Showing posts with label longhorn day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label longhorn day. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

View From The Bridge 5/9/18

VIEW from the BRIDGE
BY Muncie
5/9/18

SENIOR LUNCHEON
It just gets better and better every year. Let’s start from the beginning. We were met at the door by a line of students who were waiting to escort us to our places. The personalized name tags were ready and waiting. The backdrop was decorated with large paper flowers with a huge yellow flower depicting the sun. This flower was actually made make from the hand prints of the students….awesome.  There were beautiful signed place mats made by the students. There were yellow paper flowers on each table and I was told they were made by the 2nd graders. (I hope I got that right.) All that participated, to organize this luncheon together, were recognized.

The turkey dinner with all the trimmings were served by the most wonderful cooks. How lucky the school kids are to have such a crew. I especially loved the bread pudding.

My favorite part of this program is the entertainment. Each class did a spectacular job and what a job it was. (How long did you have to practice to learn all those songs?)

I went home with two of the flower arrangements and they now decorate the hollow tree. I hope that the rain does not ruin them. I love looking at them across the street. Yellow flowers are my favorites and they are like a burst of sunshine.

Thank you, Fort Benton Elementary School, from the bottom of my heart and from all of the other grandparents and seniors that enjoyed the afternoon.

DANCE RECITAL
This evening the T.C. Dance and Co. presented their recital at the Elementary School. Just as I saw the how the youngsters at the luncheon have grown taller each year, it holds true for the dancers. It truly was like a Broadway show with much of the music that I remember from my lifetime. You all brought back many memories and I loved every minute of your show.

Just a little observation for boys and young men. It is very important for you to know now to dance. Females like it when a partner can lead. It is said that if a gal has a good leader, she can follow any dance. So think about taking lessons and it does not make you a sissy. Be proud of your dancing skills and just enjoy it.

This advice also goes for taking music lessons. Anyone who can entertain with a musical instrument is the life of the party. You may end up being a John Denver or Garth Brooks. Then I can say I knew you when.

EVENTS AROUND TOWN
Just a reminder that I have been dubbed a columnist for the River Press. I am not a reporter. I do not go searching for stories. They have to come to me.

I depend upon events planners to let me know a couple of weeks ahead of time what the details are planned. I do have a couple of planners that call me regularly and for that I am grateful. I do not get around town as much as I did before I moved what is called “out in the country.”

Some folks tell me that they read the View for info about what is going on in town. Unfortunately they miss a lot of ads for various reasons including eyesight.

If you would like your event to be in the View from the Bridge, please call me. It doesn’t hurt to have it in 2 places but remember that I can only put it in the view if you have an ad in the paper.

It seems as though the other columnists do get phone calls although they write a different venue. I do not write about engagements, weddings, anniversaries, or baby’s arrivals. I would like to know about long time anniversaries and babies who have a long history of generations. I would also like to know about birthdays of 80 and over.

 So I hope that I will get some phone calls because since I don’t get around much anymore, it becomes difficult to find interesting stories. It seems that I write about my adventurers, that I have, but I would like to hear about yours. Will my phone now ring off the wall? I certainly will welcome that.

LONGHORN DAY
Thank you Longhorns. You did a tremendous job cleaning up many areas in town that needed it. You deserve so much and whatever they are paying you, it isn’t enough. (That is my joke of the week.)
Residents of Fort Benton, take note of some of the accomplishments that brightened up our town. All the bronze statues were polished. That included Shep, Lewis and Clark, the Cowboy, and Governor Meagher. That is a huge job that has to be done every year.

Take note of the triangle by the boat launch. Much work was done there with trimming out bushes and removing weeds. It looks fantastic.

Another job that does not show is the removal of the old shed behind the Baker House. It is now completely gone. It was all due to the Longhorns. They were brave to tackle what someone called mouse and black widow heaven.

Not only did these youngsters work hard, they learned life lessons. Volunteering is a lot of work but it is a lot of fun and the satisfaction of knowing that you helped is so fuzzy warm.

SYMPATHY
I would like to express my sympathy to the 5 families of Fort Benton residents that have passed on in the last few weeks. They will be sorely missed and remembered as the dear souls they were.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS, POLICE OFFICERS, FIREMEN/WOMEN, AND EMT’s. PROTECT OUR SCHOOL CHILDREN. 

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

View From The Bridge 5/13/15

VIEW from the BRIDGE
By Muncie
5/13/15

WHITE CLIFFS
Of all the adventurers I have had in Fort Benton, this is now No. 1 in the Top 10. It was Tuesday, May 5th when 9 Visitors Information Center Volunteers and I boarded jet boats for a trip to the White Cliffs. A photo of the group was in last week’s River Press on the last page under the View.

I have talked about the Cliffs at the Visitors Center, I have seen videos, and gazed at the photos hanging in the Center. None of them do justice to actually seeing them and being on the Missouri River that Lewis and Clark traveled over 200 years ago. It is said that they saw the same scenes we were looking at. I kept turning my head from one side to the other and never saw a scene that was the same.

We traveled 28 river miles from river mile marker 41 to 68. River travel is down from 6,034 in 2003 to a count of 4,000 to 5,000 in 2014. Another interesting happening was the 6 MT Conservation Corps young people who are building a fence at the Big Sandy Campgrounds. They waved happily to us as we went by and the other boat stopped to treat them to donuts. The fence is being built to keep out the cattle. They were littering the campground, if you know what I mean. It was the same reason that signs were put up about the dogs at the Old Fort Park during Summer Celebration. (The dogs and cattle do not seem to know where the restrooms are. That was just my sense of humor getting the best of me again.)

We stopped at the Eagle Creek Campground for lunch. We sat on fallen tree logs to eat the lunches we had packed for ourselves. My sandwich was the best I have ever tasted. As I looked around at the river and my surroundings, I remembered how I always wanted to be a nurse. Now I have changed my mind and I want to be a River Ranger.

There were two boats with 5 Information Center Volunteers on each. Our guide was Mark Schaefer who has been with the B.L.M. here in Fort Benton for 15 years. I enjoyed his many captivating stories. On board also was Chelsea Keenan a River Ranger who is from Pennsylvania and has been in Fort Benton for 2 years.

The history lessons were very informative as we floated in the different areas. On the other boat were Dan (the man) DeWitz and Brian Wolf. (I was not able to chat with them because they were in the other boat and I do not know much about them. I’ll make a trip to the M.B.I.C. soon and interrogate their lives. (This is us another joke although I have been told that people do not converse with me because it may end up in the River Press. Honestly, I would never do that and I always ask if I can use their names.)

It was my first trip down the Missouri to the White Cliffs. Years ago Fultz and Arnst had a Van Trip and you viewed the Cliffs from above. It also was a great trip but not as surreal as being on the river.

Oh!  I just remembered that I was on the maiden trip of the Keelboat built by Mike Nottingham. We entered the boat in Fort Benton and went down river as far as Coal Banks Landing.

I urge you to make your next vacation a trip to the White Cliffs. Stories were told about making the trip by canoe. It is certainly a wilderness and you are in awe of Louis and Clark making that trip without a map. They tramped those bluffs, coulees, and rocks. How disappointed they must have been to not find a passage to the Pacific.

The sites we saw were at Eagle Creek the U.S.S. Mandan engraved on a cliff, Citadel Rock, Hole in the Wall, and Dark Butte. There were hundreds of rock formations that we used our imaginations as to what they looked like.

The whole trip took 6 hours. We met at the Missouri Breaks Int. Center at 9:00 and were driven to Coal Banks. Our lunch at Eagle Creek took about an hour. We boarded the boats again at 12:15, continued down river, turned around, returned to Coal Banks, were driven to Fort Benton, and it was 3:00. It was a wonderful appreciation trip for 10 volunteers and we will never forget it or those who took such good care of us.

INVITATION
Karl Bodmer, in 1830, did landscapes of the White Cliffs. You have an opportunity to visit the Old Fort (for no charge,) on and the Starr Gallery of Western Art in the Bourgeois House to see the Bodmer landscapes the evening of May 22nd.

A public presentation by musicians Peter and Molly from Highwood and on The Old Fort History by the Fort Historical Committee will take place at 7:00 p.m. What an opportunity for a family “togetherness” outing. Please take advantage of this occasion as it may not come along again for another year. It is special educational opportunity for the children to learn about Fort Benton. See you there!

LONGHORN DAY
I did not have room last week to write about Longhorn Day. What a great job the high school students did. The Levee Walking Trail was cleared of many dead leaves, bushes, and branches. I hope that the Longhorns enjoyed their work as much as we enjoyed seeing what they had accomplished. Go Horns!

POPS CONCERT
I really enjoyed the Fort Benton High School Spring Pops Concert. I told several of the vocalists that they should be on America Has Talent TV show. What a pleasure it was to watch Eric Lenington conduct. I felt as though I was in Carnegie Hall. Kudos to Joellyn Clark for all her volunteering to be an accompanist for the many programs she does. I appreciate the pleasant evening of entertainment.

SENIOR MOMENTS
In a senior moment last week I forgot to share a senior moment. Here are two this week to make up for it.

“I’m going to retire and live off my savings.  Not sure what I will do the second week.”

“Even duct tape can’ fix stupid…but it can muffle the sound.”

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

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

View From The Bridge 5/1/13

“VIEW from the BRIDGE”
By Muncie
5/1/13

RECYCLING PILOT PROGRAM OVER
It was a blustery day for the Recycling Drop-off last Saturday:  however, it did not stop 94 plus Recycler’s from driving to the Fair Grounds.  I was so elated to hear that news as in the past three months, every other Saturday, there have never been more than 20 to 25 vehicles.  Perhaps because it was advertised as the last day had something to do with it. Whatever the reason, it was a fantastic day for the environment in Fort Benton.

So what happens now?  Future plans include pickups at the Fairgrounds on May 11th and May 25th until final arrangements are made with the Dedman Foundation for drop-offs.  An area is being prepared for the storage area of the Recycle Trailer and a drop-off area.  The date of drop-off may be changed to Wednesday evening, as there is a person who volunteers at the Dedman every week.  The Committee thought that perhaps a Wednesday drop-off time would free people on the weekends. The Committee is very grateful to the Dedman for giving us the space to continue the Recycle Program.  It will be the new “Gathering Place,” for our town.  The latest motto is; “Drop off your recyclables and pick up a kitten.”

More plans include future drop-off of other recyclables such as plastics, glass bottles, and metal cans.  Metal cans must be rinsed, labels removed, and flattened.  We seniors will be used to that as that is what we did during WWII.  I know many of you still do that procedure because it had become a habit.  (We did not have electric can openers in those days and using a hand opener was difficult.  In addition, both ends of the can had to be removed unlike most of today’s can bottoms that cannot be removed.

If you have any suggestions or comments about what you would like to be on the next agenda, let me know at 622-3217 after 2:00 p.m.  We also welcome volunteers.  It would be an hour and a half of your time once every two weeks.  It would be great exercise too.  You could multi-task in the fresh air of Fort Benton.

ELECTRONICS PROGRAM
I spoke with Linda Williams this Monday morning and she said that the electronics pick-up was a great success. The final amount of items equaled to what was picked up last August during the Chouteau County Fair.

I have been holding a computer monitor under the table in my computer room since just after the last pickup.  I arrived at the back gate of the Fairgrounds in my truck about 11:00 a.m.  to ask if someone could ride back to my house to put the monitor in the truck.  Bryan, who is employed by the Missouri River Medical Center, volunteered.  He drove my truck, much to my enjoyment, and we retrieved the monitor.

Early that morning I received two phone calls from friends who could not manage to get their newspapers and cardboard to the Fairgrounds.  Bryan then drove me to the hospital where we picked up a load in the truck of one friends car.  Then we proceeded on to the other friend’s home, where we picked up a load of cardboard that completely consumed the space in the back of my truck.  It was very rewarding to return to the Fair Grounds with that load.  All though we were early for the Drop-off, the Committee’s truck was almost full.  Karen Giles was packing the vehicle systematically to use every inch of space.  The committee was able to have their vehicle just inside the cow barn and a good thing too.  The wind was blowing up a storm, as I am sure you can all remember.  I forgot to ask Karen if they had to use a second truck.  I will get a report for next week as to the weight of the newspapers and cardboard.

NORTHWESTERN RECYCLING
You receive a flyer from NorthWestern Energy every month with your bill.  The April flyer called “Energy Connections” had several very interesting articles about recycling.  The first one was “Celebrate Earth Day EVERY DAY.”  There were 10 simple ideas that you could use day-to-day.  I was going to choose the important ones; however, they are all important.  I hope that you saved the flyer and put it on your frig.  If not, cut this out of the River Press and put it on your frig.  1.  Recycle, reuse, repurpose.  (The big 3 R’s.)  2.  Plant a garden.  3.  Bring your own bags to the store.  4.  Turn the water off while brushing teeth or shaving.  5.  Wash clothes in cold water.  6.  Donate what you cannot use.  7.  Convert bulbs to compacts.  8.  Unplug appliances when not in use.  9.  Pick up litter.  10.  Learn more about the environment.
Another important paragraph was PLANT A TREE.  More about this under MEMORIAL BENCH PROGRAM.

Rearrange them in your mind as to which are the most important.  I know that they all are but #1, 6, 9, and 10 seem the most important to me.  Just do it!

LONGHORN DAY
Pick up litter, #9 on the above list is what transpired last Thursday on Longhorn Days.  Have you taken notice of the clean up all around town?

I was especially pleased about my Adopt-a-Plot that is under the new bridge.  The silhouettes of Lewis and Clark needed a new coat of paint as the old paint was chipping off.  With the Visitor’s season fast approaching, I panicked about my plot.  I should have been taken care of last year but the summer of 2012 was lost with my Sweetheart’s hip replacement.

I called Superintenant Scott with my request of having the plot repainted by the Art Class as it was originally painted  He said that it would be taken care of on Longhorns Day.  It certainly was and it is an awesome piece of art. I want the Art Class to know how much I appreciate your efforts.  I also would like everyone in town to take a walk to see the painting.  I know there are people who have never seen it and you will be very impressed. 

MEMORIAL BENCH PROGRAM
Although this program is closed at this time to Memorial Benches and Tables, it is still open to Memorial Trees.  I have had requested from two groups in the last several weeks for a cottonwood tree (along the Levee,) and tree plaques.  Contact me if you would like to dedicate a Memorial Tree to a loved one or organization.

WALLY IS 90
My Sweetheart turned 90 years old last week and what a week we have had.  Beginning a week ago Sunday and everyday since, we have celebrated.  On this past Sunday, we had a reception at the Golden Age Senior Center.  I have already had several people tell me that they did not know about the reception.  Listen up folks!  You have to read your River Press as soon as you get it.  You miss too much if you do not read it immediately.  I had an invitation on the back page next to the View.  Sorry if you missed out.  We missed you.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER
No room this week, will catch it next time.

GOD BLESS AMERICA and OUR TROOPS.  WEAR RED ON FRIDAY.