have meaning today. Nixon enacted Title IX, which says, “No person in the United States shall, on […]

I’m pleased to share with you two wonderful chicken casseroles that may be prepared one day or more in advance prior to serving. In fact, preparing them ahead of time can make the dishes taste even more delicious by allowing time for all of the elements to immerse together. I invite you to try these […]

At the recent Polson Rural Fire District board meeting, the board voted to impose the following fees for traffic accident response: 1.) If firefighters are called to a crash and spend less than an at the scene: $500 if special tools are not required or $750 if special tools are required to extricate a victim. […]

Montana Republicans swept into the state capitol for a variety of reasons, but perhaps none as big as the rising national debt and dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama’s health care plan. Both issues have dominated the debate in the first weeks of the Legislature, except now it’s the GOP on the defense. One of the […]

Since 1964, I’ve owned and operated an RV park and campground just several miles from the western entrance to Glacier National Park. Over the years, I have heard from people who have spouses working in Glacier and some who came here to retire. They did not realize at the time that nothing stays as it […]

As the Montana legislature kicks into gear, the air is heavy with rhetoric and of course… talk of new jobs. While I don’t agree with all that our various governments do, I can’t think of a single time that any of them have prevented me from getting a new customer, hiring someone or for that […]

The outrageous mass murder in Arizona has the political crisis cockroaches (and their media enablers) crawling out of the woodwork. But as Robert Barnes, staff writer for the Washington Post wrote, “There is, at this point, no evidence that the suspect in Saturday’s shootings that left six dead and [Congresswoman Gabrielle] Giffords and 12 others […]

One of my favorite types of cuisine is from Thailand, a country rich in regional food traditions and fresh flavor combinations. With the popularity of Asian food growing throughout the United States, ingredients once very difficult to find are readily available at most local supermarkets. Of all the dishes that I have tried, there is […]

When Sen. Jon Tester was president of the Montana State Senate, he had a reputation as a nonpartisan workhorse. After four years of hard work as a U.S. senator that reputation has stuck, and Tester’s work on forest policy is perhaps the best example. During his very first term in office, he introduced the Forest […]

The latest issue of Delta Air Lines’ Sky magazine features Montana prominently and calls our state “a leader the rest of the nation should listen and learn from” that “continues to attract businesses from all over the world.” That’s quite the compliment, but forgive me if I don’t share the writer’s enthusiasm. Because while the […]

Christine Owens of the National Employment Law Project suggests that Montana’s Jan. 1 minimum wage increase will “directly benefit workers and state economies” (Jan. 5 Beacon: “Seven States Raise Minimum Wage”). Ms. Owens may wish that were the case, but the evidence shows otherwise. New research from the United States Military Academy at West Point […]

The comments of these former park superintendants (Jan. 2 Beacon: “Former Park Superintendents Call for Increased Protection of Glacier, Waterton Parks”) were bitterly amusing to me as a transplanted Canadian, who has not only hunted, fished and backpacked in this area for the last 45 years, but also worked as a national park employee. I’ve […]

This photo wasn’t taken in Chernobyl or in some abandoned Montana ghost town. It’s in downtown Detroit, a few blocks from shining skyscrapers. Credit: Rick Harris Everyone in the US should look at photos like the one above and imagine what this place once was. The meltdown of the US economy has many looks. Have […]