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Tordik Wildlife Foundation, Inc. was formed in 1991 and they have quietly continued to fund projects in Chouteau County. This year the Big Sandy area received $98,000. The following received: Chouteau County Free Library in Big Sandy $3,000; Big Sandy Volunteer Fire Department $10,000; Town of Big Sandy Pool Fund $20,000; Big Sandy Rotary Club $20,000, Big Sandy Medical Center $10,000, and Big Sandy Education Foundation $35,000. Mayor Shaud Schwarzbach wanted to acknowledge how extremely...
My favorite concert lived up to my excitement. Big Sandy's Elementary School concert is always my favorite. It started with the 4th graders playing Cool Christmas tree on their recorders. Music Teacher TJ Bonds introduced them by saying parents might not appreciate their children's practicing, but the recorders teach valuable music basics. Next was the 5th-grade band for their first-ever concert. They played three songs: March Steps, A Mozart Melody (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star—I didn't know that was a Mozart song), and Jingle Bells. Fifth g...
It is that time of year when music rules supreme. The time of year when we usually know every song being played. It brings up memories and smiles. It lifts us, and despite ourselves, we find ourselves smiling. Ok, there is occasionally a song that is played so much we start crumbling about "that" same song. There is music about the Savior being born. Music about family. Music about Santa. My favorite concerts are this time of year. I love listening to grade school children sing. I love watching...
It was great to have Jessie Jaramillo, Big Sandy's Art teacher, display some of the work of the Big Sandy students in the Mountaineer during the Big Sandy Stroll. I was also happy with the number of people who stopped to talk to her and see the students' work because I believe art is essential. She had written up explanations of the work the students had done. Jessie Jaramillo said, "In simple terms, the elements of art are parts that make up the whole. These are often described as methods or...
It was a very long day but full of excitement, except if you asked the kids sitting with their moms at the craft bazaar. They said they were bored. But let's start with Breakfast with Santa; what a wonderful place to start. Seeing so many seniors volunteering at the center and making it all come together was exciting. Two full tables of goodies for sale, and I loved the decorations! Santa praised the 6th-grade girls that helped him; Markell Houle, Abbey Sietsema, Laurie Silvan, and London...
Charlotte Danreuther knows clay. She's hand-thrown clay with perfection for years. When you see her work (art), you'll think they're made from a form. Each one is perfectly made. She is opening her shop in the Lift (odd fellows) building on the left side. She will be open during the Christmas stroll from 8-4. If she decides to open before then, it will be on Facebook for a soft opening. I can tell you I have waited for years for someone to do pottery in our town. I went over before anything was...
I asked Travis Baumann what he wants for the Pioneer Girls Basketball team. Travis said, “To be competitive. We want to be competitive in every game we play. That’s everybody’s goal. That’s the girls’ goal too.” He believes we will see that at Stanford in our first game on December 3rd Montana is going to have a 35-second shot clock this year. “Yes. A shot clock. Yep. Yes, it’s exciting.” Travis said they would be up-and-down teams, so he doesn’t think a 35-second shot clock will affect our girls. “I don’t think so at all.” Travis Baumann is...
This year the Big Sandy Pioneers will have Co-Head coaches; Rhett Simanton and Ryan Labuda. They have 14 basketball players but will bring up some 8th graders. Rhett said his coaching philosophy "is more or less, not basketball first, but character and playing together as a team. Before we even talk strategy, I feel this is important. They have made a big jump towards that in football. I feel like and hope to continue that in a positive way. I think it was a big, big reason they got where they...
You don’t know him. You don’t need to know him. His name is Dean Moen, my cousin. Dean was born with an intellectual disability, and when he was 15 years old, he was also in a car accident, which caused a brain stem bruise resulting in a coma for weeks. He was in the hospital for a month. He spent the rest of his life with both an intellectual and a physical disability. This summer I was at his graveside service in Glasgow. I couldn’t help thinking of my brother Jim, who we lost to cancer, and Dean. He left three sisters, and Jim left three sib...
Champions are made! And when they win, it is huge! There was just something about this year. From the beginning of the season....no, it started last summer; I knew extra work was being done to prepare to win state. The boys had a positive attitude. There was no doubt in their minds. From the very first game against White Sulpher Springs (46-6) to the last against Broadview/Livina (67-27), they proved there were the best. Of course, there was a great variety of offense plays made by athletic...
Principal Heather Wolery’s report was the most important and exciting at the meeting. The student enrollment is elementary 104, Jr. High 29, and High School 63. There are 52 girls and 52 boys in the elementary school. Jr. High has 12 girls and 17 boys. High school breaks down to 34 girls and 29 boys. The Student-Teacher Ration is Elementary 7:1, Jr. High 2:1, and High School 5:1. The Average class size is 15. The average daily attendance is 95.03% in the Elementary, Jr High has 95.89%, and High School is running at 93.53%. The percentage of s...
I was at the high school getting a couple of photos. Piper Phillips was there practicing for the play. She came up to me and said, "Are you from the newspaper?" I knew right away what she wanted to talk to me about. I said I was, and she said she had the picture in her backpack. I asked to see it, and she smiled really big and went to get it. I wondered if I could take her picture, so we went into the hallway. Don Schrock, the Superintendent, was walking the halls, stopped and looked at her...
Recently inducted into the Big Sandy Chapter of the National Honor Society were Eva Wagoner, Cody Boone, and Mattie Gasvoda. Jessie Jaramillo, Big Sandy High School's art teacher, is the sponsor of the Big Sandy National Honor Society. Membership in the Honor Society is an honor and should be recognized. She told me that she also has the student write a letter of interest and get a letter of recommendation, and once they are inducted into the program, they must complete 50 hours of community...
During a team awards ceremony, coach Britney McKenny presents her volleyball awards at the end of the season. One of her athletes was selected for the first time as an All-State Selection. Congratulations to Angie Sant was also selected for 1st Team All-Conference; Coach Britney said, "I am really excited for her!" Eva Yeadon was chosen for the 2nd Team All-Conference. "I have been keeping stats records for each player for four years. It is so awesome seeing the progress that happens from year t...
I grew up respecting Veterans Day; my father was a vet. But it wasn't until my daughter, Serena, and her husband, Kody, were home did I fully understand the depth of the day. I remember my father tearing up every time the national anthem was played, and he insisted on flying the flag daily. I thought I would visit with a few because I knew whether the vets could tell me or not was important. I wanted to allow them to express themselves. Most of them probably would have liked a little more time...
According to the North Central Montana Regional Water site website, "The Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation and the State of Montana, through the Reserved Water Rights Commission, negotiated a settlement of the Tribe's Water Rights Claims. The Compact, ratified by the 1997 Montana Legislature and signed by President Clinton in December of 1999, provided a water allocation of 10,000 acre-feet to the Tribe from Lake Elwell (Tiber Reservoir), south of Chester, Montana. In addition...
This year's Christmas Stroll theme is a Miracle on Main Street. Marless reminded me, "As you know, it's sort of a twist of the Miracle of 34th Street. Santa has to go to court and prove he is Santa, how the kids put up "I Believe" signs in the window. So they will make some signs to say "I believe ."Then we can have them and put them in all the downtown buildings. Yes. And I hope all the kids at home put some up in their windows at home too. You know.....all right, a miracle might be having...
I have never been able to catch the person who removes the snow in front of the Mountaineer until recently. I know several different individuals who do this service, and I've never been able to catch anyone. This time it was Raymond Courtnage. I asked if I could take his picture, and he said, "Sure, no one will know it's me anyway." Thank you, Raymond. I watched as the volunteer crew removed all the snow from the football field. I'm not sure I got everyone, and there is always the chance when...
It is important to realize just how good our Pioneer Football team is. We need to celebrate the accomplishments and dedication it has taken to get where they are! But let's be honest, the others have been easy up to last week's game; they hadn't had any real competition. I wanted to know how they stayed hungry. What kept them giving their best week after week? So I invited the four senior captains, Lance Rutledge, Rusty Gasvoda, Braydon Cline, and Kody Strutz, to the Big Sandy teacher's lounge...
Thanksgiving is a great time to thank friends. Real friends, not Facebook kind of friends. The type of friends that have lasted through trials, temptations, and disagreements. Nona Danreuther and I have been friends for more than 46 years. At first, we had a lot in common. Now we just know each other. She knows my shortcomings, my failures, how I think, and what I like. Mainly after so many years, I know I could call her anytime, and she would be there. And she tells me the truth, not some...
Big Sandy Pioneer Volleyball players were ready to play at Divisionals! Their first game was against the Belt Huskies who went on to take first place. They lost to Belt in three. Friday they played against Chouteau County rivals the Highwood Mountaineers. Brittney McKenney wrote, "I am beyond proud of this team. These girls gave it everything they had, and then a little bit more. They put on a show at the Divisional tournament. We BATTLED HARD in a 4 set match with Highwood. Scores were 23-25,...
It is once again that time of year when we take time to be thankful for what we have. This year instead of having just one day, one week, where we have an "attitude of gratitude," we will be talking about what we can be thankful for in November. At Thanksgiving time, when we are asked and go around the table saying what we are thankful for, we will say the same things. We are grateful for our families and friends. We are thankful for our home. Some are even thankful for their jobs. My first...
"We finished the District Tournament in 4th Place. I am beyond excited that we made it to the Divisional Tournament!! Our conference was so competitive all year long. Every match was unpredictable, which was very exciting to watch! I am just glad we were able to finish and buy our ticket to Divisionals. I could not be more proud of my girls," Coach Brittany McKenney said. It was fun to watch her, too, during Districts! Coach McKenney gave the team the skills they needed to be competitive. Big...
Coach Britney McKenney said, "I am super proud of my girls for finishing out the conference season with a win! We are heading into the District Tournament 9-7, which is the first time we've had a winning record, since I've been coaching. Districts are going to be wild, because everyone is so evenly matched this season. Everyone is beyond excited to see what happens, including myself! There are 4 teams from our conference that will make it to Divisional. Our goal is to be one of those teams. We...
Big Sandy Senior Center received a donation of $510 from Lewis and Clark Caverns and Jefferson Inn. They held a raffle and wanted to donate to a Senior Center that was doing a good job recovering from difficulties and was currently in compliance. The check was given to the center by Nichole Thennis, OAA Nutrition & Evidence-Based Program Manager, Montana Office On Aging. During public comment, Pat Matthews thanked the board for all their work to get the center up and running. She commented how...