Columbus
Lake County Leader
Ramon "Ray" Bergh, 78
Ramon Quentin “Ray” Bergh, age 78 of Ronan, passed away June 20, 2024, from Alzheimer's. Ray was born Oct. 4, 1945, in Seattle, Wash., to Quentin and Beatrice (Boileau) Bergh. Ray had one brother and one sister.Ray grew up in Redstone and Plentywood, Mont, and graduated from Plentywood High School. He attended MSU-Northern, formerly Northern Montana College, from which he received two degrees. He worked for Vocation Rehabilitation for the State of Montana for over 20 years. After retiring from the State, he taught school in Box Elder and Havre.On Sept. 10, 1967, Ray married Lorrene Gustafson in Cut Bank....
Tribes receive $7.7 million from USDA for meat-processing plant
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are among eight tribal nations that recently received an Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.The $7.7 million grant will fund a 3,000-square-foot plant in Ronan designed to process up to 25 animals a week. The three-acre building site, located along Mink Lane, was part of a 31-acre parcel of tribal land annexed by the City of Ronan last summer.In a statement, Tribal Council Chair Michael Dolson said the grant was spearheaded by the CSKT Office of Economic Development, which “has worked tirelessly to develop this initiative, and...
Mariners B Team wins one against Kalispell, sweeps Cranbrook
The Mission Valley Mariners B Team traveled to Kalispell on Friday, June 14, to split a doubleheader with Kalispell Gold 15U. In the first game, the Mariners notched 16 hits in a 15-9 victory, while in the second game, Kalispell scored 13 runs in the sixth inning for a 17-15 victory.The doubleheader started with Mission Valley trailing 3-2 after three innings before eight runs in the top of the fourth. The Mariners then scored three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth.Justin Brown started the game on the mound and struck out three, while Eli Evenson pitched nearly...
Arlee man believed to be victim of wreck on Hwy. 2
A man who was killed in a fiery wreck June 8 on Highway 2 near Nyack is believed to be Dalton Olson, 29, of Arlee, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.Olson was reported missing by his mother after the accident and gave law enforcement DNA according to a GoFundMe post by family friends.Olson went off the highway in a Toyota Tacoma and struck trees. The rig then caught on fire and Olson was unable to get out the rig.The accident remains under investigation by the Montana Highway Patrol.A GoFundMe has been set up to support the family. Go to GoFundMe.com and search for Dalton Olson.
View from the Library: Summer programs in full swing
We have successfully kicked off our annual Summer Reading Program with over 100 attendees at our first program and 289 registrations on the first day. It’s not too late to register – you actually have until Aug. 10. Visit our website or stop in the library for details.We have wonderful incentives from local businesses, great prizes and fantastic programs. A library card is not required to participate and the program is open to everyone from newborns to super seniors.Each Thursday at 10 a.m. we host a special program for preschool and elementary-aged kids. We are so grateful to our community...
Sharon Young, 71
In the early hours of Wednesday, June 12, Sharon Young passed away at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease and complications from COVID-19. She was surrounded by family in her final hours and will be greatly missed by many.A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 22, at Garden City Funeral Home in Missoula, with a reception to follow. Online condolences may be left at gardencityfh.com. The Young family asks that any donations should be made in her name to the Michael J. Fox Foundation (michaeljfox.org).Sharon Lee (Meek) Young, daughter of...
Sally Cook, 85
Sally Deane Bailey Cook of Ronan, born July 18, 1938, passed away May 19, 2024, at the age of 85, in Missoula of natural causes.Sally was the daughter of Art and Blanche (Noble) Bailey. She grew up in Valley View, Polson. She shared her home with three older sisters and one younger brother. JoAnne Bailey Finch, being the only sibling living, resides in Polson.Sally loved being "the baby sister". She attended grade school at the Valley View School and attended high school in Polson.Sally married Johny Cook Jr. Oct. 16, 1955. After living in Las Vegas, Nev., for a short...
Sandpiper mural takes art to the community
Venture to the city docks in Polson, and you’ll see a brightly colored lake scene on the Sacajawea Park restroom building. It’s painted shades of turquoise, dark green, gold, and pink.Sandpiper Art Gallery and Gifts member Charlie Fudge ramrodding the project last Friday as gallery members painted the scene with help from anyone who came along and could be persuaded to pick up a brush.“This mural is one of the parts of our campaign to take art into the community,” Fudge explained. “It’s the first of two projects this year; the other is wrapping art around traffic control boxes.”Sandpiper member...
Area track athletes shine at Nationals
Several athletes from the Mission Valley Mercury Club competed at the Nike Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.Annalise Lewis was 13th in the freshman school 800-meter run (2:16.78), fifth in the 1,500-meter run (4:51.64), sixth in the 1,600-meter run (5:10.06) and sixth in the mile run (5:11.87).In the girls 100-meter freshman race, Amelia Stene placed 20th with a time of 12.99.Morgan Delaney placed 39th in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:43.05. In the boys 5,000-meter run, Owen Thiel was 30th with a time of 15:18.90.In the girls middle school 800-meter run, Ada Thiel was 25th (2:27.07) and Quinn Delaney was 45th (2:31.15). In the middle school 1,500-meter run, Ada was 19th (5:02.99) and Quinn was 50th (5:14.19).In the girls middle school 1,600-meter run, Ada was 19th (5:21.24) and Quinn was 47th (5:33.12). In the girls middle school one-mile run, Ada was 19th (5:23.03) and Quinn was 46th (5:34.86).
Harlequin ducks take center stage in Audubon presentation
"Harlequin Duck Hide and Go Seek" is the title of Mission Mountain Audubon's educational program at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 27, in the Polson Library meeting room. Presenter Holli Holmes is a graduate student in the University of Montana's wildlife biology program and a biological science technician in Glacier National Park.Most ducks prefer quiet ponds and marshes, but not Harlequins. Like white-water rafters, these colorful birds prefer the noisy and turbulent streams of northwestern Montana.Even its clown-like name belies its rugged lifestyle. Harlequin refers to the comedians of classical theater who wore painted faces and colorful costumes.But it’s not an...
Mission Valley Calendar
Boat Building Day – 10 a.m. June 20 at the North Lake County Library; the young boat builders who construct the vessel that can hold the most booty before it sinks wins the competition, which is part of the library’s summer reading program. Summer Solstice Brew Festival – 2-6 p.m. June 22 at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Ronan; two bands perform – Buffalo Speedway and Andrew Sweeney – while myriad Montana breweries offer samples of their wares; food trucks, a wine-tasting and a distillery add to the ambiance. Head to montanabrewfest.com for tickets and info.Pollinator Week Event – 10:30 a.m.-noon June...
You go to your church; I'll go to mine
A few years ago, I was talking with a man who raised an interesting question: “There’s only one God, why do we need so many different churches?”I let that one slide right by because I like to limit my controversial discussions to politics, for better or worse. But I was curious as to why he belonged to the church he did and not another one of the some 200 Christian denominations in America. I didn’t raise that point, either.Religion is a serious topic in America and has been ever since the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock in their quest to...
Wadsworth throws one-hitter against Kalispell
The Mission Valley A Team split a high-scoring doubleheader in Polson on Monday, June 17. In the first game, a comeback by the Mariners fell short in a 12-11 loss, but Mission Valley bounced back in the late game as Wyatt Wadsworth held Kalispell to one hit in a 17-0 victory.In Kalispell’s 12-11 victory, the Lakers built a 12-6 lead through five and a half innings, but the Mariners clawed back with four runs in the sixth and five runs in the seventh.Cole Wadsworth, Holden Emerson, Landon Shoemake, and Aiden Gfroerer each had multi-hit games. Cody Haggard had a triple...
President Sandra Boham retires from SKC
Salish Kootenai College Board of Directors recently announced that President Sandra Boham has retired, effective June 7. In a press release, the board noted that SKC “has had much success under the leadership of Dr. Boham. We are grateful for the service she has provided SKC and our community during her tenure.”Dr. Boham spent 16 years at the college, eight of those as its president. The board has named Dr. Michael M. Munson as interim president, and embarked on a nationwide search to fill the leadership role. Munson (Séliš, Ql̓ispé, and other ancestries) attributes much of her passion for Indigenous education to...
Chowing down at the Flossie Challenge
Sam Dempsey ate his fill, and then some, last Friday at Big Arm Resort and Casino.He and three other contestants attempted to consume the nearly five-pound burger placed before them. Dempsey heroically managed to chow down on most of the meal, but left 14 ounces on his plate.“He got close, but fell short,” said Zeke Keeler, director of Marketing Operations for S&K Gaming, of Dempsey’s accomplishment in the inaugural Flossie Challenge.Resort chef Joe Usher created the original Flossie Burger, comprised of smoked brisket, beef from Montana Marbled Meats, in-house pickled onions, cowboy candy (pickled jalapeños done “the Montana way”), cheese...
Fall Mack Days gets off to earlier start
Fall Mack Days will start earlier than usual this year. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, which sponsors the fishing derby, announced Monday that this year’s event starts Sept. 5 and will continue through Nov. 3.“Boat anglers will be trolling and jigging for lake trout that are normally larger in the fall than in the spring,” explained Stephanie Gillin, Information and Education Program manager for the Natural Resource Department. “Ending earlier will alleviate some of the colder windy days anglers have had to endure towards the end of the event,” she added. Moving the dates forward might also entice more hunters to participate in the nine-week derby, which is sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.For more information, email cindy.benson@cskt.org or call 406-270-3386.
Fort Connah Rendezvous honors Joe McDonald
The 23rd annual Fort Connah Rendezvous was held Saturday and Sunday, June 15-16, at the historic fort north of St. Ignatius. Many of the participants came early and set up a fur-traders camp June 11-14, where they practiced old-time skills, including a muzzle-loading rifle shoot and knife- and tomahawk-throwing contests. The public portion of the Rendezvous opened at noon Saturday with the Great Scots Bagpipers, followed by members of the Fort Connah Restoration Society leading a riderless sorrel horse, symbolizing respect and mourning for Joe McDonald.McDonald, a stalwart of the Fort Connah Restoration Society and descendant of Fort Connah founder Angus...
The lifespan of a democracy
A long lifespan depends on good health. Did you know that the average lifespan of democracies is 200 years? Check out Lord Tytler's “Eight Stages of a Democracy.”A Scottish historian, he defined these cyclical stages as moving from bondage to faith, to courage to liberty, to abundance to complacency, to apathy to dependance, and returning to bondage. “A democracy is always temporary in nature,” he warned.Where are we now? In my opinion, we are experiencing a slow but steady erosion of democratic principles. This backsliding is due to many factors, including hyper-partisanship, Congressional gridlock, manipulation of elections, attempt to subvert the 2020 election, reduction of voters' access, gerrymandering, undermining institutions, a politicized Supreme Court, and executive overreach.The decline is also associated with vilification of the opposing party, widespread misinformation, extremism, a decline in independent media, and a less than vibrant education system.What can we do? We can educate ourselves; google Project 2025; pass on what we learn; become proactive; listen to others; practice critical thinking; look up; and vote for our children and grandchildren.Celebrate the Fourth, limiting fireworks to the allowed three days. We have a wonderful country. Let's keep it that way.– Nancy TeggemanPolson
Remembering community benefactor Rod Johnson
I am writing today to remember my friend Rod Johnson. Rod passed in April, much too young, after suffering from health issues. The family wrote a great obituary, outlining the success Rod had achieved through the years and many of his personal time activities.I wanted to touch on some of the community service, most of it unrecognized, that Rod and his companies provided over his many years. I would guess he donated to every single person and organization that requested one. Hundreds of individuals and worthy causes benefited from his faithful support.I knew Rod and his family for over 50...
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The Lake County Leader has been in publication since 1910. It covers the Mission Valley and the Flathead Indian Reservation. The office is in Polson, MT which sits on the foot of the Flathead Lake.
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