Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Following conversations with officials in Park County, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has closed the Yellowstone River in Park County to all recreational use due to public safety risks caused by extremely high water levels, endangered and failing infrastructure, flooded and impassible access roads, and limited availability of search and rescue resources. All fishing access sites on the Yellowstone River in Park County are also closed from the Yellowstone National Park boundary to Springdale Bridge Fishing Access Site. Most fishing access sites...
Local residents will have plenty of chances to find a hidden gem this Saturday at the annual Whitehall Community Garage Sale. The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 18 and maps can be picked up at Thriftway, The Ledger, Pepper Tree Deli and the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce Office beginning today. Maps will also be available Saturday at all participating sale locations and the Whitehall Farmer's Market. Whitehall's Community Garage Sale is a conglomeration of individual garage sales...
Whitehall’s music series, Beats & Eats, makes its 2022 debut on Wednesday, June 15 from 5-8 PM on Main Street Green, next to the Star Theatre. Come enjoy three local bands, a dine-around menu of local food offerings, and a fun-filled evening. Bring a lawn chair! If the weather is not cooperating, the event will move indoors to the Star Theatre. A dine-around menu will be provided and orders are asked to be placed by 5:15 PM. Coordinators from the Whitehall Chamber will pick up and deliver the food to attendees. Beats & Eats is brought to you b...
Portrayed in a fantasy world, five confused participants wake up with no memory of their past life...with only one word, a personality descriptor written in type on their shirts. The doctor explains that each is here willingly and that they are all being compensated for their participation in a research study. Will the assigned attribute of each participant affect their behavior when under extreme duress? Once the experiment begins and they find out that to lose is to die, all five do what they must to survive the experiment. The Hunger Games...
It was clear at the June Whitehall Town Council meeting that the Whitehall Planning Board, along with its sub-committee, has been quite busy, just as Whitehall itself is busy with the hustle and bustle of summer activities, road construction, and work on the water treatment facility gets into full swing. The meeting, which had a full audience, had a lengthy agenda of items related to the Planning Board. While Mayor Janacaro-Hensleigh worked through the agenda and public comment, many comments took place away from the podium’s microphone. S...
Hey, everyone! To anyone who attended Top Gun Maverick this weekend, I want to say thank you for coming to enjoy a great movie and for having patience with our staff. This weekend was the busiest the theater has been in the seven years I have operated the Star; it’s a great reminder of why the theatre is important to our town. We had 535 people come to one central location and have an experience together as a community. This is exactly what the theatre is here for. Since the building was built in the 1910s it has been the gathering place for t...
Dear Editor, Now that the Animal Shelter mill levy has been voted down for the second time by a margin ten times larger than it was voted down the first time, it is time for the County Commissioners to take action. They should sit down with the Sheriff, people from ALL the animal shelters in the County, people from the Butte and Helena animal shelters, the local veterinarians, and anyone else who wants to help and figure out (1) what the County’s animal shelter needs really are and (2) how they can best be addressed in a reasonable fashion. T...
Dear Editor, The lengthy letter in your issue of June 8th contains a lot of statements about guns. Some of them seem pretty fictional to me. Here is a fact: In 2021 Chicago had 797 homicides. Chicago has about the strongest laws against private gun ownership of any place in the USA. In 2021 the state of Montana had 50 homicides. Montana has one of the highest rates of private gun ownership in any of the 50 states of the USA. Montana is also one of the states whose laws allow the most freedom to keep and bear arms. I have been around guns...
Dear Editor, It’s a wonderful life! I originally titled this, It’s A Wonderful Job, but working at Whitehall Community Library is really a lifestyle. The Library is a welcoming, fun environment where everyone is treated like family. And the job truly is wonderful. There is so much going on, it’s sometimes a whirlwind of people, programming, and activities. Whether we are “Going on a Bear Hunt” with preschoolers through trees made of chairs, guiding our grade school science group through creating room-sized marble runs, launching vinegar a...
Dear Editor, In response to the blatant misinformation in June 8th’s “Letter to the Editor,” I find it interesting the writer is quoting an article by Sally Martinelli that is published in the same issue of the Whitehall Ledger. How did Mr. Johnson know this article would be published? Perhaps the Editor could explain this apparent coordinated attack on our Second Amendment Rights? Mr. Johnson is using left-leaning and biased Anti Gun organizations, as one of his sources. Right out of the Liberal/Socialist playbook, in an attempt to convi...
This coming week (June 20-23 from 9 AM-noon) Cardwell Community Church is hosting a wonderful Vacation Bible School program planned for children ages 5-12. There will be incredible stories from the Bible, Singing Songs, Playing Games, having a snack, and participating in making fun stuff!!!! So, please come and join us for a Christ-Centered Vacation Bible School. Our theme is “Rescuing a Friend.” Your child will be part of a fun and educational program centered on Jesus. Learn why Jesus volunteered to come to earth and “rescue” us from a world...
It's hard to say whether politics are in my future since I never considered politics in my past, even the recent past, like the last three months. I've never had any interest in politics and still do not. I realize that's an odd statement to make considering my attempt to become a county commissioner. For me, it was never about entering politics. It was about getting behind the curtain of government to better understand it and then acting accordingly within constitutional confines and...
The Jefferson County Weed District works to manage weeds on county property, road right -of -ways, and areas of public interest and activity. The District also works with the cities of Boulder and Whitehall to manage weed infestations. Technical assistance may be provided to individual residents, agricultural, industrial, and governmental interest to aid in the safe and efficient management and control of noxious weeds. The Weed District is charged with the responsibility of administrating the County Weed Control Act. Our goal is to aid with...
Dear Jo, I am always amazed by Montana. What a beautiful state! I moved here last winter. Is the weather always this volatile? It is hot one day, cold and rainy, even snowy, the next. I keep getting caught with the wrong clothing on! How the heck do I prepare for the weather around here?! Signed, Sun Burned and Shivering Dear Sun Burned, Always have layers, either on you or with you. It is prudent to carry some food and water in your vehicle at all times. Make sure your gas stays above half a tank. Binoculars should be in your car, just for...
At age 30, you’ve spent a month having birthdays. Have we checked all foods to see if exploding makes them better or did we just stop at corn? We blame society, but we are society. In the scope of the universe, wood is probably far more rare than diamonds, gold and other precious metals. The man bun is the mullet of our generation. A 100lb cat is much scarier than a 100lb dog. As a little kid, teenagers looked big and scary. As an adult, they look like little kids. Animal fact of the day: If you described a giraffe and a unicorn to a person w...
Norman Victor Ridder passed away on Thursday, June 9, 2022. He was born on December 22, 1932, at the farm home of Joseph and Johanna (Kerschen) Ridder. He was one of five children. Norman attended elementary school in Marienthal, KS, and then helped his dad and brothers on the farm. Norman married Julianna Kessler on June 16, 1952, and they had five children. They took over his father's farm until 1964 when they sold the farm to his brother and moved to Plains, MT where they had bought a ranch....
Looking at one of Trent McCauley's crystal pendants wrapped in silver wire, one sees so much more than a beautiful stone and fine craftsmanship. The piece represents the man himself and the state in which he was born and resides. It's like a piece of McCauley, his story and what he's been through, gone through. A part of his life, his journey, what brought him here. A sixth-generation Montanan, his family has been here since 1864; the stone also represents Montana's mining history. Combined,...
For those of you who have not heard, the library mill levy passed! Thank you so much to everyone who voted to keep your library moving forward!! We have been flooded this week with patrons coming in to tell us how much they love the library and are excited to see what comes next. So many people were involved in getting information out to the public that it is impossible to thank everyone individually. I do want to thank the incredible Friends of the Whitehall Community Library for funding all...
For all you plant lovers currently suffering sticker shock for the price of a 4-inch potted plant, the WGC is here to help with great deals at our plant sale. This Saturday, June 18th, WGC will be participating in the Community Garage Sale. Thanks to club members who have been thinning their long-established gardens and houseplants, we are pleased to offer approximately 150 plants for sale. There are between 15 to 20 perennial varieties for sale that coming from local gardens are well acclimated to Whitehall’s environment. This, combined w...
Whitehall was named a 2021 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to effective urban forest management. Whitehall achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: forming a tree board or department, creating a tree-care ordinance, having an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of S...
Did you know that our Whitehall Girl Scouts participated in the Girl Scouts of Montana & Wyoming's Community Cleanup Week on Friday, June 10th to make a lasting difference in your community and the world? What if every person picked up at least one piece of litter on the same day? Around Montana, organizers and individuals joined forces for Community Cleanup Week June 4th through 11th to beautify our outdoor spaces by picking up trash, and debris, planting flowers & trees. As Girl Scouts, we strive to make the world a better place. Now imagine...
Jefferson Valley Fine Arts group is looking for artists and photographers to participate in a two-day exhibit being held during the 2022 Frontier Days, July 22 and 23. Cost to exhibit is $15.00, no commissions will be charged on sales. It will be held at the Borden Building conference room located on North Main Street entrance in Whitehall. This is the sixth year for the Frontier Day exhibit and the weekend celebration provides wonderful exposure to our exhibiting artists! Please come join the fun! This year, we are inviting all counties in our...
Talk with almost any Montana family farm and ranch enterprise and you will find one of goal is to transfer land and businesses to the next generation. “The process can be challenging to all members of the family,” says Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension family economics specialist. “Some families may avoid the process completely because of the economic, legal, and family decision complexities. Others may start the process but abandon it to avoid conflicts that can arise from differences in goals, values, and feelings of fairness among family membe...
Warm weather has arrived and if you're seeking ways to promote family fun and activity, check out this round-up of kid-friendly tech gear, all of which can inspire creativity during outdoor adventures: Smartwatches: Featuring dual cameras for pictures, selfies, and videos so kids can capture bike rides, playground visits, and more on the go, the KidiZoom Smartwatch DX3 from VTech is a great outdoor companion for those ages 4 and older. Use the built-in LED light and flash to brighten up dimly...
Mark your calendars for the sixth annual Copper K Fiber Festival Saturday, July 16 (9 AM-5 PM) and Sunday, July 17 (9 AM-4 PM). Event creator Kami Noyes of Ranching Fiber Traditions invites everyone to attend this event, where Fiber Arts are Getting Back to Their Roots! The event is free of charge with fiber arts workshops, vendors, and more included in this fun-filled weekend at the historic Copper K Barn just outside of Whitehall. With over thirty vendors, the Fiber Festival offers not only...