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At the Big Sandy Senior Center Annual Meeting the members voted to elect three new board members to the board. New board members are Terry Grant, Karen Baumann, and Wendy Kleinsasser. Gloria Godfrey, Deloris Prybil, and Pam Gasvoda have served their terms. They have worked many years of service and they were thanked by the members. The meeting started with a statement by Nichole Thennis, the Older Americans Acts Nutrition Program manager. “Currently, in Chouteau County 11.5% or 660 people are at this time battling food insecurity, 94% of t...
After the final day of school this year, the Big Sandy Schools Facebook Page posted a short video of "Mr. T's last walk out the door after 49 years." Kids cheered on and accompanied the well-loved teacher as he headed down the front walk for the last time. Mr. T has worked part time for the last several years in the library and helping kids one-on-one with school work. Much of the reason for his long tenure has been his love for teaching kids and for our little town. Dick Thornton started...
Hunter Snapp, one of the 2022 graduates from Big Sandy High School, received a certificate of recognition from the Montana State Department of Labor and Industry for completing a Welding and Machining Pre-Apprenticeship Program. Hunter has been working toward completing the program at Chauncey Terry's shop in Big Sandy for around a year. Chauncey explains that he was approached about the program as a way to help students as they join apprenticeship programs and start trade school. He explained t...
It amazes me how much musical talent is in the community. On May 24, there was a spring piano recital for the students of five piano teachers. Those five teachers were TJ Bond, Michelle Danreuther, Nona Danreuther, Dianna Keane, Marla Ray, Susie Sant, and Jaycee Worrall. Thirty students played; some were significantly advanced, others just beginning. Most were solos, but there were duets as well, and even the three Yirsa brothers played Steady Eddy together with Marla Ray. The Big Sandy Pioneer...
6 Knees Area Field Day is Scheduled for July 13 MAES-MSU Western Triangle Agricultural Research Center (WTARC) and MSU Extension are hosting a field day in the Knees area on July 13th at 9:00 a.m. Dr. Jamie Sherman (MSU barley breeder) will share research-based information on barley varieties for the Knees area. In addition, Dr. Jason Cook (MSU spring wheat breeder ) will update producers on spring wheat varieties in the test plot. In conclusion, Tyler Lane (MSU Extension Chouteau County) will talk about winter wheat varieties and Justin...
Editor’s Note: This story was to go with last week’s article about the Montana Children’s Theater story. We did not have the room last week. Last week, the Montana Children’s Theater came to Big Sandy to work with our kids to put on a musical show depicting the life of Johnny Appleseed. The story included a few elements of truth, but the legend of Johnny Appleseed has grown larger than life. The story of the real man is fascinating. John Chapman was born in Massachusetts in 1776. He left home and the state by the 1790s. He initially settled...
Lyle Ophus, 83, retired farmer and rancher, died of cancer May 20, 2022. Funeral Mass was celebrated Friday, May 27, at 11 AM at St. Margaret Mary's Catholic Church in Big Sandy. Lyle was born in 1939 to Anton and Pearl Ophus at the family farm near Big Sandy. He was the youngest of their 14 children. He attended school in Big Sandy and graduated class of 1958. Lyle attended MSU Northern college for a short time. He married Barbara Magda in 1960 at St Margaret Mary's Catholic Church in Big... Full story
I got my first job when I was 16. I worked at a bakery/deli making sandwiches, serving customers, washing dishes, and doing other minimum wage-type restaurant work. Since then (for about 30 years), I have rarely had a stretch of time where I did not work. I’ve unloaded trucks, tracked inventory, made concrete roof tiles, been an exterminator, been a salesperson, done ministry work, and about everything else you can think of. At some point along the way I learned an interesting lesson. Mark Twain once said that “If you find a job you enjoy, you...
This Memorial Day week reminds me of Memorial Day's most powerful lesson learned. I was in Washington DC making the rounds of all the memorials. There is very little talking while you soberly view each monument. My father was in the Navy and served during the Korean War. It was important to me to see the Korean War Memorial. I walked slowly, quietly, thinking of my father and his experience. His job was to watch where the bombs landed. So he saw women and children, besides soldiers, being torn t...
When I was growing up, none of my family swore. The only exception to that rule happened maybe twice a year when I would hear--DAMNIT!!! A hammer usually preceded it on a finger or something similar. I first used that word at the tender age of five. I had been given a dog much against my parent’s wishes, and I loved her dearly. However, that particular Easter Day, she became a damnit dog for the day. I had been thrilled with my Easter basket that morning. I received no candy other than at Easter and Christmas, so it was a very big deal i...
State track is a powerful experience for athletes. The large stands are full and the fans loudly support every attempt. Even the last one in the event is clapped for. Usually ever athlete is pumped up and doing their best. Sometimes the stress just makes their muscle fail them. They'll be back next year. Big Sandy did well. An older gentleman who has been involved in track, told me "if you make it to state you are better than over 100 other athletes in that event. Imagine that we have 16...
