The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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The Montana History Foundation has awarded the Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society a grant of $10,000 in support of the Matt King House Project. Carissa Beckwith, Grants Manager for the MHF, notified the UBVHS of the grant -- the maximum yearly amount awarded to any one project by the MHF -- in a March 18 e-mail. "I was sick with a head cold and didn't see the email until two days after it was sent," said acting UBVHS President Erin Dey. "I was so happy and excited and...
One of the hottest debates I have witnessed in this part of the country during my lifetime has been on the “re-introduction” of wolves. Please note that I place the term “re-introduction” in quotes, because the wolves that were introduced into Yellowstone National Park in the 1990’s are of the Canadian Timberwolf variety - a subspecies larger and more aggressive than the grey wolves that originally roamed the forests and plains of Montana. According to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website, “the gray wolf was extirpa...
Lincoln Schools teacher Laura Bullis' Social Entrepreneurship class is slated to host a "Mud Run" for charity Saturday, June first. The Freshmen-level class dedicates the last semester of the school year to teaching kids to use their tech skills to develop, plan and organize an event that gives back to the community, Bullis told the BVD. "The kids have always made the decision of what to do. I take no part in choosing," she said. "Next year it could be picking trash up from...
Farm fresh produce, handmade foodstuffs, unique arts and crafts, and live music are just some of the attractions browsers will find at the new Lincoln Farmer's Market throughout the coming summer. The farmer's market is scheduled to open for business at 4 p.m., Friday, June 7 at Hooper Park. The market will continue on the first and third Fridays of every month, from 4 to 8 p.m., through Sept. 6. Twelve vendors selling everything from produce to pottery have reserved spots...
When weaver Teri Fitzgerald was gifted a wealth of basketry materials, she immediately wanted to share the windfall. "I knew right away that I wanted to do something with the kids," Fitzgerald told the BVD. An experienced basket maker who had conducted workshops at Lincoln School in the past, Fitzgerald said it had been several years since she'd done so. Then, last year, local artisan Becky Thurman made her a gift of her collection of basketry materials and patterns. The...
Recently, someone introduced themselves to me as “[insert name here], fourth generation Montanan, ranching family.” “Wow,” thought I. “This individual is awfully proud of their heritage – a sentiment I can understand – and wants everyone to know it.” Although I have not noted announcing oneself and one’s lineage thusly upon first meeting to be the general custom among most of the ranching families I grew up around, I thought maybe I’m not up to snuff on Montana ranching family etiquette. So, to go with the flow, I followe...
In a nod to Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild's cultural and economic impact, the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development recently awarded the sculpture park their Heritage and Cultural Tourism award. In the award's wake, local business owners reflected on the park's impact on tourism commerce in Lincoln. Laurie Richards, who owns the Wheel Inn Bar, provides BPSW brochures on the tables in her business and often steers travelers to Sculpture in the Wild....
4 Lincoln Schools graduate Gabe Harris returned to his Alma Mater last Thursday to bring his love of ceramics to junior high and high school students as a part of a course designed to expose the community to ceramics. Harris, an Anthropology major at University of Montana Missoula, spent the school day presiding over several interactive demonstrations in which students painted designs on 23 mugs provided by Harris. They were also able to take turns at the pottery wheel....
April 15th marks the one-hundred-and-seventh anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, a catastrophic accident that resulted in tragic loss of life and still serves as a monument to hubris – the folly of proud men who built a ship and deemed it "unsinkable." The tragedy of the Titanic is one that has touched hearts and gripped imaginations for generations, especially after the fateful day was vividly captured in James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster film, "Titanic." The movie f...
As part of an effort to revitalize the Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society by capturing twentieth century history, the UBVHS welcomed locals Joe Youderian and Francis Beehler to a meeting in the back room of Lambkins Saturday, March 6. Over coffee and pastries, Youderian and Beehler shared memories of Lincoln in the fifties, sixties and seventies. The Historical Society hopes to host several such "table talks," and encourages longtime Lincoln residents to join them and...
The Lincoln Council for the Arts has sponsored two performances by nationally recognized ventriloquist Lynn Trefzger, who is slated to bring her vocal illusion talents to Lincoln School students Wednesday April 10, and to the Community Hall Friday, April 12. Described in her artist's bio as "Disney Entertainment's favorite ventriloquist," Trefzger has performed for family audiences worldwide and presents a puppet act tailored to amuse both kids and adults. She was first...
The Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance has voted to establish a new memorial scholarship in honor of first responder Bill Frisbee. Longtime LVA volunteer and board member Emily Rundell proposed the Bill Frisbee Memorial Scholarshipp to the LVA board and, after receiving the approval of Frisbee's family, the board voted unanimously last month to create the new scholarship. Frisbee, who passed away Jan. 16, volunteered as an EMT for several years and was recognized as the Ambulance's...
The Lincoln School Board has voted to raise the minimum age to attend Lincoln's free pre-school from three to four years old. Montana is one of nine states without state funded pre-school programs. However, the 2018-19 school years saw the introduction of Lincoln's first free pre-school program, thanks to grant funding that made the program possible. Originally, the program accepted three and four-year-olds, but the minimum age will rise to four in the 2019-20 school year....
Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild has been chosen as one of three finalists up to receive a Montana Tourism Award in the category of Heritage and Cultural Tourism. Nominated alongside Sculpture in the Wild are Helena’s Archie Bray Foundation and the Kootenai Country Montana Chainsaw Carving Championship. Visitors and friends of Sculpture in the Wild nominated the park, and BPSW President Becky Garland said board members were notified of the park’s selection as a finalist last week. She said she hopes several boa...
Having been raised in a rather traditional lifestyle and culture, I by no means consider myself a person who places no value in the past. Having said that, I like to think that I also recognize the danger inherent in clinging inflexibly to outdated traditions that no longer fit in the world in which we live. I'm all for honoring and learning from the past, but at what point does holding on to the version of the past that suits us become a detriment to the future? This is the question I asked myself after stumbling across an...
Plans to bring a skatepark to Lincoln are gaining momentum as Lewis and Clark County officials’ enthusiasm for the project grows. Community Coordinator Karyn Good, who agreed to help the Lincoln Skatepark Committee with organization and outreach, as well as funds sourcing for the project, presented a proposal prepared by Evergreen Skate Parks to County Commissioners and other officials at Lincoln’s Government Day Meeting, Feb. 4. “We reached out to (Pearl Jam drummer Jeff Ament) and he put us in contact with Evergreen Skate...
After a couple of lucky breaks, the Lincoln Volunteer Ambulance was recently able to bring home a new ambulance to serve Lincoln. "We found it on one of our EMS sites on Facebook – a volunteer ambulance department out of Chesterfield, Va. was selling it," LVA president Aaron Birkholz said of the "new" ambulance, a 2006 model on a Chevy C4500 frame with only 65,000 miles on the odometer. The LVA had been saving for a new ambulance for years and had around $47,000 in savings a...
I think I may have unwittingly traumatized my kid this weekend. She’s stoic, so it’s hard to tell, but I have the sneaking suspicion that I’ll be hearing about this incident over Thanksgiving dinner in about ten years. I’ll explain, but first I will ask you to not judge me too harshly. I think every parent or step-parent on earth has probably made a similar mistake at one time or another. You all remember that time your parents innocently popped Old Yeller or Watership Down into the VCR, right? Or, maybe they took your tw...
After eight years with the Montana Department of Transportation, Lincoln native Hayes Feeback is moving on to pursue a lifelong dream. "This summer I...did a check ride for my private pilot's license," Feeback told the BVD. "I've always been intrigued by the flying part of it and my grandfather was a pilot, so my whole life I was always told about being a pilot. I decided this summer that I was going to try it out. I went up and did my first check ride in Helena and fell in...
A s last weekend's third annual Skijor Lincoln approached, an unexpected lack of snow fueled rumors that the event would have to be cancelled. However, the Lincoln Valley Chamber of Commerce was not willing to give up on the popular event, which has provided a mid-winter boost to Lincoln businesses since its inaugural year in 2017. Early last week, with snowfall levels still critically low, the Chamber acted to ensure the show would go on. "I texted the board and said, 'it's...
Despite having grown up surrounded by animals – or perhaps because of it – I am not a card-carrying member of the dog lover’s club. Before you rally a lynch mob, let me explain my position by saying that I was raised surrounded primarily by working dogs. I will admit that the line between working dog and pet was somewhat blurred in our household, but many of you who grew up on farms and ranches and would probably not dream of letting a dog onto your bed will certainly understand the difference. Loyal and intelligent as our c...
In March of 2015, Lincoln area Game Warden Ezra Schwalm was all set to move forward with an application to a Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks public fishing pond grant program. Schwalm, who originally became aware of the program via a work e-mail, envisioned a community-driven project to bring a family-friendly fishing pond to Lincoln; a safe place where, ideally, kids could walk with their fishing poles. Schwalm sits on the Lincoln Park Board and felt at the time that Lambkin Park would be an ideal location for the pond,...
The retirement of Lincoln Schools Superintendent/Principal Carla Anderson at the end of this school year could mean a change in the structure of the school's administration. Anderson, who has served four years in the combined role of Superintendent and Principal, submitted her retirement announcement to the School Board in December, citing health reasons. Although the Board expected Anderson to seek a renewal of her contract, which expires in June of 2019, her intention to...
Times change, and kids grow up, but for twenty-six years George Pierce, recognizable in his trademark daily ties, has remained a fixture at Lincoln Schools. When Pierce hired on as the school's only science teacher in 1993, it was his first teaching job. A native of Illinois, Pierce first visited Montana as a child, and decided then that he would someday make the Big Sky State his home. "I came through Montana when I was eight years old, and I knew I was coming back as soon...
Any rancher will tell you that cows have no great respect for excuse or circumstance. In times of joy or grief, hardship or plenty, celebration or sadness, one aspect of ranch life remains universal – come hell or high water, the cows still need to be fed. Katie and Tel Menard are as familiar as any with this reality of ranching life. The grandchildren of local ranchers Gerald and Betty Lou Fleming, the adult siblings work together daily to winter 400-plus head of cattle n...
