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The 25-26 winter has been a series of false springs, relatively few hard freezes, and little snowfall. For locals, these sorts of weather trends inevitably lead to discussions and speculations as to how the weather fluctuations will affect the coming growing season, weeds, disease, and insect populations. According to Tyler Lane, the Agriculture and 4-H Agent for the Montana State University Extension Office in Chouteau County, the larger impact of the false springs should be minimal in terms of crops, insects, and diseases. “So as long as t...
Big Sandy Theater Company will be performing two showings of the Musical Adventures of Oliver Twist this weekend. The showings are on Friday at 7 PM and Saturday at 3 PM at the Big Sandy High School auditorium. The show features 35 local actors of all ages and experience levels. It is the second musical put on by the theater company since it started putting on shows in 2018. Dianna Keane, who has been co-directing plays with the theater since the start, describes this weekend’s show: ...
Mark Twin once said that “The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself.” In my 20 years of working with people as a chaplain and later as a pastor, I have witnessed this phenomenon in so many forms. Most often, I see it in people who can’t be alone with their own thoughts, so they drown out their inner monologue with noise, activity, or chemicals to keep them distracted. I see it in people who say things to and about themselves that they would never say to anyone else in the world. In fact, if they heard someone else treat...
10 years years ago, on March 21, 1944, the United States Army sent a B-17 Flying Fortress loaded with with 250 pound demolition bombs to drop with the mission of saving Miles City, Montana. The rescue operation didn’t involve repelling foreign invaders, despite the fact that the operation took place at the height of World War II. The bomber crew was sent to break up ice jams on the Missouri River, which were backing up the flow of water and causing flooding in the region including Miles City. According to the National Weather Service, M...
This week marks the start of Lent, the 40-day season in the Christian church calendar that runs between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. One of the most visible signs of the start of the Lenten Season is the mark of ashes on the forehead that is received on Ash Wednesday. Though many are familiar with the practice and treat it with reverence, its origins and meanings are less well known. Ritual and practice can be powerful tools in one’s spiritual life, and understanding the meaning behind the practice and its origins are what give it real sign...
Big Sandy Theater Company is rehearsing for their upcoming production of the Musical Adventures of Oliver Twist. The production of Charles Dickens’ work will be showing March 6th and 7th. The choice to perform the melodrama is a departure from the company’s more traditional comedic shows. The large cast of 35 players features a broad range of ages and experience levels, with familiar cast members and new faces. Amanda Hoffman, who has co-directed every Big Sandy Theater Production, explained the rationale behind the choice of an Oliver Twi...
In late December, the Big Sandy Food Bank received a much needed injection of support thanks to the generosity of the community of Big Sandy. The annual Big Sandy Schools’ paper products drive and First Bank of Montana Community Food Drive were a great success. The infusion of goods and capital were particularly well timed given the extra weight the Food Bank was subjected to last year with the freeze on SNAP benefits combined with the typical holiday stress. Terry Grant, who runs the food bank,...
This week, the Montana High School Association awarded Quinn Rodewald the Male Student Athlete of the Week. The honor is given to one male and one female varsity athlete every week throughout the school year. He was nominated following his win at the Cascade wrestling tournament, during which he achieved his outstanding 100th career win. Last week, he won the Cut Bank wrestling tournament. Quinn has placed first or second in every tournament he has competed in so far this year. The award was...
On January 7, 1918, the Northern Montana Bank opened a brand new building in Big Sandy. The new building was erected on the site currently occupied by the Glacier Bank in Big Sandy. There has been a bank on the corner of Main Street in Big Sandy for 108 years last week. The bank itself predated the new building by several years. In 1910, Big Sandy was growing rapidly, aided by land grant programs for homesteaders. In addition, a number of businesses had sprouted up in town. CJ McNamara and...
My oldest loves basketball. He loves playing, watching, reading about, and every other element of the game. I’m trying to be interested and engage with the sport because he is important to me. One facet of the sport that actually fascinates me is the argument about which player is the greatest of all time. I don’t know enough to engage it meaningfully, but I’d argue that Michael Jordan has had the greatest cultural impact. From the game itself to pop culture to how the business of basketball is conducted, he is the “slam dunk” favorite...
The Big Sandy High School is in the early stages of installing a ceramics studio for the art education program. The long planned move is part of a larger facility upgrade for the program, which will eventually include a move to a larger classroom space. The ceramics studio is projected to be finished by the end of the calendar year. The efforts have been paid for by community fundraisers held last year, donations, and adult education funds. The space for the new studio is the back room of the library, which has served as a sort of “catch all” s...
The Big Sandy School's music program showcased the progress of students in their music education with the annual Christmas concerts this week. The High School and Elementary School concerts took place last week on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6:30. The High School auditorium filled to the brim with parents, teachers, and locals, who gathered to greet the holiday season with songs and watching their kids and grandkids perform in the program. The High School concert opened with the annual...
Big Sandy Schools’ music program has a busy December in the works. The High School and Elementary School Christmas concerts are coming up next week. In addition, the honors band and choir concert took place on the 1st and 2nd at Choteau High School. The Christmas concerts are a highlight of the holiday season for many locals, who look forward to hearing and seeing the young people of our community singing and performing Christmas classics. The festivities kick off with the High School band and choir concert on the 16th at 6:30 PM. TJ Bond, w...
My oldest loves basketball. He loves playing, watching, reading about, and every other element of the game. I’m trying to be interested and engage with the sport because he is important to me. One facet of the sport that actually fascinates me is the argument about which player is the greatest of all time. I don’t know enough to engage it meaningfully, but I’d argue that Michael Jordan has had the greatest cultural impact. From the game itself to pop culture to how the business of basketball is conducted, he is the “slam dunk” favorite...
My little brother is very focused and driven. A few times since we moved to Montana, I have gotten together with my brother and his family for vacations. His family has a vacation nickname for him: “The fun dictator.” I didn’t appreciate the moniker until we began to take vacation with them. As someone who is driven and focused, even when he travels, he strives to fill every minute of every day. It was fun, but it was exhausting. During our joint family camping trip at Yellowstone Park, I hung a hammock up at the campground. I didn’t use it...
On Saturday, November 8th, the recently formed Big Sandy Speech, Debate, and Drama Team joined 8 other schools for a meet at Havre High School. The event drew class B and C schools from the region. This is the second competition Big Sandy has participated in since the formation of the team on September 29th. Three students competed in two events at the event: Humorous Theater and Informational Speech. Connie Reichelt, who stepped up to organize the team, explained: "Our first two meets have...
The printing press was invented in the late 1430s. It is difficult to overstate the world changing impact of the arrival of the movable type press. Before the arrival of the press, books were copied by hand, were quite rare, and cost several years of wages to purchase. The majority of texts were concentrated in monasteries or elite libraries. Within a few short years, the price of books dropped dramatically. By 1500, more than 20 million volumes had been printed across Europe, more than every scribe had managed to copy in the previous 1000 year...
On Halloween night, Main Street in Big Sandy filled with trick-or-treating kids. Locals lined either side of the road handing out candy and other treats in front of decorated cars, displays, and even a short school bus haunted house. The community Halloween tradition has been providing a safe space for locals to celebrate the holiday together for more than 10 years. Trunk-or-treat has something to offer for Halloween celebrators on every side of the evening’s festivities. Parents of young k...
Big Sandy High School students attended a sobering assembly dealing with internet safety on Thursday morning. The school hosted Lacey Griffiths, whose son Gavin Johnson, was the victim of an internet sextortion scam that led to his suicide. Her presentation relayed her son’s story, internet safety guidelines, and encouragement for young people to speak to adults in their lives if they find themselves in situations they see no clear way out of. Her goal is to prevent any other children from being preyed upon or ending their own lives in s...
When I got out of college, I spent a few months in Houston working as an exterminator. I learned all about insects and rodents, as well as how to kill them. One that caught my attention was the pharaoh ant, which is quite common worldwide. These are the really tiny ants that are nearly blind, but have a strong sense of smell. They follow chemical trails and look for simple sugars for food. If you spray them with regular poison, they recognize the danger and split their colony into smaller parts, spreading to new parts of the house and making...
Through his Over 80 Project, local fine art photographer, Craig Edwards is documenting Big Sandy’s elders. The series of portraits depicts pillars of the community, as well as Big Sandy’s related individuals, in black and white and holding portraits of their younger selves. The project is an ongoing effort to document community seniors and can be seen on display in his gallery, at the Elevated Grains Coffee Shop in town, on his website, as well as individual pieces proudly displayed in the homes...
Last week, I had an opportunity to treat myself to something fun. I began looking around at things I use daily. I have a record player next to my desk that I picked up used from Facebook Marketplace. I often listen to records while working at my desk. I enjoy it, and it makes a positive impact on my work day. I began thinking about upgrading my turntable. I rapidly discovered that the player I enjoy now is kinda cheap, but with exceptional sound. It never sounded inadequate, but the more I read about turntables, components, and other matters...
The Big Sandy Youth Group Halloween Food Drive is fast approaching and this year’s drive will see a number of changes. The annual event will still involve youth group kids trick-or-treating door-to-door for food donations and will take place on October 29th starting around 5:30 and running as late as 8. The major shift this year is the beneficiary of the donations. All collected items will go to the Angel Basket program, which has taken an increasingly active role over the last few years in caring for the needs of Big Sandy residents during the...
The sign up for this year’s Angel Food program is open and will be open until November 1st. The program provides food for Christmas and Thanksgiving meals as well as Christmas gifts for the kids of needy Chouteau County families. Signing up for an Angel Basket is as easy as visiting the web page and filling out the appropriate forms. The form for signing up for an Angel Basket is a Google Doc that can be accessed by visiting the Chouteau County Angel Committee Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/angelcommittee?. You do not need to have a F...
Another Big Sandy Medical Guild annual rummage sale is in the books. The sale ran from Thursday the 2nd to Friday the 3rd and raised around $11,000. The Guild will use proceeds to purchase equipment for the Medical Center and provide aid toward various projects undertaken by the Medical Center. The event was a success, due to the hard work of the volunteers and the generosity of the Big Sandy Community. Work organizing the sale began on Monday the 29th, with volunteers from the Medical Guild and...