View From The Bridge 2/11/15

VIEW from the BRIDGE
By Muncie
2/11/15

BASKETBALL
Wow, awesome, good one, and all other words you can think of to describe a great evening at last Friday’s basketball game. It was back to the good old days with basketball games were the backbone of rural communities. It was the place to go once a week and brought the community together.

The reason for all my excitement was, first of all, the new Longhorn Mascot. What a great job she/he did to get the crowd cheering. She/he clowned around, led a snake dance, and in general was the hit of the evening.

Another up-beat was the Fort Benton High School Band. As you know Eric and Band members, that I think you are the greatest. (May I suggest that you get a volunteer to sing the new TigerHorns song during half time or between games? I believe we should show off the song written a few weeks ago at the Song Writing Class.)

Next big deal was the cheering section that came together as I remember from when I first came to Fort Benton. I do not know when it dwindled away but the student body was there, in full force, on Friday. They cheered throughout the whole evening loud and clear. I could see that it encouraged the fans in the stands to cheer and clap. Many joined in to sing the Fight Song. Everyone was commenting on what was going on in the students section of the gym. Go TigerHorns.

To top off all this excitement, along came the Little Dribblers. How darling are they! K and 1st graders showed off during the Varsity girl’s halftime break and the 2nd and 3rd graders did the same at halftime during the Varsity boy’s game.

It is hard to imagine that 10 years from now most of them will be 6 ft. tall and over. Also imagine how great they will be with the early training they are receiving. Go Little Dribblers!

Thank you to whoever put it together again and to the person who purchased the Longhorn Mascot outfit.

I heard through the grapevine that the Booster Club was being organized again. I do not know what happened to the organization but I do know that you will all be supporters. All rural cities and towns love their sports. Go Booster Club!

RON LAMOTTE STORY
Do you remember Ron LaMotte from Highwood who was the former owner of the Thrift Shop? He also posted as Santa for the Christmas Button a few years ago.

He is again posing for photographs by Jill Bough who lives in Big Sky, Montana. Jill somehow discovered Ron on the Levee Walking Trail last week. In conversation she found that Ron’s grandmother came to Fort Benton on the last steamboat to arrive here. Jill was looking for someone who had that kind of background.

She took pictures of Ron for 2½ hours.  Ron will be entered as part of a visual arts essay on Montana. What a lucky meeting for both of them. I would love to see your photos Jill if you can send them. Best of luck to you.

HELP WITH TROOP INFO
I think that you all now my interest in Our Troops. I have been trying for a long period of time to get some organization interested in sending packages to those from Chouteau County in the service of our country. My thoughts are for holidays such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, 4th of July, and Thanksgiving.

The problem is I cannot obtain the names and addresses of Chouteau County Troops. It is a privacy issue. I would like to hear from the families of those troops with that information. I only know of two service members but I do not have their addresses.

Please send me names and addresses at muncie1929@itstriangle.com or phone me at 622-3217 if you are interested. I would also like an organization that would be willing to sponsor this program financially. There is a 4H group that is willing to do the work but could use financial assistance. I will try to advise just how many service members Chouteau County has perhaps by next week. I realize it will the11th of the month by the time you receive your River Press and many organizations will have held their monthly meetings.

I would also like you to know that there is an individual (does not want her name mentioned,) who remembers our Veterans on holidays. This is a completely different program than the one above. She does this at her own expense and time. There are 18 Veterans at the Sunrise Blurs and 4 at the Missouri River Medical Center. God bless them and her.

CONGRATULATIONS
I am sorry that I am way behind in all of what is going on. I want to say how proud we are of the students who were named on the MSU honor roll for the last semester. There were 16 students named and it makes me proud to know that they are our future. We know how hard you have and are working.

On the 5:00 p.m. World News, I saw this past week, a story about high school seniors. They do not have as much fun as their parents did in their senior year. The young people now-a-days are under a great deal of pressure to keep up their grades and community service projects. The reason for that is because entrance to college is paramount. The report said that it was easier to get into a college in their parents day.

I can vouch for grandparent’s generation when college was out of the question. We were depression babies and our parents had a lot of catching up to do. I remember my senior high school had only 2 classmates that attended college out of a class of 45. This is a true story on my part, girls were expected to get married and have babies. Most of us were married before we were 20 years of age. We were stay- at -home moms and did not work outside the home. How I wish I had gone to college and would I be a great writer today if I had majored in journalism?

“Iconic,” is a special designation that was given to the Union Grille in the Grand Union Hotel, because they are the best in the State of Montana. There is only one chosen from every state. Consider it a celebration when you dine there as it is one of a kind. Congratulations for a well-earned honor.
Good luck to the young man chosen for the Shrine game from Highwood. That is quite an honor. The only problem I can see is that you have to keep up with your practicing, weight lifting, and watching your diet.  I somehow know that is what you will do.

REMINDERS
Friday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. is Pie Day. You just cannot beat a homemade piece of pie and coffee/tea, anywhere in the world for $3.00. See you there.

Next Friday evening will be Pub Night at the Ag Center. Put on your dancing shoes and come on down. It is always a fun evening.

On Tuesday, February 17th is the 3rd Tuesday dinner at the Senior Center at 5:00 p.m. I can assure you of a great dinner and a delightful evening of meeting friends, old and new. Sign up now as they can only accommodate 48 diners.

If you would let me know if your organization is having a special event, please contact me about two weeks in advance.

MONTANA
On the facts from “The 50 Things You Didn’t Know about Montana,” here they are:

36.    Stars who call Montana home (at least part of the year,) include Michael Kenton, at Big Timer, David Letterman at Choteau, Huey Lewis at Stevensville, Dennis Quaid at Livingston, Bill Pullman at Whitehall, Howie Long at Flathead Lake, John Mayer at Bozeman, Tom Brokaw at Livingston, and Ted Turner at Gallatin Gateway. (Note: I do not see any famous people living in Fort Benton. I invited Garth Brooks because I knew his three daughters would love it here but I never received a reply. Guess he is too busy to take a vacation now that he is back on the concert trail.)

37.     Montana has fewer acres of wetlands than any other state.

38.    Montana has three times as many cows than people.  (Go steak lovers.)

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS and WEAR RED ON FRIDAYS.