Columns
The Library Music Series kicks off on First Friday, June 3 with Doug Trost on guitar at 3:30 p.m. Enjoy acoustical tunes in the library atrium. Watch for more music in the library every First Friday afternoon. Also on June 3 is the beginning of the Friends of the Library Book Sale, which will take place on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the library meeting room. Join us on Saturday, June 11 at 10 a.m. for a Mystery & Suspense Authors Panel at the library. Montana authors, Leslie Budewitz, Christine Carbo and Gwen Florio will do readings and talk about their books and genres. You will have an opportunity to get books signed following the program. It’s here &...
As one of the founders and a driving force of Mission Valley Animal Shelter for over 30 years, I am not hopeful about our future. The problem of stray dogs and dog packs in our area has worsened significantly and MVAS, as a small, privately-operated animal shelter, does not have the facility or funding to be...
I was flying home after facilitating my Difficult Conversations workshop at Idaho State University. It was the first leg of my return journey, a puddle-jump on a small turbo-prop from Pocatello to Seattle. It was a short flight, but long enough to teach me something. During the boarding process, I had swi...
Paparazzi - love them or hate them, they have become a fixture of our modern world. The word “Paparazzi” evokes images of pushy hordes of photographers crowding celebrities, all angling to get the best shot. While it might feel like this is a normal part of celebrity culture, it hasn’t alwa...
Lately, I’ve been learning a lot about plants. I’m late to the party, I know. A few thousand years late, really. I’ve always appreciated plants for their beauty and nutrition, but that was always where my attention stopped, despite the vast wealth of plant knowledge available from centuries...
I remember a book from early childhood written by Charles Schulz. It was titled, “Happiness Is” and it caused quite a stir amongst the preschool crowd (and beyond). For good reason. Its message was simple, meaningful, ageless, and timeless. So timeless, in fact, that its simple idea remains me...
One of us is a Republican legislator representing rural Gallatin County. The other is a Democratic legislator representing the city of Missoula. Despite our political differences, we are committed to taking action to end the crisis at the Montana State Psychiatric Hospital at Warm Springs. The State Hospital...
Driving through Polson, I am reminded of all the times in high school when I was told how devastating the drug issue was in our town. Naturally, I used to think these drugs were the cause of the ubiquitous poverty within our community. However, I cannot help but think this causal relationship is reversed. ...
As I sit here writing this, there’s a bit of dirt still under my fingernails. The spring bug has bit me, and I decided it was time to start my planting for this year. With my luck, it’ll be snowing as you read this. To be honest, the spring bug has been under my skin for months ...
The internet-undeniably the backbone of our modern world – it influences our banking, communication, shopping, and entertainment. In the last decades, we, as consumers, are increasingly reliant on the internet. The majority of us receive this service through some sort of cable or tower-based wireless s...
