View From The Bridge 10/6/10

“VIEW from the BRIDGE”
By Muncie
10-6-10

VETERANS PHOTO PROJECT
Can you imagine how thrilled I was last week Tuesday at the Research Center when Ellen Ames Bronec brought in a photo of her great grandfather who fought in the Civil War. I believe that I mentioned Civil War before in my requests for photos but not in the last few weeks. I thought it an impossibility. Ellen you are the greatest for taking the time to go through your memorabilia and finding not only that photo but also several others from other wars.

Later that afternoon, Ken Robison came up with three (3) more photos that were on the archive files of Civil War Veterans. As of last Tuesday, there are thirty-one (31) pictures in the file and the dozen black frames that I found for $1.00 each have been used. I will be getting more.

My request for someone to make signs designating each war has not yet been met. I tried on my computer but it would not cooperate with me. I managed an 8 x 10 with a gold star border but could not get, for example, WWI to enlarge in the middle. Perhaps someone whose computer likes them could manage it for me. I thought my computer and I were getting to like each other but now we are estranged again. I may not speak to it for a week after I finish this “View,” until next week when I have to turn it on again.

I thought that I had mentioned the project too many times but found last week that it was just being recognized for what the project is all about. I would like to say again that if the Veteran or currant Service Person is in Chouteau County, has lived in Chouteau County, does not live in Chouteau County, but is related to you in any way, then the project wants the picture.

Please turn in a 5 x 7 black and white or colored photo in a plain 5 x 7 black frame either to the Research Center on Tuesdays only from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or the Sunrise Bluffs that is open every day. Talk to your family, friends, and neighbors and perhaps we will have hundreds of pictures, at least that is our goal. I will keep you posted.

RECYCLING
I verified this morning that the Fort Benton High School does still collect old phone books. They receive some funds for this so please drop your old books (they will not take 2011 books,) at either the High School or if it is more convenient, at the Elementary School. There used to be a day that phone books were delivered to your home and you could refuse them if you so chose. Today they are placed in your mailbox and you do not have a choice. The only possible call you could make would be to the publisher and tell them you do not want their book. Perhaps they would then not send so many. Good luck with that.

The Elementary School no longer collects plastic bags. They discontinued this project a while back. I do encourage you to buy cloth bags and do not forget to take them into the stores when you shop. It is a difficult thing for me to remember and I always have to return to my vehicle to get them. Oh well, I need the exercise.

On that subject, I would like to talk about junk mail which is well over half of our mail every day. I called the number I was given by the Post Office, twice, and I also wrote a letter. Since I did that, I am getting twice as much junk mail and catalogs as I did before. Honestly, one day we had 11 pieces of mail and 8 were junk mail. What a waste of time, material, and patience. I will try again but I am afraid that I will get three times as much junk. How does a small gift store in the upper corner of Maine, get my address? I can understand if you have done business with a company, they would have you on their mailing list. But…a gift store in Maine! Give me a break and save a tree. I do not need a catalog from a store in Great Falls that has one every week with, “The Biggest Sale Ever.” How can you have a bigger sale than the one you had just a week ago? The only way to object is a phone call but you do not get anywhere with that either. Just keep recycling until someone gets the picture that we are not looking at their ads. Or is it just me? Give me your opinion when you see me next time in our stores in Fort Benton or on the street.

7th Simple Thing for Recycling: Flip’em off. In much of America we cannot even see the stars anymore due in part to all the electric lights. Keep the light on in the room you are in but keep the rest of your house dark. You will find the dark is soothing.

A BEAUTIFUL STORY
Chouteau County Performing Arts was extraordinary on September 27th. Sax phobia’s fame for the young people was that Rob Verdi came from Disneyland. He said that he refused to play, “It’s a Small, Small World,” one more time as he played it every day for 17 years at Disney. For the rest of us, there attended, it was a history lesson in music. The evening was extremely entertaining and we all went home happy.

For those of you that were not able to attend…I have a story. It was about Rita May and her father’s saxophone. Rita is a Visitor’s Information Volunteer and she was not able to keep her shifts after she was involved in a serious automobile accident at 10th Ave. S and 13th St. in Great Falls.

Because Rita’s shift at the Center was just before mine on Tuesdays, I and all the other Volunteers kept track of her progress in the hospital (6 days,) and when she returned home to recuperate. That is how I got involved by visiting her one-day. She told me the story of her father’s saxophone that day.

When Rob Verdi began telling the story of Rita’s father’s sax, the whole audience listened with rapt attention. Therefore, for those of you who were not there, here is the story. Rita invited Rob to her home for a cup of coffee and to show him her father’s sax that had not been played for thirty six (36) years. Rob tried to play it and found that it only played a couple of notes. He borrowed the sax and spent much of the afternoon fixing it. That evening he played a lovely melody and it sounded like the best sax in the world. Rita was sitting a couple of rows behind us and the tears were rolling down her cheeks. She had wonderful memories of her father playing the sax. I think that is one of the most beautiful stories and should be made into a Hallmark movie. It made a lasting impression of the love of Rita’s family for music because of a saxophone.

LONGHORNS
We were told yesterday that as of now, the Longhorns are in a three-way tie. The Horns, Dutton/Brady, and Chinook are 4 and 1. So hang in there Horns so you can make the playoffs and on from there to the championship. GO HORNS.

SO LONG FOR NOW
No complaints about the weather…hasn’t it been just gorgeous. Walking along the Levee Trail at this time of year is the most beautiful. We could not ask for anything more. Keep these memories tucked away for another time that I do not want to mention.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, Fort Benton, Chouteau County and Montana. We love you all.