Articles written by Erik Sietsema

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 By Erik Sietsema    News    March 27, 2024 

Loma Flea Market scheduled for April 6

The 51st annual Loma Flea Market is coming up on Saturday, April 6th from 9 AM to 4 PM at the Loma Memorial Hall. The event is the major fundraiser for the upkeep of the hall and to cover bills...

 
 By Erik Sietsema    News    March 27, 2024 

Big Sandy Schools are preparing for their Spring Concerts

Spring has arrived in Big Sandy. The air is filled with the last snowfall before the weather warms up (hopefully) and the sound of music at the Big Sandy Schools. The Elementary and High School band a...

 
 By Erik Sietsema    News    March 20, 2024

Did Easter Really Happen? Part 2

Palm Sunday and Easter will be taking place the next two Sundays, prompting people all over the world to join the Christians who have been remembering/celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus. Last week, I started a series exploring the veraci...

 
 By Erik Sietsema    News    March 13, 2024

Did Easter Really Happen? Part 1

With Good Friday and Easter fast approaching, the matter of how to approach these holidays arises for many people in this day and age. Last year, I wrote a series of articles looking at the various easter traditions that have arisen over the last...

 
 By Erik Sietsema    News    March 6, 2024

Big Sandy Proud of the Lady Pioneers

The Big Sandy Girl’s Basketball team is heading to the state basketball tournament for the first time in 15 years. The girls team has spent the last week and a half resting, getting healthy, and preparing for their trip to Great Falls to face off a...

 

This week in Big Sandy History: A Shoot out at High Noon

107 years ago this week, Big Sandy residents witnessed a shoot out when two well respected locals got into an argument. One appeared to have gone for his gun, prompting the other to draw and fire. The paper described the injury as “mortal.” The...

 

Big Sandy Theater group puts on a Musical

The Big Sandy Theater will be stretching itself this year by putting on a musical comedy. Nonsense in the Northwoods will be showing March 15th and 16th. The production is the story of a run-down...

 

Patching Cracks

This year, I have been preaching through the book of Genesis’ accounts of the lives of the Patriarchs of the Jewish faith. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are considered to be the founders of the Jewish faith and the starting point for God...

 

Avoid falling prey to scams targeting Montanans

A couple weeks ago, I received an email from a good friend in Big Sandy asking me for an urgent favor. The letter explained a series of unfortunate events involving a last minute gift, an illness, laryngitis (which made it so I couldn’t call for...

 
 By Erik Sietsema    News    February 7, 2024

Recent cold weather reeks havoc on household pipes

The recent cold weather pushed local thermometers deep into negative territory, bringing with it cars that wouldn't start, plumbing headaches, and strains on heating systems. The impact was...

 
 By Erik Sietsema    News    January 31, 2024

Big Sandy holds annual Gun Show

The Big Sandy Gun Show took place last weekend, drawing increased traffic to the community and providing its usual shot in the arm to local small businesses. Keith Hanson, who organized the show,...

 

Patching Cracks

Kierkegaard once wrote: “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forward.” To be more accurate, this is a summary of a journal entry he wrote. The idea is quite simple. We can only really understand our lives by looking back a...

 
 By Erik Sietsema    News    January 24, 2024

Big Sandy School included in a state wide cyber bomb threat last week

Parents of Big Sandy students started the morning last Wednesday, January 17th, with a potentially alarming text message announcement from the school. It read: “Last night Big Sandy School District and numerous schools across Montana received an...

 

Patching Cracks

Many years ago, not long after I first got married to my wife, I worked in a retail electronics store for about 6 months while looking for work as a youth pastor. That included several months of Christmas retail sales. It was pretty genuinely...

 

Patching Cracks

A few years ago, I participated in the Master Gardener class that was offered at the Big Sandy Library. Learning about plants, soil, landscaping, and other topics was quite informative, but I think the best part of the class for me was learning about...

 
 By Erik Sietsema    News    January 17, 2024

Big Sandy Schools relaunching Adult Program

Big Sandy Schools is relaunching its adult education opportunities for the community. As 2023 drew to a close, the school stepped away from Covid era policies that limited facility usage for the community, which has opened the door for resuming the...

 
 By Erik Sietsema    News    January 10, 2024

Big Sandy Schools receives a huge gift from an Alumnus

In the closing weeks of 2023, Big Sandy Public Schools received notice that they were the recipient of a generous donation on behalf of Dora Mahood. Dora, whose maiden name was Goecks, graduated from...

 

Patching Cracks

The biblical book of Genesis in the Old Testament tells the story of Joseph. Joseph was Abraham’s great-grandson. He had 11 brothers but was favored above the others by his father. His father’s open favoritism toward one son and early signs that...

 
 By Erik Sietsema    News    January 3, 2024

Big Sandy Food Bank receives genereous donation from Big Sandy Schools and First Bank

The Big Sandy Food Bank closed out its calendar year with a generous gift from students at Big Sandy Schools and First Bank of Montana. The gift helped augment the food bank's stores in a time where...

 

Patching Cracks

I have been writing columns for the Mountaineer for around 11 years. At different times, these articles have dealt with marriage, family, spirituality, depression, other mental health issues, and a plethora of other topics. Every year over New...

 

High School Choir and Band treat us to the sounds of Christmas

No Christmas season would be complete in Big Sandy without the school Christmas concerts, which took place the week preceding the start of the winter break. The elementary performed for a packed...

 

Big Sandy Medical Services Foundation needs your help

Big Sandy Medical Services Foundation’s annual fundraising drive for 2023 is nearing a close having raised $7,955 as of December 16th. The Medical Foundation would like to thank the community for their ongoing generous support in their mission to...

 

Patching Cracks

Christian author, Jeanette Lockerbie once shared an anecdote about her daughter: “Four-year-old Martha, hugging a doll in each of her pudgy little arms, looked wistfully up at her mother and said, “Mamma, I love them and love them and love them,...

 

7th Annual Coyote Derby set for January 5-7

The 7th annual Big Sandy American Legion American Legion Coyote Derby is approaching. Early registration is now open for the derby, which will take place January 5-7. The event was initially intended as a fundraiser for the Legion, but was so...

 

Patching Cracks

Over the weekend, my wife and I took the kids along on a run to Great Falls for Christmas shopping. I generally enjoy taking the kids along for grocery runs or out for meals in town. However, there’s something about the Christmas season that turns...

 

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