By Munci
April 4, 2012
BACKROADS OF MONTANA
Later that afternoon, the group headed east of Fort Benton to Toni and Roger Corder’s home. Toni is the very proud owner of one of Wayne’s harps. Wayne gave it to her as a Christmas gift. Toni said the harp is made of black (dark) walnut. She plays the piano but admits to not being accomplished on the harp.
I was able to go to the Grand Union late that evening to further talk to Allison and John about their careers at PBS Missoula. Allison is from St. Louis, Missouri and when she left there, she lived in California for five years. She then came to Montana to get her Masters degree at the University of Montana in Wildlife. After all was said and done, she found herself in television twelve years ago and the Backroads of Montana.
John was in Grad School from 1994 to 1996 at the University of Montana. He was associated with the television station and when the Backroads show began, he found himself with a job. He has traveled Montana from one end to the other and knows all the backroads. I envy his knowledge about Montana. What a fun job he has.
I do not know how their Saturday was spent, however it was here in Fort Benton. On Sunday morning, they traveled to Chester to Gail’s home. Many of the instruments that Wayne has build are in her home. They were to be in Chester through Sunday. I will get a report from Gail sometime this coming week.
Everyone asked when Wayne’s segment would be shown and it is scheduled in May. Last week I reported that I heard on the Back Roads fund raising program that they did two new shows a year. I asked if the was two segments and found that it was about six to eight segments on two shows. That is a great deal of travel for Allison and John. It was an exciting weekend for Wayne and perhaps he now knows how much everyone loves him and Mary Ann.
SPRING CLEANUP
Start preparing now for the semi-annual CLEANUP program. It will be April 27th, 28th, 29th, and again on May 4th, 5th, and 6th. Times will be posted in the River Press. If you have not used something in a year, it is very unlikely that you will ever use it. Check out your basement, your garages, and your back yards. Get the clutter out of your life. Dear Abby says that if you live in clutter, you have a cluttered mind. I wonder about that.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
At 9:00 p.m. Friday the 13th of April, the Steve Keller Band will be at the Club House for your dancing pleasure. Even though we do not dance, I enjoy the music as I can hear it at my house. After having “Cabin Fever” the past few months, you can get out to enjoy the music, the dancing, visiting with friends, and perhaps just watching the going’s on. It will be a great evening.
At 8:00 p.m. on Friday May 11th, the Highwood Jazz Band will perform in the lobby of the Grand Union Hotel. Peter Wilson and his wife Molly are such talented musicians and enriched the Christmas Concert last December. (They are on the program to repeat this 2012 Christmas.) The Highwood Jazz Band is well known in the area and it will be an enjoyable evening for jazz lovers.
SAME OLE, SAME OLE
As I have said so many times before, people complain to me about problems in town. It has already started about the dogs littering on the Levee or on other people’s lawns. I have seen it myself on the Levee where the owners do not use the Doggie Bags to clean up after their pet or multiple pets.
At the Research Center last week, I was working on the alphabetized A to Z files of family names and I found the following article that appeared in the River Press in 1977. “Citizens of Fort Benton, Many times I have found one of my neighbors squatting on my lawn to deposit a foul piece of letter beside my walk. Had the neighbor been human, I could have had him arrested. Since he was not human, here was little I could do but chase him away. The same neighbor can freely litter the streets with rubbish that belongs in tipped garbage containers. Yet, I could be fined if my garbage lids do not fit property. When the non-humans minority of our city can take the law into its paws, then we must all agree-Fort Benton has gone to the dogs!”
The person who wrote the letter no longer lives in Fort Benton. The point is that dogs littering has gone on forever and nothing is ever done about it. If you see a dog littering, would you please remind them about the Doggie Bags on the Levee. If it is in your neighborhood, give them a box of sandwich hags. It is the most unsightly items of litter and it is unhealthy. With the warm weather, we have been having and the hot weather to come; it becomes more of a problem. If anyone has a solution, please come forward with it. Enough said!
PUB NIGHT
On Saturday April 14th, will be Pub Night at the Ag Center. Jason DeShaw will be entertaining with blending traditional country with his own new sound. You can imagine how much I will enjoy his guitar and country music. Pub Night is always the most popular of the Chouteau County Performing Arts Series.
Another part of the enjoyment that evening will be a fundraiser for the General Federation of Woman’s Clubs Fort Benton. They are setting up “Benton Hold’em.” You can purchase 5 cards and if you are not happy with those, you can purchase additional cards. There will be 3 chances to win. Sounds like a lot of fun. The funds donated will go toward community projects.
STATE LIBRARY
I have been getting audio book tapes from the Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired for 30 years. I recently received information about the program that asked me to spread the word. I will concentrate on that next week as I have taken too much space today.
I also have not forgotten about the last 5 clues to Rural Community Survival that we were given at the Chamber of Commerce dinner. I have so little space and so many subjects. I will try for that subject next week too.
GOD BLESS AMERICA AND OUR TROOPS
