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“At first I was afraid, I was petrified…” - Gloria Gaynor My life has become a series of projects. Flooring. Painting cabinets. Refinishing countertops. Installing baseboards and backsplashes. Sewing curtains. Replenishing bedding. Creating new heater covers. Patching and repairing. Repairing and patching. Doing and redoing. I even distributed a bit of glitter onto the bathroom countertops. I counted 23 or maybe 24 projects this spring and summer, and I felt a little accomplished. Puffed up, even. But then the forbidding thought crept in. Is this pride? Are you letting your ego get the best of you? I gulped and thought about it. ...
As Montana students head back into the classroom for another year of school, our education system is facing multiple challenges. There’s an ongoing teacher shortage in many districts, particularly the more rural parts of the state. Test scores and achievement metrics are still behind where they need to...
During the past legislative session, the Montana Taxpayers Association was excited to support the Gianforte administration’s ideas that improved Montana’s tax systems and provided tax relief. We look forward to continuing that working relationship. However, unless the administration decides soon ...
From Aug. 14 to 18, 2023, I attended a Parliament of the World Religions in Chicago. The gathering drew together more than 7,000 people representing about 100 countries and more than 200 different religious groups. Focused on the theme of “A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom and Human Rights,&rdquo...
Sometimes it’s good (and fun) to just be silly. I guess today is one of those days for me. So here goes. Words are weird: We all have that one friend who can only answer one question or address one topic per text. I’ve dubbed them a unitexter. ...
The state legislature passed $384 million in property tax rebates, the first half of which is currently available to Montanans. The window to claim your rebate—up to $675 on your primary residence—is Aug. 15, 2023, to Oct. 1, 2023. Go to: getmyrebate.mt.gov to claim your rebate. The second rou...
A few weeks ago, I submitted a list of universal truths that I think we can all recognize and maybe even agree with. In today’s culture of division, isn’t it a pleasant and nice truth to simply agree? I concur and couldn’t agree more. When writing that first list of truths, I found I had...
Montanans have worked for decades to restore our state animal, the grizzly bear. We’ve come a long way in recovering grizzlies in their core habitats, the Northern Continental Divide and Greater Yellowstone ecosystems, and beyond. That’s happened because of hard work by landowners, conservationis...
On Sunday, June 25th I awoke to the smell of a smoldering campfire, a scent most people associate with our earliest, often happiest, experiences out in the natural world. Upon going outside, I found the entire city of Montreal was blanketed by a smoky haze and realized that the wildfires raging throughout th...
The 2023 Montana wildfire season was slow to start. Average snowpack combined with rain in much of the state, spared an early fire season. Recent hot days and dry fuels, however, have now put Montana into active fire season with over 40,000 acres burned by early August. Montana’s average annual tempera...
