Columns

The work of the 2019 legislative session has come full circle on two bills vetted in the Senate State Administration Veterans’ Affairs Committee, which I chaired. One was SB 275 by Sen. Al Olszewski (R-Kalispell) and HB 524 by Rep. Marvin Weatherwax (D-Browning) that brought attention to needs for recognition of two different subjects. SB 275 gave five years to raise $165,000 to commemorate our first woman governor, Judy Martz. HB 524 requested a tribal monument with a flag circle on capitol grounds and had language included that would set up a committee and private donations similar to the Martz fundraising. Both bills passed through my committee and both chambers of the legislatu...

This month we are highlighting two displays. Our library received the “Rightfully Hers” popup display from the National Archives in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment and the women’s suffrage movement. This display is in our library atrium along with a selection of b...

Plastic! Yeah, it’s everywhere ... not just in grocery store aisles and department stores and every other commercial outlet you can think of, not to mention your own cupboards and closets and trashcans, but on the grass and on the sidewalks, in the landfills, in the lakes and rivers, in the oceans. And...

These are tumultuous and troubling times. Many of us are struggling to keep peace and hope alive in our hearts and minds. Even though our small valley has not experienced the extremes of the pandemic, severe natural disasters or violent riots, we are all affected by what’s happening in the rest of the ...

I have actively listened to parents from around the state as school sports are kicking off. I have heard that some parents are being banned from their children’s school-sponsored activities along with other spectators. As a mother, grandmother, and educator, I know that parents are more than just spect...

2020 has been a year of drastic change, and like everyone else, your homegrown newspaper is adapting to new pandemic realities. Come Oct. 1, Valley Journal staff will be working entirely remotely.  Yes, we’re closing our office. No, we’re not closing the newspaper. Our business phone numb...

Many do not realize that reliable green electrons are now up to 4½ cents a kilowatt hour (kWh) cheaper than fossil fuel generated electricity in most places; that LA’s municipal utility buys solar power with battery backup at 2.9 cents/kWh. This disconnect is why Vice-President Pence was mislead...

Governor Bullock has issued another edict. This time, it’s taking away your right to choose how you vote in the November general election.  While I didn’t publicly oppose an all-mail ballot for the June primary election, it was a different time – we were still evaluating the coronav...

COVID-19 has changed so many things for so many of us. I haven’t been able to see my dad (in a nursing home) for four months. My daughter is quarantining for two weeks before the birth of her baby so we can’t see her family. My son lost his job. We are in a state of unknowns about our youngest so...

We are living in a serious world. I’m not going to write about this seriousness. Others have already explained things much more eloquently than I ever could. Instead, I’m shooting for silly this week.  We’ve all had our fair share of serious in the last few months, and while serious...