Articles written by Erik Sietsema


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  • Patching Cracks

    Erik Sietsema|Oct 9, 2024

    Theodore Roosevelt was once praised by another man for his prowess as a marksman. The man had heard stories of several spectacular shots the president had pulled off while hunting and gushed over the level of skill required, including hitting a pair of pronghorn at long range from the back of a moving horse. Laughing, Teddy responded that he was actually a poor shot. He explained that he had poor eyesight, a fact that was exasperated by a detached retina he suffered in a boxing match at the Whitehouse that rendered him partially blind. Rather,...

  • Big Sandy's Gun Club: Great local facilities for local recreational shooters

    Erik Sietsema|Oct 9, 2024

    Situated on the edge of town, the local shooting range and gun club are one of the best kept secrets of our little community. Though many people know about the range itself, far fewer are familiar with or take advantage of the Bear Paw Sportsman Club's full offerings and facilities. With an archery range, skeet, and clay shooting facilities, safety courses, and other opportunities, the organization is a potential source of fun and education for any local who wants to engage in recreational...

  • FE Miley Welcomes Brittany Barnett as the 4th grade teacher

    Erik Sietsema|Oct 2, 2024

    With the recent start of the school year comes the opportunity welcome new Pioneer educators to our small town community. The new FE Miley Fourth Grade Teacher, Brittany Barnett, moved to Big Sandy specifically seeking a small Montana town to call home. The young educator came to our community from Wyoming with her husband, Clay, and Lane, their 11 month-old son. Brittany and Clay grew up in Winnett, MT and were High School Sweethearts. They've been married for two years, but have been a couple...

  • Church of God Bricket Cook-Off a great success

    Erik Sietsema|Oct 2, 2024

    Big Sandy Church of God held its annual Brisket cook-off this past Sunday, featuring 12 local cooks competing in the barbecue competition. This year's event also featured a Pie Baking competition. The event was well attended, the food was excellent, and a good time was had by all. This year, the judges awarded Tyce Bahnmiller with the first place award in the brisket competition. Tyce has been a frequent recipient of accolades and prizes in the competition over the years. For his victory, he...

  • The history of Verona

    Erik Sietsema|Sep 18, 2024

    If you search for the town of "Verona, MT" on Google Maps, you will discover that the small town sits 5.4 miles southwest of Big Sandy on Highway 87. Whether you blink or not as you drive by, you are likely to miss it. Years ago there was a picnic table sitting at the pull off at Verona, but that is gone now. At one time, there was a train station (of sorts), stores, two grain elevators, and other businesses. The strange little town was nestled so close to our community, but now gone without a...

  • Connie Reichelt steps in to teach 5th Grade

    Erik Sietsema|Sep 11, 2024

    Fifth graders at FE Miley Elementary School were greeted by a new face on the first day of school this year. Connie Reichelt, a long time Big Sandy resident, stepped in to teach this year. She was born and raised in Columbus, Montana, but has called our town home for many years. Connie has 14 years of classroom experience, having started her teaching career in Havre at the alternative school. After one year there, she moved to Box Elder schools, where she worked for the next 13 years. Connie...

  • Patching Cracks

    Erik Sietsema|Sep 11, 2024

    When I was in Junior High, I watched the movie Glory. The 1989 war epic tells the story of the Massachusetts 54th Infantry regiment, one of the first black regiments to fight for the Union army in the Civil War. The story follows Col. Robert Gould Shaw, played by Matthew Broderick, as he raises and leads the regiment. It is one of my favorite films. I’ve lost count of how many times I have watched it. I’ve also worn out several cassette copies of the soundtrack. The closing credits of the movie run over photos of a bas relief sculpture dep...

  • After 10 Years, Big Sandy Homecoming is Back

    Erik Sietsema|Aug 28, 2024

    Locals and Big Sandy Alumni are eager to get together once again after a 10-year interval between celebrations due to the cancellation of the 2020 Homecoming due to the pandemic. In anticipation of the event, invitations for Homecoming 2025 have been sent, and you can register either by mail or online, an option that is intended to make the process easier and more convenient for all. The attached QR Code will bring you to the registration page. The homecoming committee is eager to hear from attendees and has a full slate of activities planned...

  • Patching Cracks

    Erik Sietsema|Aug 28, 2024

    In the age of wooden sailing ships, navigation was a matter of life and death. A small navigational error that put a ship off by a fraction of a degree would compound over the miles, days, weeks, and months, resulting in a vessel missing its target altogether. The problem with ocean travel is that the ocean is big and flat with no landmarks to use for directions. Early sailors used the stars, in particular the North Star. In fact, sailors from cultures all over the world throughout history have used the North Star as an anchor point for navigat...

  • Help Erik raise money to fight Kids Cancer

    Erik Sietsema|Aug 21, 2024

    Every summer, I take part in the Great Cycle Challenge, the largest cycling event in the country to raise money to fight Children's Cancer. Many in the community have seen me peddling out on Kenilworth Road, Judith Landing, on the highway or around town to tick off miles toward my distance goals. Your generosity has helped me raise over $3,000 for the Children's Cancer Research Fund. This year, I am asking my friends, neighbors, family, and community to help me raise more than ever before. In th...

  • Help wanted for the Moutnaineer

    Erik Sietsema|Aug 14, 2024

    2,627 weekly newspapers in America shuttered their doors between 2004 and 2023. The rise of internet news sources, increased costs of doing business, and other factors have decimated the print media industry. It's not unusual for new technologies to push older ones out of the marketplace. However, the slow disappearance of local newspapers isn't quite the same as the disappearance of the horse drawn buggy industry when the automobile industry drove them from the market. Small town newspapers...

  • New Faces will greet FE Miley students when they return for the 24/25 school year

    Erik Sietsema|Aug 7, 2024

    The 2024-2025 school year will be kicking off in a couple of weeks. The new year will be bringing new faces to Big Sandy Schools. Big Sandy only needed to fill two teacher openings this year, which is fewer than previous years. Specifically, the fourth and fifth grade teaching positions have been filled. The fourth grade teacher for the coming school year will be Brittany Barnett. Superintendent Dan Schrock explained that Barnett, "was the student Educator of the Year at U M. Western a few...

  • Patching Cracks

    Erik Sietsema|Aug 7, 2024

    Legendary professional golfer, Arnold Palmer, shared a story about the 1961 Masters tournament. He reached the final hole with a one stroke lead. After a good tee shot, he was becoming quite confident of his win. Approaching his ball on the faraway, Palmer spotted a friend of his on the edge of the crowd. He detoured to shake hands and visit. Palmer explained that “as I did, I knew I had lost my focus.” His next two shots were unimpressive and were followed by a missed put that cost him the tournament. He remarked that, “You don’t forget...

  • St. Margaret Mary's youth group raising money to make pilgrimage to Rome

    Erik Sietsema|Jul 31, 2024

    The Saint Margaret Mary Catholic Church Youth Ministry's raffle to raise money for a pilgrimage to Rome is complete and the results are in. The effort was a smashing success, raising around $19,000. The drawing was streamed on Facebook Live on July 5th. Judy Yirsa, who runs the youth program, shared the results of the drawing: "Our first prize winner was Katrina Benjamin from Fort Benton. Later, when she picked up the Can Am from my house, she said she only bought one ticket. She bought it at...

  • Things to do in the area: the Great Falls farmers market

    Erik Sietsema|Jul 24, 2024

    The Great Falls Farmers Market offers an interesting outdoor shopping and dining options. The Market is held on Saturdays from 8:30 AM to 1 PM through the end of September. The city blocks off Park Drive from the corner of Park and Central Ave to the intersection on First Street for the market, which extends into the parks on either side of the road. The Market draws large crowds most weekends from all over the area and Canada. A visitor to last Saturday’s Market would have encountered food on Park Street ranging from Hawaiian food and Poké Bo...

  • Patching Cracks

    Erik Sietsema|Jul 24, 2024

    Most people know the Biblical book of Daniel from the stories of Daniel and the Lions Den, Daniel’s dream interpretations, or maybe the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being cast in the furnace for refusing to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s idol. Some folks know Daniel from the Apocalyptic prophecies contained in the text. During the pandemic and lockdowns, I taught through the book on Zoom. The book itself has a much bigger message to convey. It is actually about how God is in control, even when it seems as though he isn’t. After more...

  • Summer Celebration Fishing Derby: A 30 Year Tradition

    Erik Sietsema|Jul 10, 2024

    While walking down the Main drag in Fort Benton, waiting for the annual parade to get roiling, I caught sight of a young man running up to a table in front of the Fort Benton Hardware carrying a good-sized carp. Instantly curious, I approached the table moments after the young fisherman headed back to the river after having his fish measured and recorded. A handful of conversations with the staff and bystanders revealed that the hardware store was hosting their annual fishing contest, with prizes for the largest fish caught on Saturday morning...

  • Patching Cracks

    Erik Sietsema|Jul 10, 2024

    Steve Jobs, the late co-founder of Apple, used a particular illustration many times to explain the potential of the personal computer for the betterment of humanity. He would begin by explaining a study that was done with animals to measure the efficiency of their modes of travel over a distance of 1 kilometer. The study placed condors at the top of the list since they need the least energy to travel the given distance. Humans, on the other hand, appeared about a third of the way down. We are not well adapted to efficient transportation. In an...

  • Spooked Longhorn injures two at Summer Celebration

    Erik Sietsema|Jul 3, 2024

    The annual Summer Celebration parade in Fort Benton experienced a brief misadventure when the Texas Longhorn steer that was walking in the Saturday procession was spooked. Several spectators were injured, one requiring a mercy flight to Great Falls. Ultimately, none of the injuries proved serious. According to a Facebook post from the River Press, the incident took place "near the Front Street Roundabout by The Freeze." The Texas Longhorn steer, which is a regular feature in Fort Benton... Full story

  • Patching Cracks

    Erik Sietsema|Jul 3, 2024

    I officiated my first funeral as a pastor somewhere around 15 years ago. From the very start, I have made it a point to sit down and talk with the families of the deceased as long as possible in order to “get to know” the person I will be eulogizing at the service. As the years have passed, I’ve discovered a secondary benefit to these conversations. I inevitably discover something special that I try to take on as a habit. One conversation of this sort prompted my habit of writing letters to my wife, kids, family members, and friends. I don’t...

  • Patching Cracks

    Erik Sietsema|Jun 26, 2024

    An arrogant young man once approached Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher. The man proudly announced: “O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.” Socrates, who immediately recognized the man’s self obsession, led him through the city to the port and finally into the sea until they were both chest deep in water. Then he asked the man: “What do you want?” “Knowledge, O wise Socrates,” replied the man. Socrates seized the man and held him underwater for 30 seconds. When the shocked, would-be student was released, Socrates asked agin “W...

  • Sietsema ordered the 500,000 burger at the Roadhouse

    Erik Sietsema|Jun 26, 2024

    On Thursday, June 6th, I ordered the 500,000th burger at the Roadhouse Diner in Great Falls. For being the customer who ordered the landmark sandwich, I received a trophy commemorating the occasion, free meals for a year, and a "Half-A-Million Burgs and Counting" tote full of Roadhouse merchandise. The event was covered by KRTV and a segment appeared on the evening news that day. I am genuinely humbled that I got to be a part of the milestone day for the Roadhouse. A lot of people have...

  • Big Sandy Activity Receives New Van After 3 Years of Delays

    Erik Sietsema|Jun 19, 2024

    Big Sandy Activity Center has received a new van three years after starting the grant application with the Montana Department of Transportation. The delivery of the van was delayed by various issues related to the pandemic and supply chain problems. The agency has also acquired a new van for running clients to appointments. The newly arrived vehicles are a much needed addition to the Activity Center transportation fleet. Heather Pleninger, who is the director of the agency, explained why the agency needed the new vehicles: "There were times...

  • Patching Cracks

    Erik Sietsema|Jun 19, 2024

    Several decades ago, officials at Kruger National Park in South Africa encountered a problem. Their efforts to bring their elephant population back from the brink of extinction had been so successful that they began to experience problems with overpopulation. Their solution was simple: they relocated elephants from their herds to other preserves. The transplanted pachyderms were primarily young males and adult females, due to the fact that the adult male bull elephants were simply too large to transport easily. However, rangers in the reserves...

  • Army National Guard Trains In Big Sandy

    Erik Sietsema|Jun 12, 2024

    The Montana Army National Guard performed drills in the Big Sandy area over the last week and into the weekend. Their presence in the fields on the edge of the Big Sandy Airport is part of their annual field exercises, which typically account for 5 or 6 days of their two weeks of total trainings every year. Locals couldn't help but notice the camp set up on Judith Landing Road or hear the helicopter flying in the area throughout the day and into the night. Captain Kyle Sampson. who I spoke with...

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