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I know that what I'm about to say is an obvious statement, but have you all noticed how expensive things are nowadays? Fuel, groceries, clothes, literally everything. And anytime you want to find something cheaper from back in the day, it is now called "vintage," so it's even more expensive with that word attached. I will start by saying that I do not follow the market; I don't read financial articles and focus on politics and the economy. I will say, though, that just as a fellow American, I have struggled the last few years to make ends...
The second quarter of the school year has launched English students at Big Sandy High School into the wonderful world of poetry. Grades seven through twelve are writing a variety of poems and presenting them to their classmates.The Seniors and Sophomores have already written what is considered the most difficult type of poem: the Sonnet. There are two styles of this genre of poetry: Petrarchan and Shakespearean. They have few differences, but Shakespearean tends to be more favored. These 14-lined poems have a definite rhyme scheme, as well as a...
Get a head start on getting some of the coolest and trendiest gifts for Christmas. We are going to hook you up with some really great ideas to get that someone special the perfect gift! This week we will give you the top 28 gifts, according to Good Housekeeping magazine. These are their opinions on some great gifts, but I’m not going to lie, I’d love a lot of these!! I firmly believe in supporting small businesses and your community, but if for some reason, you want a new and refreshing idea for this Christmas, check out these items. 1 .My...
The Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865. It is the bloodiest battle that the United States has every fought since both sides fighting in the war were from the United States. Nearly 620,000 people were killed. The most shocking part, however, is the fact that only 150,000 people died from battle wounds. The other 470,000 died from diseases such as malaria, dysentery, and tuberculosis (Milano). In the 1860’s, medical procedures were very limited. Most of the time, being diagnosed with a disease like tuberculosis was akin to being handed a death s...
It was a normal day for the town’s beloved store owner, Jack the Bunny. Jack was an old bunny; he wore rounded glasses on his rounded nose and fluffy sweaters over his rounded belly. He had a long gray beard and a smile that could light up the room. Early one spring morning, he was opening his shop when he realized it had become a disaster. Items were torn off the shelves, and all had fallen to the floor. With all of the vandalism, funny enough, nothing was missing except in one section – almost all the apple juice had been taken. Jack fou...
Recently there was a song running through my mind. I couldn’t place it. So, I delved into youtube to see where the words would lead me. The words that kept repeating in my head were “ Too much monkey business.” I was surprised to find this song was written and performed by Chuck Berry in the fifties. I have never been a particular fan of Chuck Berry’s, but for some reason, this song stuck. I read the words and then had an epiphany. I felt pressure from all sides until I was ready to block all articles, Facebook messages, and ads. Chuck Berry e...
Big Sandy's Main Street Puddle is no more. At least this is what I am told. Officially named the Joe Trepina Memorial Main Street Puddle, "Puddle" was paved over in October 2022. When I learned of this mainstreet paving project, I immediately called a meeting of our clandestine puddle organization "Citizens Recognizing And Promoting Puddle," otherwise known as C.R.A.P.P. We considered several strategies to save Puddle from the pavers. But our pleas to city leaders went unheard. Our attempts to...
November was a busy month at the Big Sandy Library. After school and on Fridays with the kids. Our weekly activities include Power Hour, which is everyday afterschool until 5:00pm. This is when kids can come down and use our computers or just use the wifi for their computers to do their homework. There is always someone to help if they need it. Robotics Club meets every Tuesday at 4pm-5pm, Lego Club is every Friday at 11am- noon and story time for the toddlers every Wednesday at 10:30am. There were also other fun things mixed in. The month of N...
6th Grade “Twas the day before break, when all through the halls, All the students were anxiously climbing the walls; The lockers were open- kids combing their hair, In hopes that some snowflakes would soon fill the air; Kids were excited to sleep late in their beds, While visions of carefree days danced in their heads: With people in the office and I in my class, We just settled down and let our brains rest at last, When outside the room there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter. When I went out in the hall...
Mary’s Little Lambs Daycare Dear Santa, Hi! My name is Asher and I am 2 years old. I live in Big Sandy with my mom, dad and brother, Jaxon. I have been very good this year and would love it if you could please bring me a monkey book, a toy cow and also a soccer ball. I promise to have my mom leave you out milk, bananas and some pretzels to share with your reindeer. Thank you, Asher Kulbeck Dear Santa, I am 3 years old and my name is Eleanor. Because I have been so good this year I would love it if I could please have a Christmas tree with d...
On December 7th, the nation observed Pearl Harbor day. It’s an easy observance to miss in the mix of Christmas shopping and work days. As I was preparing to research Christmases past as covered by the Mountaineer, I found myself thinking about how close the surprise attack lands to the Christmas season. This prompted a thorough dive into the Mountaineer archives from 1941. The first issue of the paper to come out after the attack was on December 11th, giving local editors three to four days to react to the news. At the time, newspaper c...
Editor’s Note: I read this blog on Facebook and reach out to her and asked if I could publish it. She said defiantly. Please follow her, it is absolutely so true and so hilarious. I am going to try to do a little crash course on men’s hand gestures. I know this is something many of us have struggled with, so I hope you find this helpful. First, let’s talk about gestures while horseback. a Gesture: He puts one arm in the air with the pointer finger rotating in a circle. If you are stopped, it means get started. If you are moving, it means move f...
Sleight of Hand is a crime novel by Phillip Margolin. A private eye investigator from Washington D.C. named Dana Cutler is called to investigate a missing scepter in Seattle, Washington, but discovers that it’s a prank. But the case takes a turn when the wife of a millionaire is murdered. Who also was the one who started the prank. A criminal attorney, Charles Benedict is the lawyer for the Seattle millionaire Horace Blair, who is suspected of murdering his wife, Carrie Baire. Dana Cutler becomes involved in the case, trying to figure out w...
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...
At Risk is a suspense novel by Patricia Cornwell. It is a story about Winston Garano, a detective. He is called out from the National Forensic Academy in Tennessee to go to Massachusetts to help his Defense Attorney boss to solve a 20-year-old unsolved case using the latest DNA technology. But the DA foolishly makes the case public, causing a chain reaction of violence, greed, blackmail, and tensions to flare during the investigation. Winston’s boss is Monique Lamont, a stubborn woman intent on getting things done her way and running for g...
In newspaper parlance, the type of article I write usually is called a “ fluff “ piece. It’s not news or information nor does it provide instruction or commendation of others.It’s just for fun or conveys a feeling about something. I personally have always been a fan of fluff pieces. When you are depressed with the news and financial statements or reading about others who seem to be doing so much better than you, you go to a fluff piece. The following is a double fluff piece. I’m all for second chances for people and animals. I always advocate a...
From Russia, with Love is a spy novel written by Ian Fleming, the original creator of James Bond, Code-name 007. The English spy James Bond is on a mission to retrieve a girl named Tatiana Romanova who has a new decoding machine called Spektor and claims to be in love with him. But unknown to both of them, the Russian Secret Service called SMERSH uses the girl as bait to kill James Bond. SMERSH sends a cold-blooded assassin named Donovan Grant not only to kill 007 but to kill the girl also. So B...
How Big Sandy got its name is a bit of a mystery, but an article from the February 2, 1922 issue of the Mountaineer offers a reasonable answer. Karen Reinertson and Renee Hanson found it last week while researching for the Old Timer’s Column. It’s an interesting story, which explains how Big Sandy Creek, which runs near our little community, was named. The town itself is named after the creek. Here is the account published around a century ago. —Erik HERE IS THE STORY (The original headline!) The following account of the origin of the names Big...
The Word is Murder The Word is Murder is a novel written by Anthony Horowitz. It is a murder mystery that is focused through the eyes of the author investigating an unusual murder of a middle-aged woman named Diana Cowper. Anthony Horowitz works with an ex-detective named Nathaniel Hawthorne, a gruff, eccentric man who has an unique way of solving crimes. At first, it seemed like a burglar break-in until Anthony and Hawthorne discovered that Diana had planned for her funeral the same day that she died. And that her son Damian Cowper is a famous...
Well, here we are all hunkered down again in the cold and nastiness of winter. To cheer you up, I thought I would relate a true story. Hopefully, you will get a laugh out of this, even if it’s at my expense. This first article is laying the groundwork, so to speak; the next two will give you your laughs and chuckles at my expense. It all began in Arizona. I was living alone on an acreage thirty miles from the school I was working at. My husband had been killed in a hit-and-run accident, so I was a Lone Ranger. I had horses, dogs, cats, and t...
*Lisa and Darin Genereux’s Prairie Essence Bakery opened in Big Sandy. *Ron Otto and Carmen Sibra placed first and second in the 246 contestant Matthew Quigley Long Range “Buffalo Shoot” in Forsyth. *Former Big Sandy cage prep star Marietta Bahnmiller was named 1995 Class C Coach of the Year. *Don Kidd placed fifth at the Northern ABC Divisional Speech Tournament. *Mike and Annette Bratz announced that they had purchased S & J IGA from Stan and Jan Holmquist. *Eighth grader Ross Runnion won the Chouteau County Spelling Bee and finished thirt...
Twas the Night Christmas By:Natty Lavenger “Twas the day before break, when all through the halls, All the students so were anxiously climbing the walls; The lockers were anxiously open kids combing their hair, In hopes that some snowflakes would soon fill the air; Kids were excited to sleep late in their beds, Then there we were kids doing work in their heads: Then there was a shout of matter I went to go see what it was, Santa standing in the hall then he left then he shouted “On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixen On Comet, on Cup...
Mary’s Little Lamb Daycare Dear Santa, My name is Elliot and I am 3 years old this year. This year for Christmas I would like a Paw Patrol house with a slide. I have been very nice this year and I have been playing nice with my friends and helping my dad and mom out on the farm when they need it. I promise to set out some grass for your reindeer and maybe some water. Merry Christmas, Elliot Overbay Dear Santa, Hi, Santa! I am 4 years old this year. I was very nice this year and helped my mom go to the store and I wake Teagen up in the m...
Haunting of Hill House is a horror novel written by Shirley Jackson that is sure to thrill you. The haunting of Hill House is a tale of four people who come together to experience shy a house is haunted and what the story is behind it. Hill House is an isolated house farm from the small town of Hill Valley, which makes a haunted house spookier than you can imagine. You have a doctor, a troublemaker, a diva, and a loner with a dark past as characters. Doctor John Montague is the one who brings...
You can know what some of your family histories are. I wasn't necessarily interested in my family until my sister, Dena, started digging into it herself. Her friend Liz looked up something for her, and after that, she was hooked on our family. Dena spends hours every day researching. She has information going back 40 generations. She has studied all four of my family lines Patten, Brewer, Clowes, and Biddle. In my family are many interesting, powerful, and inspiring blood relatives. And others...