View From The Bridge

VIEW from the BRIDGE
By Muncie
9/7/16

CONNIE, CONNIE
This week is all about Connie Jenkins. A fun fundraiser will be held Saturday of this week from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday will be declared “Connie Jenkins Day.”

Connie was employed at the First Security Bank for 48 years. She was the possibly the longest bank employee in the State of Montana. She has worked endlessly on community projects such as Summer Celebration, Bridgeport Station, Cancer Support Group, Community Improvement Association, Chouteau County Performing Arts, General federation of Woman’s Clubs, Lions Club, River and Plain, and any other organization that called on her.

She knew everyone’s telephone number in Fort Benton and the surrounding area. She lived on a ranch in Shonkin when it was a town and went to Highwood High School.

Being her friend and neighbor, I knew firsthand about her battle with cancer. She battled breast cancer 14 years ago and won. Yet, soon after she retired a year ago in July, she found that she had cancer again in a different area. She went through 26 radiation treatments and 24 chemo therapy treatments. Those chemo treatments involved going to the treatment center on Monday morning for an 8 hour treatment, on Tuesday for a 5 hour treatment, and again on Wednesday for another 5 hour treatment. On Thursday she would get a shot to build up her white blood cells. Then she had 3 weeks off before she had to do it all over again.

She never once complained but I know that there must have been many a night in her bedroom before sleep, that she let it all out. She is a very strong woman and determined to not let this cancer stop her activities.

So her family and friends put together his fund raiser to show her their love and concern. If you have a large item that could be in a live auction, a smaller item for silent auction, please drop it off at the Chouteau County Library by Friday the 9th.

Raffle tickets are being sold for a $1,000.00 travel voucher or cash. There will be a 50/50 drawing. The drawing for the Summer Celebration Quilts will also be drawn. (Connie was totally involved in Summer Celebration and the Quilt Raffle was to raise money for that event. Summer Celebration is near and dear to her heart.)

There will be professional entertainment, food, and drink. All this is to take place at the Ag Center or what I like to call it, the Convention Center. Bring your family and friends and spend some time socializing with them and having a good time.

See you there.

CHANGES
If there is anything that disrupts your life, it is changes. As I get older and older, I find them more difficult to accept.

In the last few months, I have seen seven of my friends move from Fort Benton. I cannot keep track of those in the obituary column in the River Press.

Last week I learned my dear young friend, Lindsey Gibson who is employed at the River Press is moving to Missouri because of her husband’s job. No, No!  I do not want her to go. She and Bethany DeBorde are priceless at the River Press. They are such helpful young women and are so good to me. They so carefully edit the “View from the Bridge.” (I know that Editor Tim often does it to but I do not know of his leaving.) They often have to help me with my computer even to the point that they have walked over to my house.

Lindsey and Bethany were two young women that I expected to raise the numbers of children at the Fort Benton schools. I often talked to them about their never leaving but you never know what the future holds. Lindsey will be sorely missed and may all her kindness she has bestowed upon those of us in Fort Benton be bestowed upon her in Missouri. So long for now.

FOOTBALL
Wasn’t last Friday night the most perfect evening for a football game? I was so proud of our Team, the Cheerleaders, the Band, and the full stands. I am looking forward to reading about the game in Wednesday’s River Press. Since I still do not quite understand some of the plays, it is interesting to read about them. Keep up the good work and keep your heads held high. I am so proud to be a Longhorn.

It was also a great sight to see the Volleyball Team return from the highline. They received a loud greeting as the busses turned in front of the Ag Center.

PIE DAY
Yes, it has rolled around again to the second Friday, the 9th of September at 1:00 p.m. Please support this fund raiser for the Golden Age Senior Center. They not only need “pie eaters,” but they need “pie bakers” too. If you can find an hour or two to do some baking, it would be much appreciated. Usually these events start out slowly so let’s make this one a fast track event.

Pie Days also include a bake sale. We have in Fort Benton some of the best bakers in Montana. Now that there are no longer baked goods at the Farmers Market, you can buy delicious desserts at the Senior Center. See you there.

ANSWER
I asked the question during the Chouteau County Fair as to why the Republican table was not covered at the Education Building. A friend told me that the reason was they could not get any volunteers.

That brings me to talk about Volunteers. All of the organizations are having problems with recruiting and actually keeping members. I do not watch TV much anymore but when I did I saw commercials about the benefit of volunteers. The giving of your time to “Pay Back” to your community what they have given to you. The feeling that you have given something of yourself is one heart-warming experience.

Once before I wrote that you have approximately 56 hours a week free time that you are not sleeping or working. Surely you can find 2 hours a week to volunteer at something of your choice. If there is a rebuttal out there, please let me hear it. “I’m so busy” isn’t something I like to hear. Everyone is busy. Show your children good example about “pay back.” As the older generation goes away, someone has to replace them or soon there will be no organizations at all.

If you need to know who needs volunteers, let me know. I’ll find something for you very quickly and something that you will enjoy. I’m in the phone book.

LOST AND FOUND
All of my family and friends knew that I had lost my hearing aid (again.) I put an ad in the River Press but got no response to it. Three weeks went by because I did not want to call my hearing aid company to replace it. I was covered by insurance.

I rode and walked by the area twice where I thought I had lost it. That area was from the Library, to the Post Office, to the Price Rite, south for two blocks on Front St., west on both sides of 14th, and finally to the Club House. Nothing!  It would have been difficult to spot something so small.

A week ago last Friday; I was vacuuming the living room. I had early on moved the two chairs in front of the TV to search under them. I have a large lounge chair that I cannot move and so I decided to lift it from the back. It was very easy to do and there was my hearing aid.

Now how did it get there? I lost the right hearing aid and found it on the left side of the chair. It was also on the inside of the leg of the chair. If anyone can solve this puzzle, please let me know a.s.a.p.

OBSERVATIONS
“However good or bad a situation is, it will change.”

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS, and THOSE WHO PROTECT US.  WEAR RED ON FRIDAYS.