Opinion / Columnists
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Facing the challenges ahead for school
When I first took office in January 2011, like most elected officials I had little idea what my position would entail. County Superintendent of Schools is an unusual position. While my duties are...
Saving seeds, tilling and morning glories
I want to save seeds from my poppies and hollyhocks. How do I do that? The most important thing is not to cut off the seedpods too soon. When seedpods turn from green to beige, the seeds in the pods...
Personal care attendant program available locally
Dear Seeley-Swan Residents, I want to let you know about our current client availability for Missoula Aging Services, In-Home Support Services, Personal Care Attendant Program. Missoula Aging...
Egos everywhere
I've often referred to a person's ego as values, beliefs and identity. Now, we can experience ego and these characteristics first-hand in our social lives. Today, there is an enormous divide between...
A year in review...
When I volunteered to write a "commissioners' first year in review" column last summer, I didn't anticipate it would include pandemic, threat of economic collapse or efforts to dismantle structural...
Are you ready for wildfire season?
The predictive meteorologists with the Northern Rockies Coordination Center are expecting above-average fire activity for our region in August and September. Things are heating up out there, and July will be over sooner than any of us would...
Wishful thinking and denial
Wishful thinking has been called magical thinking, fantasy thinking, even idealistic thinking. It has never been called realistic thinking. In other words, it is a form of thought that expresses perso...
Senior Farmers' Market Coupon program available
Along with our gorgeous summer weather, we in the Seeley-Swan Valley have something to celebrate! Seniors who are 60 years of age and older, residents of Missoula County and meet federal income...
Tomato troubles, plastic covering and tasty veggies
What does it mean when the bottom leaves of my tomatoes turn yellow? It means that the bottom leaves are not healthy. If they turn yellow late in the growing season, it means only that the leaves are...
Pound wise
Over 70% of American adults and over 18% of kids are overweight or obese. Here are 6 important things to be aware of regarding extra weight: • Increased weight increases cancer risk: Research shows...
Rotator cuff injuries
Your rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles and tendons that help keep your shoulder in its socket and allow you to move it in a circular motion. Some two million people a year seek medical attention...
Respond to Census
Every 10 years we are asked to do one of the easiest, safest and most important things we can do for our communities: fill out our Census form. It doesn't sound exciting or glamorous, but without...
You can't swing to warm up, you have to warm up to swing
Is your warmup hitting a bucket of balls and taking some practice swings? The golf swing is a complex, full body motion that puts a lot of force through your body. Swinging a club without properly...
Public land
I was think'n again the other day (ya it could be dangerous) about a small blowdown sale I once had on the back side of Owl Loop Road. Some big larch had went down near the edge of a old clear cut....
Oppression, anger, explosion
Did you ever shake a carbonated bottle of water, or soda pop or something similar? Of course, you have. The pressure inside the bottle builds-up. You can't see it but when you open the lid, the...
We must work together to ensure justice for all
On May 25 our nation witnessed the horror of George Floyd dying with a police officer’s knee pressed into his neck. Mothers everywhere, from Minneapolis to Maine to Missoula, winced hearing a dying man call to his own. This act is but a snapshot...
Weekend Warriors
Between work, family/friends and errands, it's understandable why weekend warriors cram all their physical activity into two days. Unfortunately, five days of inactivity, and being active on the...
The evolution of the .44 magnum continued
This column picks up where the last one ended concerning the development of the .44 Magnum cartridge. The last column ended with the introduction of the first .44 caliber, self contained cartridge...
How to enroll in Medicare during COVID-19
What is Medicare? Medicare is federally supported health insurance for: • People age 65 or older • Anyone on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) • Anyone with End-Stage Renal Disease or... Full story
Compost, walls of water and plant bedding
Q: Would too many pine needles be bad for my compost? A: Poor old pine needles! They often get a bad rap from gardeners, for no good reason. Pine needles have been accused of making paths slippery...
Smart phones may be rapidly aging our necks
It's almost a reflex these days to pull out our smart phones when we're waiting for someone or standing in a line. But what's this modern convenience doing to our neck? A surgeon-led study assessed...
COVID-19 support group: Strength through each other
Each of our lives have been touched, reconstructed, impacted, emotionally imploded, all to varying degrees. That is what this support group is about. I would like to offer a support group at no...
More tools of the trade
From the time I was 15 and bought my first chain saw, that old gear drive McCulloch for $25 with money I earned trapping, I've probably owned every brand of saw made: Lombard, Stihl, Pioneer, Husky, S...
Facts about lower back pain (LBP)
Did you know that 80% of Americans will experience significant back pain over their lifetime? Of those Americans that experience back pain, 54% of them spend their day sitting. Leaning forward in an...
From isolation to personal development
During this time of sheltering-in-place and isolation, many people are struggling with being alone or even in the same shelter with family members. Isolation is particularly difficult for extraverted...