Nothing sets the mood for romance like chocolate. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this couldn’t be a better time to share with you two of my favorite chocolate desserts. If you want to do something extra special to make your Valentine’s heart melt, I invite you to prepare one of these for your […]

Very simply, I wish to die with dignity. My heartfelt hop is that this freedom remains an option for Montanans. It is already legal in Oregon and Washington state. This freedom was recognized in Montana in 2009 by means of the Baxter case. Now, Great Falls Sen. Anders Blewett of Great Falls has written Senate […]

Our country’s leaders have promised (using super serious language) to take steps to reduce the federal deficit. “Our nation is approaching a tipping point.” “Another wake-up call.” “Now is the time to act.” These quotes, lifted from three separate political speeches last week, are at once interchangeable and meaningless unless they are attached to concrete […]

As a citizen of Canada and a lifelong resident of Fernie (the closest B.C. community to the proposed park) I would thank the international coalition of retired park superintendents who came together to voice their support for expanding Waterton Lakes National Park into the southeastern one-third of the British Columbian Flathead (Dec. 29 Beacon: “Former […]

The city of Kalispell has been working on rebuilding relationships with the rural volunteer fire departments since January 2010. The city’s new administration, inclusive of the city manager, fire chief, myself and the city council, felt it prudent to begin discussions with the West Valley Fire Department in particular, as West Valley’s tax base was […]

Recently NY Times’ “You’re the Boss” blog had a piece about the 10 reasons small businesses fail. It’s a laundry list of pretty fundamental stuff, much of which we regularly talk about here: a business model whose math doesn’t work, owners who can’t get out of their own way out-of-control growth poor accounting insufficient cash […]

On Jan. 10, state District Judge Joe J. Hegel told environmentalists they could proceed with litigation against the preliminary leasing of the so-called Otter Creek tracts to Arch Coal. That the Greens are pursuing this case strikes me as otter stupidity. But first, some history and numbers: Otter Creek came into Montana’s trust portfolio in […]

More jobs. The two words every Montanan was promised by candidates running for the state Legislature. Many of these now-elected officials plan on living up to their promises, but I have to question the sincerity of Rep. Derek Skees, R-Whitefish, now that he has introduced House Bill 244, which attempts to repeal our Renewable Energy […]

Former Constitution Party presidential candidate Chuck Baldwin moved to Montana a few months ago and has vowed to mold the state into what he thinks it should look like. The potential 2012 gubernatorial candidate also has an opinion about those who lived here before him. “There are a lot of people that were born in […]

While an impressionable young soldier in Vietnam, my First Sergeant once told me, “God gave soldiers, through the genius of John Browning, the Model 19ll pistol and that it carried eight shots because that was enough.” However, he went on to say that the only purpose of a pistol was to defend yourself adequately while […]

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. […]