Columns
Searching for opinion based articles? Below we'll share opinion news articles on a wide variety of topics.
Life at 20 below
There is something about being out in weather that is colder than 20 below that is both alarming and exhilarating.
GATRs abound in North Fork
What a glorious week! Warm and sunny, then the smoke from the west returned and the week ended with a heavy night rain.
Fines justified in North Fork bear case
Biggest news this week on the North Fork is the grizzly Monica and her three yearling cubs. The family of bears has been seen and photographed by most local residents as they wandered through yards up and down th...
Traffic down, a little
All fire restrictions have been lifted. That means campfires are legal and outdoor activities around a cheerful fire are back on the agenda. If it is not raining — or even if it is. No official that I know has be...
Student bloopers
Very few teachers in grade, high, or colleges save their student’s class reports but Richard Lederer began doing that many years ago and maybe he has earned more money from his columns and books than from teachin...
Future Olympian
I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of sad the Olympics are over. It was the sort of mindless television I could absorb, cocktail in hand, before going to bed. In other words, perfect.
North Fork updates
Smoke continues to obscure a clear view of the mountains. I am tired of seeing a red sun during the day and no stars or moon at night.
Just get the vaccine
I received my Covid-19 shots last winter when people were standing in line for them. I’ve been increasingly mystified by the vaccine resistance since then.
Avoid the Camas Road
Yes, it is still hot, smoke still hides Glacier’s peaks from view on most days and the Hay Creek Fire continues to skunk around and grow daily. It is now over 2,000 acres but firefighters’ strategy has continued ...
Bait
Reading the police logs every week can either be entertaining or downright depressing, depending on the entries.
The worst birthday
A classic G. George Ostrom column from July 2009...
Remembering Duke
Another action-packed, mostly fun-filled weekend on the North Fork. It all started on Friday with a big memorial for Duke Hoiland. Although this was not technically a fun event, it was a solemn tribute to a man w...
Rosendale defends vote against Juneteenth
In theory there is nothing wrong with a celebration of emancipation. The freeing of the slaves was one of the great steps forward for this country, an end to the darkest chapter in American history. But we don’...
Traffic
Without a doubt, summer is the busiest time of the year on the North Fork—at least for the human animals. Before the Fourth of July we have already had a history tour in Glacier Park conducted by the McFarland an...
Is he from the Deep South or Montana?
I think it was the 1977 Montana Republican state convention, and the speaker standing before the delegates was newly elected Congressman Ron Marlenee. Facing criticism from some of the hard right element of his ...
Thoughts on Inside Road
For years Glacier Park swore that they would repair and reopen the Inside Road. This went on for so long that I, and others, believed they were just kicking the can down the road until they could just abandon the...