South of Border in the Sweet Grass Hills
April 10, 2019

Coltan and Lon Hoppe pose next to a bass violin sculpture they created. This piece was on display in Twisp, Washington last year. Twisp is a small community with an active arts program. The town is located on the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains. Lon Hoppe grew up in Shelby and has done a number of metal art pieces in collaboration with his son Coltan. The artist now lives in eastern Washington and has a number of pieces on display in the public arts program of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Column No. 7
Columnist's note: Travelers headed north from Shelby on I-5 may have seen the 'standing elk' on the east side of the interstate just before the exit to Oilmont. The elk is in a slight depression on the edge of a grove of small trees (really the only trees next to the interstate for several miles). If travelers see the elk, the view is brief, especially at 80 mph.
I first saw the elk when my wife and I were headed north to Whitlash from Shelby. About a 100 yards past the site of the statue, I turned to my wife and said, "I think I just saw an elk on the side of the road." She sc...
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