The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Each year on the first Wednesday of January, "The Mountaineer" reviews the most interesting and best stories of the last twelve months. We review the most noteworthy stories and maybe even a noteworthy picture or two. It is a good way to get started with our stories of 2017. The 2017 stories are all pretty much mysteries yet but the 2016 stories; well here we go on a fun journey back through the last year in Big Sandy, Montana. One could say that this is 2016 in review, the Good the Bad and the Ugly!

The first full issue of the 2016 led with Superintendent Moore answering questions about the four day week. That was probably as important a story as we ran all year long. The questions were tough and Moore did a good job in explaining good and bad of the four day school week.

The Senior Citizens Center had just gotten a Lippard-Clawiter grant and explained how important that fund is for the Center.

The January 20th issue led with a feature of the annual gun and ammo show coming to Big Sandy. Another story that week featured friends helping rancher Russell Darlington.

On January 27 we featured a huge story about a mountain lion hunt that Brad Moore went on in the Bear Paw Mountains proving once and for all there are some huge mountain lions in the Paws!

There was a new business ordinance in that issue and county extension agent Janell Barber was introduced to Chouteau County.

On February 3 Nicole Legere was introduced as a nurse practitioner at the Medical Center. That same issue celebrated Super Bowl 50 and six more weeks of winter

February 10 featured a travel log of Butte, Montana. Ken Denning was inducted into the MSU Wrestling Hall of Fame 3 years running and we printed the ten most dangerous places to live in Montana. Thank heavens Big Sandy was not on the list!

February 17 featured an interview with Bob Quinn who told of the greater rewards that organic farming could bring. Officials warned locals of the Zica virus and the new library is taking shape

February 24 plans were talked about for a new swimming pool for Big Sandy. El Nino was leaving thank heavens and the German short haired pointer won the Westminster Dog Show. My long haired Dachshund Fala did not win and has not been the same since.

March 2 featured some super science projects from some super Big Sandy high school students. The top ten Super Bowl commercials were reviewed.

March 9 library officials announced that the library grand opening is being planned for this summer. The Rotary banquet is this weekend and Phillips and Whitcomb built the Ruby Gulch mine and mill for the ages.

March 16 calving season has never been better than now in the Big Sandy area. We had a story about the Dan Ream living estate auction and cottonwood planting is just around the corner Best of all, that edition of "The Mountaineer" featured Charlie Russell's 152nd birthday!

March 23 four high school students attended an intensive photo workshop and Sharon Robertson was our featured sky pilot for the Easter edition of "The Mountaineer". AQHA tapped Stan Weaver for its executive committee.

March 30 featured the Farmers Union Young Producer Conference, and the Jim Kipp Lookout was explored in the newspaper. Montana's best athletes through the years were reviewed.

April 6 it was announced there would be no school elections, Students were successful at Science Fairs and reporter Lucke apologized on page 1 for saying in error that Superintendent Moore had been fired. There was a front page feature story on Helen Ritcher.

Maybe if there was one huge story this year it was in the April 13 edition of "The Mountaineer" where we featured the legends and lore of Duke Pursley and what he has accomplished for his family and his community. Way to go Duke! Al Bitz celebrated 50 years as a Mason and the Big Sandy lass from Bonnie Doon was featured.

April 20 saw Allan and Lorrie Merrill going to Zambia and Bob Quinn's Oil Barn had a good supply of oil for the season. The famous Big Sandy museum was to open May 30 and there was a feature on Big Sandy rodeo student-athlete Weston Brown.

On April 27 "The Mountaineer" honored Medical Laboratory Professionals week and Big Sandy High School's Carnival was to begin that weekend. Not that it made national news but in "The Mountaineer" it was announced that some glaciers are intact in Glacier National Park!

May 4 was almost a crisis stage story that full time and part time help is needed now throughout Big Sandy. Sherri Heppner was our Mother's Day mother and the School Board needed to appoint a new trustee. That issue featured a story about the Skaalure family as well.

There have been many people retiring from their jobs in the Big Sandy area so it was very good news to announce in the May 11 issue that Del Simon has been at the Medical Center for 40 years and is still going strong. In that issue House District 27 candidates O'Hara, Hutchinson and Rominger answered questions. Also in that issue was addressed the fact that Glacier National Park might just have 7 peaks over ten thousand feet, not the six that so called experts claim.

May 18 was the graduation issue and while Barb Martin was dealing with her last child graduating from high school, Melanie Schwarzbach was dealing with her first child graduating from high school. The local swim team was looking for summer swimmers and there were plenty of tips to create the perfect picnic.

May 25 Superintendent Moore and administrators from around the area discussed shortage of teachers. Veteran George Rice was honored and commissioner candidates answered questions. They were Clay Reihl. Jim Olson and Dean Rominger

In the June 1 edition of "The Mountaineer" there was a bison ordinance meeting announced, Linda Schwarzbach was retiring as head cook for the schools and there has been a new book club started in Big Sandy. The big news of that week was that the Wortman ranch is celebrating 100 years in this area.

June 8 there were bear sightings this spring and Thomas Dilworth took over the management of Kracklin' Kamut. Good Montana restaurants were featured and there was a first place winner of the Walter Gerson Poetry Contest. It was Jaylyn Cline.

In the June 15 issue it was announced that Cindy Pokorny is retiring from the school system and the Midway Ranch is celebrating 100 years.

June 22 brought an announcement of swimming pool changes and there was our annual summer guide to keeping alive and lively

June 29 led with a tribute to Donald Sorensen and it was announced that Deloris Pribyl was the senior citizen of the year. There was also a rootin' tootin' story about Wallace Coburn meeting his hero Kid Curry.

The July 6 issue featured the Quinn Farms open house and the fact that Amber Beaudette celebrated forty years at the Big Sandy Medical Center. There was a Chouteau County fair update and a good feature was the Montana Highway Patrol 2015 report.

July 13 featured National Heritage Areas and Lorrie and Allan Merrill talked about their experiences in Zambia. That issue also featured the beauty and dangers of Glacier National Park.

July 20 the School Board and City Council got together and formed a committee to study a proposed new swimming pool. Harvest weather was one story and new things at the Big Sandy Museum was a featured front page story.

July 27 the Food Bank has started offering fresh food, Senior Citizens honored Dee Pribyl and an area board defended the National Heritage Areas. That issue also featured plenty going on at the Russell Museum for the fall.

In the August 3 issue the library is waiting for sidewalks, there was an interview with poet Ellaraine Lockie and Robert Lucke talked about his various diseases and made most everyone uncomfortable.

August 10 featured a story about the Chouteau County Fair. There was also a story about business people being able to get new sidewalks. There was a fatality on the Kenilworth road and a story about Mike Wayman and his family in Minneapolis.

The big news on August 17 was that "No Child Left Behind" is a thing of the past. New teachers were reviewed at the Big Sandy schools, the School Board adopted a mentoring program and reminded folks to get their kids vaccinated before going back to school. Grizzly bears were spotted in the Sweet Grass Hills.

August 24 featured a story about helping the Big Sandy Booster club. Patti Hannum retired from The Grocery Store and Fred Watstein was introduced to all of Big Sandy.

One of the best stories of the year was featured on August 31 when Brad Moore and Scott Chauvet shared their education stories with readers. Maddy Reichelt went to Science Camp and flu vaccinations were a featured story.

September 7 featured a story about new Big Sandy librarian James Howland. Steve Sibra was featured in our pages and we hope to see more of him. Some big news in that issue was that Duke Pursley and Buck Boyce were new inductees into the Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Northwest Farm Credit came to Big Sandy to help the Food Bank distribute food to poor people. Jessie Jaramillo is the new high school art teacher. The Bangs family is holding their second annual 5K on their farm and there was a West Nile death reported in McCone County. That was all in the September 14 issue.

In the September 21 issue Big Sandy Medical Center was honored as was the wonderful photography of Craig Edwards. Emily Wheeler is the new history teacher at Big Sandy high school and the FFA held an open house and barbeque.

September 28 featured the new archery class at the high school and the Church of God cook off. There is going to be a concealed weapon class and the Big Sandy Pharmacy is helping with blood pressure monitoring.

The October 5 issue featured the Chili feed, football and fire trucks and a report from Allan Merrill about the crisis in farming and ranching.

In the October 12 issue we honored the fire department and ambulance drivers during Fire Prevention week. Danielle Lindland went to work as a new pharmacist at the Big Sandy Pharmacy and there was a reminder story to get a flu shot.

October 19 we featured Doug Giebel's dream coming true in Big Sandy. My Neighbor in Need is coming to Big Sandy and Big Sandy has a new cruiser for longer trips.

On October 26 we did a story about Linda Rutledge retiring from the Senior Center and we did a neat ghost story about a ghost in a night shirt trying to brush his teeth. Not only that but we featured the ghosts in the Conrad Mansion in Kalispell in that issue.

On November 2 Grain Bin Tube winners were announced, The celebrating started on this year's Christmas stroll and Henry Merrill and his family went to Pompeii.

November 9 we featured a good Veteran's Day story about Dale Morey. Janell Barber is offering a class to can meat and make jerky.

November 16 The Big Sandy Music Program was featured along with the Big Sandy Medical Center fundraising campaign of 2017. In that issue Dave Louvar interviewed Robby Lucke and we did a story on how to bear proof your house or cabin.

November 23 Bill Nelson took over what we could not do and that is explained Big Sandy Chromebooks and all that means. Some Big Sandy students job shadowed at "The Mountaineer" and Lisa Sipler remembers old thanksgiving memories.

November 30 we featured Karma Hale leading the cooks at the Senior Citizen Center and during the Christmas stroll there was a large school art show at "The Mountaineer". We also featured for the Stroll the branding art off Tony Collins.

Patti Hannum retires from The Grocery Store in August.

December 7 was heartfelt thanks from "The Mountaineer" for a wonderful Christmas stroll. Also that issue Wilma Welty's ceramic nativity sets were featured. Rod Hickman wrote about taking charge of your own health and we featured a Christmas Tips issue.

December 14 there was a big community thank you to Vicki Silvan who is retiring from being the Big Sandy Librarian. There was also a story about invasive mussel larvae in lake Elwell. We did a Christmas cookie and candy feature and a story about sort of scary gingerbread men.

December 21 we reported that balmy weather was on the way and we hoped that everyone would have a Charlie Russell Christmas. It was announced that in January there would be a public forum about a new swimming pool and that is as good a time as any to say good bye to 2016 and take the pen in hand for 2017!