Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 1702
Dear Rocky Mountain Head Start Board of Directors and Whom It May Concern, My name is Melissa Einboden, and I am writing with a sincere and heartfelt request on behalf of our local preschool program's families, children, and supporters. In the past year, I have been in the classroom a lot. Just ask Whitehall classroom staff. I have developed a passion for these kids and just like the Head Start kid I was, my mom would have told you- I have a hard time accepting, uh, not getting my way.... We...
Dear Editor, We must stop shifting state burdens to the community! At a recent Whitehall Indivisible meeting, someone suggested our community "come together" to fund the preschool program being cut from Whitehall. But that's not a solution-it's a symptom of a larger failure. Rocky Head Start is closing, and families here are losing access to those slots so they can go to Helena. Why? Because we only filled 13 of 16 spots. That doesn't mean the need isn't real. It means the system is failing smal...
Dear Editor, Well, it finally happened... I knew it would happen sooner or later; I'm more than willing to accept full responsibility for my lawless actions. I was pulled over the other evening while traveling into town. I've been traveling around town like this in my golf cart named "Sunshine" for a bit over 5 years now, without so much as a "BOO" from the cops, or anyone else for that matter, so why now? I understand, as I have from the beginning, that technically, it is illegal to travel on...
Humans get more instructions on how to microwave packaged meals than they do on raising a child from birth and beyond. Eventually, the “share-sized” candy bars will be the original-sized candy bars before shrinkflation. The social value of a sneeze changes throughout the year. In winter, people assume you’re sick; in spring, people assume it’s allergies. Billions of people have lived and died who no one remembers, but a specific, individual spider I let crawl on my arm 30 years ago exists in living human memory. If a supernatural event happene...
In case you hadn’t noticed, Montana is a heavy whine-producing state. The vintners are many, from the Marxist professors and ranting radicals brought onto our campuses, to the farmers, corporate welfarists, and chamber of commerce types, looking to government for special favors, subsidies, and protections from competition. Montanans are intoxicating our politics with cases of expensive whine. Witness the “Republican” legislature’s latest budget bill (HB 2) that imposes on us an 18 percent increase in future spending. Another session where,...
GEORGIA, I have a question, My son just told me his daughter, age 26, is getting breast enhancement surgery. How do I address that when I next see her, probably in several months? It’s not like commenting on a new hair color or hairdo. Old men commenting on female anatomy, particularly that part, are not looked at favorably, and I don’t want her to think her grandpa is creepy. As I see it, this goes in two ways: 1. She mentions it to me, though this is probably not likely to happen. So, since she got the surgery to make a visible dif...
The subject of prayer never gets old, and the Bible is filled with valuable principles and advice. The pages also discover both exemplary and poor examples of prayer. As readers, we can learn from all this by examining our motives and personal practices about prayer. Luke chapter 18 begins with two parables, but I contend they are interrelated. Over the last two years, I’ve spent considerable time exploring the parables of Jesus as recorded by Luke. I find them powerful, interesting, and insightful. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to s...
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Spending time with new friends and those you’ve known for years can be a satisfying way to pass the week, Aries. Try to plan some activities that you can enjoy together. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, you may tackle some necessary, albeit time-consuming, chores this week. They may take a few hours, but you’ll have time to unwind. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, certain information you have been looking for may finally surface. Once you have your answers, you can move on to other tasks. CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, emo...
As moms, educators, and lawmakers, we came to the Capitol this session with one clear goal: to improve opportunity for Montana's kids. But with just weeks left in the legislative session, we're concerned that we may leave Helena having done only the bare minimum-and that's not good enough. Montana's future depends on the investments we make in our children today. If we want strong communities, a skilled workforce, and a healthier, more prosperous state, we must prioritize the health, education,...
Dear Editor, Congratulations to the fourth grade author Aleena McDonald. It's so refreshing to read this and see a young author pursuing her dream! Thank you, Liz, for printing Aleena's bio and her fiction piece in the Whitehall Ledger. May this young author go far in her writing! Best Regards, KATIE SMITH Whitehall, Montana...
Dear Director, Policy Members, and Board Members of Rocky Mountain Head Start, (and Ledger Editor), My name is Melissa Einboden, and I am writing to you today not only as a mother, but as someone whose life-and whose family-has been deeply impacted by the Head Start program. I hope you'll take a moment to read our story, because it speaks to how truly powerful and essential this program is for families like mine. When my youngest son, Ryder, was a baby, I was working a demanding, high-stress...
Dear Editor, I am writing to inform you of a concerning development that will significantly impact families in the small rural community of Whitehall. Rocky Head Start, based out of Helena, is moving forward with a plan to close the Whitehall Head Start Classroom. This closure would be a significant loss for Whitehall, a community with limited resources where the Head Start program provides crucial support for many families. The potential loss of this program will undoubtedly have a detrimental...
In many Mario games, gathering one hundred coins nets an extra life. In Super Mario Odyssey, Mario’s boxer shorts cost 1,000 coins... ergo Mario’s life is worth less than his underwear. Mount Everest is still growing, which means every time someone climbs to the top, they’re breaking a new world record. Contortionists probably have a better chance of surviving a car crash. Phone companies should release plastic versions of their phones for people who would otherwise keep them in a bulky case for their whole life. Solar power is the only form...
GEORGIA, I have a question, When my son Liam (17M) was born, I started saving for his college education. I wasn’t rich, but I saved a little each month so he wouldn’t struggle when ready. Over the years, I would joke with him, telling him, “If you don’t go to college, I’ll spend this on a trip to Europe to drink the best beer in the world.” He always laughed, rolling his eyes, knowing I was only half serious. Tragically, Liam passed away in an accident just before his 18th birthday. The pain was unbearable. His mother (my ex-wife) and I were...
Discipleship, as taught by Jesus, involves unconventional thinking based on the principle of servant leadership. He lived out His teachings, taking on the attitude and position as servant, even to the point of death, as He laid down His life for us. Jesus's sacrifice as the incarnate God speaks to His nature, character, and love for humanity. Throughout the Bible, Jesus is referred to in many ways: King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Master of the Universe, Creator of everything, all of which speak to His authority and dominion over all creation....
ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Expect some valuable insight regarding your future to emerge in the next few days, Aries. It won’t be difficult to set plans in motion when you have the right people on your side. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, take a breather and give some careful thought to your recent experiences and your expectations going forward. You will benefit from this in the long run. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 You are focused on your work, Gemini. However, distractions are beyond your control right now and will pull your attention away from what ma...
Dear Editor, Barbara Lien's Letter to the Editor in the Ledger's April 2nd issue is somewhat misleading. Nationally it is true that Indivisible's mission is to elect progressive leaders and to defeat the Trump agenda. However, local chapter mission statements vary to some degree. Protecting, not rebuilding, our democracy and institutions is a part of local chapter mission statements as well as "Indivisibles." I have attended three meetings of the Whitehall Indivisible group and can...
Dear Editor, I would like to submit a letter in response to Barbara Lien's letter. Barbara, thank you for writing to express your concerns regarding Whitehall Indivisible. The seeds of the group sprouted on a snowy day in February over scones at my kitchen table. Concern about the direction of this beloved country drew us together initially and continues to draw people to the meetings, and that is nonpartisan. Violating the Constitution is a nonpartisan insult, as is law-breaking by high-level...
Dear Editor, Do you believe in justice? Let me tell you a story. One there was a young lady, barely 19 years old. This lady had developed mental illness due to a couple of very traumatic events in the last year and a half. She was diagnosed, but soon quit taking her medication. She thought that she was okay. But soon enough, the trouble started (delusions, voices, etc.). She had several encounters with tlocal police (they know her byt name.) They knew that the young lady was mentally ill. So...
Dear Editor, I would like to respond to Barbara Lien's Letter to the Editor: Please come to our meeting before you make any decisions about where this group lands on the political spectrum. I am certainly not "Far Left." I also took the Pew political quiz that you wrote about. I also landed on "Stressed Sideliners" and "Outsider Left." We are not very far apart at all! I am very distressed at what is happening in the country and what is happening to friends and family, and I am also completely...
Dear Editor, Thank you to Barbara Lien for your Letter to the Editor published in the April 2nd Ledger. Upon reading the letter and noting her mention of the name Whitehall Indivisible, I recognize an ongoing situation that has persisted for years and gradually worsened by enhancing the false division between members of both parties. Unfortunately, politicians have used that misunderstanding to their own advantage while running for office. When I read the letter and saw that she had brought up t...
Every time a celebrity signs an autograph, they end up slightly devaluing every autograph they’ve ever signed. If a highly advanced alien civilization wants to stay hidden, then we can be sure that there won’t be any evidence of them being here. Future people are going to talk about us with our micro plastics and bad food pyramid the same way we talk about the romans for using lead piping and lead cups. Could you imagine being a honey bee and knowing that a huge amount of the human population immediately associates honey with bears instead? It...
We spend a lot of time debating a variety of different issues here at the Montana Legislature. However, many of our neighbors really just want us to address one thing: property taxes. With only 90 days to work every two years, it’s important for us to prioritize policies that the people of Montana sent us here to accomplish. There have been multiple proposals to lower property and income taxes, but few have made their way to the Governor’s desk, with only a handful of weeks left to go this session. So, what gives? Sadly, it appears that all...
GEORGIA, I have a question, In this case, can two wrongs make a right? I (29F) and my husband (30M) are expecting our first baby. We announced it at my brother’s wedding. And now, half the family is furious with us. Before you judge me, let me tell you the whole story. Two years ago, when we got married, it was one of the happiest days of my life... until my brother decided to steal the spotlight. During the reception, in the middle of his toast, he got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend in front of everyone. The crowd went wild, p...
As Christians, we find ourselves on a journey, from being lost sinners without Jesus to being found and made righteous in Christ. We move from simply a follower of Jesus to a disciple who grows in character, found in personal conduct and our relationships, as we surrender to the Holy Spirit and obey principles in the Bible. No Christian is perfect on this side of eternity; thus, the term journey. In Luke 17, Jesus directs His teaching to the disciples, unlike most previous chapters, where His teachings focus on confronting the Pharisees in...
