Columns

It has been an incredible two and a half years. Thanks to the dedication and flexibility of our volunteers, the Polson Loaves & Fish Pantry, Inc. was able to stay open throughout the pandemic. The support from our community and outside our community has been constant and generous. We all thank you. The past months have brought new challenges. As prices on everything have risen, more and more of our neighbors are needing help. This summer our storage room looked like Mother Hubbard’s cupboard, due to supply chain issues. This has eased considerably as we have been able to purchase more shelf stable food from Montana Food Bank Network at wholesale prices. Perishable foods such as...

Would it surprise you to find out that language is interesting to me? The combination of sounds and written symbols we use to convey ideas and concepts to one another is a source of endless fascination. Language’s intricate web of meaning is constantly shifting and evolving with our culture. This proce...

I had been outside since 5:45 a.m., in 50-degree drizzle. My feet were soaked despite several changes of socks. My fellow outside poll observers, Republicans and Democrats alike, looked just as forlorn as we answered voters’ questions in Virginia during the 2018 election. At about 2 p.m., a woman wi...

I had been outside since 5:45 a.m., in 50-degree drizzle. My feet were soaked despite several changes of socks. My fellow outside poll observers, Republicans and Democrats alike, looked just as forlorn as we answered voters’ questions in Virginia during the 2018 election. At about 2 p.m., a woman wi...

Fall has finally arrived.  We love summer, but we are happy for cooler temperatures, pumpkin everything, and curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. Saturday, Sept. 17 we have Ranger Matt from Glacier National Park coming to talk about the different types of work National Park Rangers do and wh...

As we traverse through life, I think most of us ponder and wonder about our purpose - the reason for our experience on the planet at this particular time. What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of me? (Gulp.) I’ve pondered this question quite a bit, feeling a little inept in my answers. I ...

The Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission is responsible for redrawing state legislative districts to reflect every community in Montana. Voters need to be able to elect legislators who represent different viewpoints and can come together to solve the problems our state faces. This responsibility ...

“Your bloodwork shows your Vitamin D levels are low,” my doctor admonished me. “Start taking supplements.” Not even sure what vitamin D was for, I followed her advice. Within a week, the pain in my knees had gone away. Amazing, I thought. How often can you solve a problem by simply...

As I helped my 83-year-old grandfather set up his new VR headset recently, I thought about how much technology has changed in the last 30 years alone.  As a ‘90s kid, I was a child of the “Tech Boom,” exposed to constantly and rapidly changing technology at a key time in my developm...

Ever heard the common superlative that something can be “The best thing since sliced bread?” While, I will admit to using this phrase on occasion, my opinion has begun to change since moving to Europe. Perhaps this commonly held wisdom isn’t so accurate. Let me explain. Bread is one of t...