We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
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Reporter's note: Ed Obie, Chinook Airport Manager, called to tell me a group of planes would be landing the next day at the local airport. He said, "You might be interested in seeing these planes. There'll also be some students coming over from Meadowlark." Later, Blaine County Undersheriff Frank Billmayer told me one of the pilots was his dad, Jay. I'd talked to Jay when I was gathering information about the old Harlem stock car track. A trip to the airport would be fun to see the planes and...
Proceeds from a "Ride-Fly-Drive Poker Run" generated 'just shy of $1,600' for the North Central Montana Relay for Life. Forty participants on motorcycles and in vehicles made the run that started and ended in Chinook with stops at Fort Belknap, Zortman and Malta. The ACS Relay for Life is the signature fund raising event by volunteers in 5200 communities and 20 countries around the world. John and Angie Hebbelman organized the local poker run and deemed it a "great success with a good turnout...
Eighteen members from the Chinook Senior Center made a visit last week to the North Harlem Colony. Eli Hofer, minister for the North Harlem Colony and clerk for the North Harlem Colony School, led the group on a tour of some of the facilities that make up the complex five miles north of Harlem on the highway to Turner. Eli's daughter-in-law, Gail, also helped guide and answer the guests' questions. The 45 people who live at the community are Hutterites, a branch of the Anabaptist movement that b...
Rose Noel, complete with party hat, is pictured holding up a "Grizz" steering wheel cover she received as a gift during her recent retirement party at the Harlem Senior Center. Rose began cooking at the center two days a week in 2012, then cooked six days a week for a 10 month stretch and has filled in for periods when a permanent cook was sought. For three years she cooked the Harlem Center's Sunday Community Meal, a once-a-month event open to the community. She vowed to retire when she turned...
If all goes as planned, the northwest corner of the property around the Chinook Post Office should have "a bit more aesthetic appeal" according to AgEd teacher Robin Allen. She's directing the work of 30+ students in the Exploratory Agriculture course she teaches for seventh and eighth graders. Using a grant from the Montana Future Farmers of America (FFA) Foundation the students are building a low maintenance rock garden in the area around the flag pole at the post office. The FFA chapter at Ch...
Loaves and Fishes concluded last week in Chinook. A staffer with the Chinook Schools System suggested, as a bonus for the kids, "The summer feeding program in Chinook could meet the kids in the summer feeding program at Hartland Colony." Both schools are in the Chinook school district and the principal at Meadowlark Elementary is also the principal at the colony's school. About 20 kids and chaperones boarded a bus for the 30-plus mile trip north to visit the colony. The Hartland Colony The Hutte...
Several years ago Jude Sheppard, Blaine County Museum's Director/Curator, wanted a way to exhibit some of the numerous items of period clothing donated by local families. In 2006, with help from a grant to the museum, she was able to reconfigure a space to be used for clothing exhibits. Sheppard said, "I like to have clothing that reflects the current season. I'll change the current exhibit to winter-themed clothing as winter approaches." The current exhibit showcases five formal dresses among...
Last Sunday the Bike and Build cyclists riding the cross-country bike route that follows along the Canadian border, arrived in Chinook. The group left Malta around 7:30 am and with a helpful tailwind were in Chinook shortly after noon. One tall, lanky rider said, "I clocked myself at 40mph, with the level terrain and tailwind that was a record speed for me." The 36 twenty-somethings are 61 days and 3000 miles into their 81-day trip that raises money and awareness for affordable housing. They...
It's been more than a quarter of a century since the Blaine County Museum created a single post card picturing downtown Chinook. Blaine County Museum Director Jude Sheppard said, "The post card was so dated that I was embarrassed that one old card was all I had to offer visitors who were looking for post cards of the town." She got Steve Helmbrecht, of Helmbrecht Studios in Havre, to take five new shots of recognizable points around Chinook. The photo on the prior post card was taken downtown,...
Reporter's note: I've heard people around Chinook talk about "the turkey vultures on the new water tower." I've even noticed the black specks perched on the railing along the catwalk around the tank. A couple of weeks ago Kelsey Harry, the Assistant Librarian at the Blaine County Library said, "Have you ever thought about writing a story about the turkey vultures? I've recently gotten interested in them and they are fascinating birds." That reminded me that I did want to learn more about the...
The story of Harlem native Bob Ragsdale's career as a professional rodeo cowboy was covered in the June 28th issue of the "Blaine County Journal." Ragsdale had just been nominated for induction in to the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs. Last week the official induction ceremony was completed. One of his daughters, Cathy Watkins, shared some photos from the ceremony. She wrote in a note with the photos, "It was an amazing induction ceremony. There was a lot of family that drove and...
Just before last summer’s county fair began, the Blaine County Fair Board rolled out a new idea to create some greenspace at the fairgrounds. Speaking generally about the new Memory Lane, board member Dale Williams said, “The idea is to have a way for folks to plant a tree in honor or memory of a loved one.” During the 2017 fair a map of the fairgrounds was posted showing proposed locations for the trees. Debbie Ramberg has worked in the open exhibits for several years at the fair and was the Fair Manager’s Assistant this year. She got interes...
A rangeland monitoring workshop and electric fence demonstration was recently held at the Kleinjan Ranch west of Chinook. The focus was on techniques for monitoring the results of managed intensive grazing (MIG). MIG describes grazing techniques that utilize repeat periods of grazing and rest among multiple paddocks or pastures. The program was sponsored by the Blaine County Conservation District. Rancher Dennis Kleinjan has been using intensive grazing for about six years, but admitted,...
Loaves and Fishes, the summer program in Chinook for feeding local children, hosted the Chinook Chamber's monthly Business After Hours last Thursday evening at Wallner Hall. It was a time to celebrate a successful summer, enjoy some fellowship and food and learn a bit about how Loaves and Fishes ministers to local children. This was the seventh summer for the ecumenical program supported with volunteer help and donations of food and cash for the meal provided four days a week. Program...
Each year, usually sometime during the summer months, the First Bank of Montana in Chinook hosts a community event to thank existing customers and invite new accounts. This year the First Bank division, which includes Glacier Bank's facilities in Chinook and Lewistown, held a 'brand celebration.' Per Craig Lowham, Chinook Branch Manager, "The brand celebration was a chance for the community to display and showcase their brands while we shared First Bank's brand of banking." Lowham said, "At our...
Reporter's note: My wife and I moved to Chinook about four years ago and ever since on most weekdays I've shared early morning coffee with Art Kleinjan, and others, at the Chinook Senior Center. Art is an active member of St. Gabriel's Catholic Church, having served on the church council over the years. About a month ago Art told me, "You might be surprised to know I was first baptized a Presbyterian." He went on to tell about a Presbyterian minister, from Stanford, who came a couple of summers...
Montana's sole U.S. Representative, Greg Gianforte, made a stop in Chinook last week as part of his listening tour of the Treasure State. He was fulfilling the campaign promise he made during the special election in May to tour the state and listen to constituents' concerns. During his time in north central Montana he visited several locations along the Hi-line. Gianforte was accompanied by Evan Wilson, the congressman's Western Regional Director located in Great Falls, and Misty Kuhl, the...
Reporter's note: Like most readers, I seldom have taken time to visit the sites connected to the Missouri River in and around Great Falls. A trip to the Electric City usually is hurried with rushing to make an appointment or meeting, then another dash to run a few errands in the city and, finally, head for home. Recently my wife and I spent a couple of days in Great Falls. During our stay, and particularly after the medical appointments were completed, we forced ourselves to take some time to se...
Chinook Chapter Number 8 of Ikebana International held a 60th anniversary celebration commemorating the chapters organizing in 1957. For readers not familiar with Ikebana, it's a form of flower arranging that first appeared in Japan in the 6th century when Buddhism came to the country. The Chinook chapter, which also includes members from other towns along the Hi-Line, is of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana, a less restrictive form of plant and flower arranging that advocates enjoying Ikebana arran...
Reporter's note: A couple of weeks ago, while reporting on sports camps sponsored by Montana Indian Ministries, I learned about the Ministry's Rodeo Bible Camp. The camp, also a day camp, is held at Wasay Wakpa Arena in Lodge Pole. I called Montana Indian Ministries' founder and president, Pastor Bruce Plummer, and asked if I could visit the rodeo camp and learn about its purpose and how it works. He invited me to come for a visit. I learned that Pastor Plummer, and his wife Sande, have been doi...
Lynn Phillips became the new director of the Chinook Food Pantry in mid-July. Phillips, a relative newcomer to the area, takes over from Jeanne Dalton who served as director from January, 2016 to June of this year. Dalton moved back to California to live near her daughter. Phillips becomes the third director of the Pantry. Amelia Funk served as the first and only director from 2000 until the end of 2015, when Dalton took over. In 1998 the Chinook Ministerial Association, a group made up of the...
Reporter's note: Readers would have been hard pressed to miss the coverage of the recent July Fire that burned 11,000+ in the Little Rockies near Zortman and Landusky. The fire was discovered on Monday, July 3 and by the evening of July 4 it was estimated to have burned 1700 acres. Various fire fighting agencies began a major attack to control and contain the fire. Finally, on Saturday, July 15, the Western Montana Type II Interagency Incident Management Team (IMT) declared the fire "90% contain...
Reporter's note: Late June my wife and I drove to Washington state for our twin grandkids' high school graduation. We stayed with friends who live in Warm Beach, a residential community north of Seattle along Port Susan. Port Susan is a bay connecting, eventually, to Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean. Warm Beach was a great area to walk, especially in the early summer, with lots of giant evergreens, blooming flowers of every sort, spectacular views of the bay and some challenging hills to get...
During the past two weeks, with unusually prolonged, hot temperatures, there have been a couple of infrastructure failures that caused water woes in Blaine County. The St. Mary Diversion is part of a system that moves water that ultimately ends up in the Milk River. About two weeks ago a small leak was discovered in one of two siphons in that system. Bureau of Reclamation officials are monitoring the leak and are hopeful repairs can be postponed until later in the year. Last week, a break in an...
Reporter's note: Readers would have to be totally oblivious to their surroundings on Highway 2 this time of year not to notice a number of people on bicycles loaded with camping and travel gear. Most are heading east along a route that takes riders through this part of the upper Midwest-often called the "northern tier route." It's not unusual, in these summer months, to see a couple of cyclists eating ice cream outside a local shop, buying groceries or other items at the store or quick stop and...
