Opinion
Searching for opinion based articles? Below we'll share opinion news articles on a wide variety of topics.
Opinion: Christman recalls flood
The Great Flood of 1964 had a profound effect upon my life. In fact, in my stories of “Tales of a Misspent Youth,…
Illusions of summer and celebrations
Just when I think it really is summer, the weather turns cold again. Last Thursday we had a real gully washer, and today (Friday) the mountains have a cap of dull gray clouds and it is downright chilly and the only…
Clip and save this
Montana historian John Fraley has recently retired from the Montana Fish and Game Department and is coming out with another of his captivating books about settling the last real wilderness section of the lower 48 s…
Head-on wrecks and thunderstorms
What a neat week. Sunny and warm until Thursday with only mosquitoes and fast drivers with rafts to cuss at. Things started to change on Wednesday with a horrible head-on crash late in the afternoon.
Bed tax audit raises concerns
Summer is upon us and traffic is indicating what most already know — it’s going to be another great tourism season in northwest Montana. Recent headlines show that many cities are trying to mitigate the crush and d…
North Fork news
OK, it is summer even if not officially until later this month. It has to be summer if dust abatement is being done by the county. The most ever north of Polebridge thanks to increasing numbers of private landowner…
Ogling - the uncurable sin
It wasn’t long ago when I recalled in a column here about a past event wherein the Flathead County Commissioners ruled that “starting immediately” all women in the courthouse should wear clothing that came down ove…
Thoughts on Williams, Rankin
In a minor upset, Montana Democrats have chosen Kathleen Williams to unseat Republican Congressman Greg Gianforte. Maybe in the “year of the woman,” Williams will have greater success than recent Democratic nominee…
The bathing bear
“Did you see where that grizzly had been digging along the trail?” I said to the guy who was now hiking in front of us.
Killer trucks, skeeters and summer
This last week, it has seemed almost like summer is here. The river is well below flood stage and green instead of muddy and I met 10 raft trailers on the road Tuesday. Also, one red belly dump truck who was drivin…
The truth about nonsense
Have often quoted Plato, who said “Unmitigated seriousness is always out of place in human affairs.” I am a believer, so for maybe 20 years I’ve played around with the idea of a poetic nonsense children’s book wher…
Legislators should help solve problems
Whether your family has lived in Big Sky Country for decades or you’re a first-generation Montanan, all of us are united by the promise of our Montana values: hard work, rugged independence, and a commitment to joi…
GNP should take dust seriously
Years ago, concerned about the dust from the North Fork Road that I saw crossing the North Fork river and onto the glaciers — I asked GNP officials how many air quality monitoring stations they had.
About 'talking dirty'
I just finished reading an interesting study by a leading university that determined many people who cuss when frustrated are actually better adjusted to easing their distress and tension. In other words, some of t…
John stories
The John Frederick memorial was moved from the hostel to Sondreson Hall because of the possibility of high water. Some years, even if there is no real flood, the water comes up high enough that the hostel is an isl…
Teaching above and beyond
A big-time advertiser on Montana television has an ongoing program asking people to enter the name and background of “their favorite teacher.” Those chosen are then publicly honored statewide. I’d always planned to…