Opinion
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Notes from Ranger Doug
I’ve had the pleasure over the years of getting correspondence from longtime Glacier National Park ranger/naturali…
Horse Gulch could have been prevented
Writing recently on X (formerly Twitter), Frontier Institute President and CEO Kendall Cotton observed that Montana’s Horse Gulch Fire is burning in a portion of Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest that was slat…
Wrong side of history?
Heat waves are more intense, longer lasting, and three times as frequent as 60 years ago. More areas are vulnerable to record-breaking temperatures each succeeding year. As a 72-year-old with a reasonably good reco…
Property tax inequities
In Flathead County, property taxes have increased well beyond inflation for residential homes and businesses. I was appointed to the Governor’s Property Task Force to dig deep into the cause of such escalations and…
Going deep on CFAC
Going deep is an essential next step in order for Columbia Falls and Flathead County residents to begin to really understand and raise meaningful questions about the proposed leave-the-toxic waste-in-place cleanup …
In a jam, and it’s great
Like most other folks in the Flathead Valley, my sweet cherry trees failed this year. Some failed in the terminal sense: They died entirely, while others just came out of last winter’s cold blast looking awfully si…
The tipping point?
I’ve been conflicted about tips lately. Whenever you check out nowadays it seems like they’re asking for a tip. Should I tip the girl who handed me a muffin out of the case at Coffee Traders the other day?
Project 2025 concerns him
Celebrations centered around July 4th have always been tricky for me
Mumbling Biden still better than Trump
I watched the debate between Trump and Biden, and one thing is clear: If Republicans truly believed in everything they say they do, and they only supported candidates who have proven their character, competency, an…
Sheriffs for Swanson
Law enforcement officers dedicate their lives to protecting public safety, maintaining order, and upholding justice. Our jobs are intrinsically tied to Montana’s judiciary. When law enforcement and prosecutors can …
They’re not ‘dark money’ groups
As the Executive Director of the Montana Nonprofit Association, a membership association that supports more than 850 organization across the state, I’m dismayed by multiple recent incidents of political leaders and…
Two Medicine Redux
Driver, why is this place we’re going to called Two Medicine? As a Glacier Park Lodge shuttle driver I am asked that question about once a day during the summer season, which means that over a summer I get it aske…
An appreciation for Susan Nicosia
Last Monday marked city manager Susan Nicosia’s last full meeting with the Columbia Falls city council.
Claims Gianforte raised your taxes, gave himself a cut
Gov. Greg Gianforte raised your property taxes. And he did it deliberately, in order to give the wealthy and corporations huge tax cuts. That’s a simple truth that our governor doesn’t want you to hear, but it’s im…
Urges folks to attend zoning hearing
If you live within 2 miles of the Columbia Falls city limits please take notice that Flathead County is assuming zoning jurisdiction of the soon to be eliminated 1-mile planning/zoning “donut” around our town. …
They support Freedom to Vote
Having proudly served as former Secretaries of State in Montana, we understand how important democracy is to the people of our state. It’s not a matter of what side of the aisle you stand on – it’s a matter of wha…