View From The Bridge 11/4/09

“VIEW from the BRIDGE”
by Muncie Morger
11/4/09

AWESOME LONGHORNS
Did I not say all along that the Longhorn Football Team could do it? There just are not words to describe how proud we all are of the whole team. Your teamwork is so apparent and so is your hard work. Tim (the editor of The River Press) will give you readers all the details but we see the emotional side of it. We see those young men’s love of the game and knowing that they are doing the best that is possible in them. We see the parents in the stands watching every move of their young man. We see proud smiles when their son is in on a good play. There have been many good plays this season. This first win in the playoffs is a tremendous boost for them. No matter what transpires in the next few weeks, the Longhorns are our favorite team and are winners in all of our hearts.

LADY LONGHORNS
You are awesome ladies. Right to the very end, you made the games exciting and enjoyable to watch. We feel the same about you as we do the Longhorn Football Team. You are our favorite team and are winners in all of our hearts. Keep all those memories tucked away somewhere and in years to come when you have reunions…enjoy them with your teammates. That is the best part…the memories.

ARLEE
In the View last week, you read that we have family ties with the Arlee Warriors. They were so excited to be playing their first playoff game in 14 years. It was reported to us about the team’s trip to Fort Benton. They boarded the bus on Friday and arrived in Great Falls that afternoon to spend the evening at a motel. They went to Borrie’s restaurant for dinner and received the nicest compliment from the owner. He said that they were the nicest, most polite team that has ever eaten at his restaurant. In spite of their loss, they had a great time and there is always next year.

VETERANS DAY
The V.F.W. is again sponsoring a Veterans Day Dinner on Wednesday, 11/11/09 at 6:00 pm at The Club House. Veterans and their spouses are cordially invited and no reservation is required. Cindy will prepare the meal. There will be entertainment and it will be an enjoyable evening. Mark your calendars and spread the word to any Veterans that you know. We owe our lives to the men who put their lives on the line for our country. Many of their stories have never been told and their oral histories need to be preserved.

If you have a grandfather, father, uncle, brother, or cousin who is a veteran, please take the time to write their oral histories. Surely, there must be someone in the family who could do this. When it is finished, bring it to the Overholser Research Center at the Ag Center so that it can be permanently documented. I have discussed this with many people and they promise that they will get to this project. I have yet to see them at the Center with the finished product. Just do it.

Please do not be like me who did not ask questions of my grandparents when they were alive. They had migrated from Europe and I know nothing of their involvement in WWI. I only knew that my grandfather was killed in 1919 when he was discharged from the army. He had written my grandmother that he would be arriving home soon. As the little, I learned about it, he stepped off the train for a cigarette and was shot by a sniper.

It was not until I went to Normandy in Europe that I realized that my grandfather fought with the Germans and Italians. Those two countries and Austria-Hungary were the three powers that fought France, England, and the United States. What a shock that was because it brought up questions that can never be answered. One of those questions was…why did my grandfather returned to Hungary from the United States to be conscripted into the army? What rank was he and was he in any battle? I think that my next project will be to do some genealogy on my family. I may get answers to some of those questions.

FLAG RETIREMENT
There will also be a Flag Retirement program held on the 11th. If you have, flags to be retired, please contact me and I will see to it that your flag is picked up. Call 622-3217 after 1:00 pm.

RUSSELL COUNTRY
On Tuesday the 10th, Wednesday the 11th, and Thursday the12th, of November, Russell Country with the help of Pheasants Unlimited will be hosting nine Sports Magazine writers here in Fort Benton. The journalists are from all over the country and will promote pheasant hunting in this area of Russell Country. They will arrive on the 10th and do their hunting on the 11th and 12th. This is a wonderful opportunity for our town to have the articles published in other states. As I wrote last week, Fort Benton needs to be known as a destination place. This is another activity to be placed on the long list for Fort Benton as a destination place. The pheasant hunting is now added to that list of “things to do,”… historic locations/buildings, museums, the Missouri River, fishing, canoe trips, hunting, hiking, and I’ll bet I have missed a few.

If you happen to see any of these journalists around town, give them a Fort Benton welcome. You may get your picture in a national magazine.

C.C.P.A.
On the Wednesday, the18th of November Chouteau County Performing Arts will present another of their programs. Scott Kirby is the artist and he plays the most delightful piano you have ever heard. He has appeared in Fort Benton before and the C.C.P.A. Board was very vigilant about having him back again. It will be the usual 7:00 pm at the Elementary School and I would love to see the last performances audience participation record broken. There were 211 people that attended, which was a record. Could we make it 250? I cannot stress enough about how professional these programs are. All the artists are top performers and brought into Fort Benton by a very hard working Board of Directors. Be sure and tell them how much you appreciate what they do for the community.

SO LONG FOR NOW
You may not hear from me for a few weeks. I have some important business to be taken care of and can no longer be postponed. I would like to be back with the “VIEW” by Thanksgiving and if I am not, have a wonderful holiday. Enjoy your family’s get-togethers as they are the most precious times of all. God bless America.

“VIEW from the BRIDGE”
by Muncie Morger
10/14/09

FUND RAISER
The fundraiser last Thursday at the Golden Age Senior Center for Shawn Giles was a tremendous success. Overheard several times was the comment that Fort Benton was the most generous community they had ever encountered. There was a very tasty spaghetti dinner and an abundance of brownies for dessert. There were many volunteers involved and they carried out their duties as planned. The duties included cooking the spaghetti, making the salad, baking the brownies, setting the tables and the special entertainment. It was certainly a special evening and we all want you, Shawn, to get well to be able to care of your five children. If you were unable to attend the fundraiser, you can still help by going to the First Security Bank with your donation.

ROCK-a-THON
Another worthwhile fundraiser had the Sunrise Bluffs “Rockin.” It was a “Rollin” success according to my sources. The Bluffs are a very important part of our community. Sometimes we older citizens bulk at leaving our sometimes life long homes and moving to the Bluffs. If only one could realize how much easier life would be and it would turn out a home away from home. Living alone is not only lonely but sometimes not the safest thing to do. At the Bluffs, there is always someone to check on you and the friendships are enduring. If you have any doubts about what to do if you have to make that decision…just do it. It is my opinion but I have had many who now reside there that it is the best thing they have ever done.

PUBLIC HEARING
It was very disappointing when the public hearing was held a week ago Monday and only five (5) citizens of Fort Benton attended. The River Press editor, Tim, had a thorough report of the council meeting in last week’s edition, which told about the whole meeting. My view of the public hearing was that it did not include much of the public. I have urged several times before, that the council meetings should have some part of your life. You also could talk with your district councilperson and make them aware of your slant of various discussions concerning your city. For example,…a controversial topic is on the agenda. It seems as though, those who are for it are in the majority. Those that are against it rarely show up or voice their opinions. We should have a voice in all decisions concerning our city. O.K. that is enough of the lecture.

CANDIDATES FORUM
On the other hand, the forum the General Federation of Women’s Clubs who sponsored the program, considered it a success. There were about seventy-five (75) in attendance and about half a dozen people who asked questions. Editor, Tim, will have that report in this issue because the forum was held on Wednesday evening. All the candidates answered the questions and if you were not satisfied with the answers, you should contact them directly. I just wanted to make the point that there was a good attendance and that all that I talked with said it was a good and needed program.

SUMMER CELEBRATION T-SHIRTS
Due to popular demand there were more Summer Celebration t-shirts ordered. There are three different designs in co-coordinating colors available in small, medium, large, x-large and xx-large There are no xxx or xxxx large available. Please call Cathy Burtch on her cell 490-1180 to order and/or leave a message if she is not available.

LONGHORNS
It was surprising last Friday evening, how many fans of the football team attended the game despite the cold. The main story, I was told, was that the concession stand ran out of hot chocolate at half time. Someone did not check the larder. The Junior Varsity and the Freshmen teams had the opportunity to get more playing time which was valuable experience for them. Go Horns.

LADY LONGHORNS
Your coach, Holly McAllister, has been writing about your games and I am not into statistics. I just want to say that watching your games is very enjoyable to the fans and Go Lady Longhorns.

PUBLIC INTERVIEWS
There will be public interviews for a new county extension agent on Friday, October 16th. I received an e-mail with just that information on it and since it is on the 16th, I had to pass it on in this week’s column. That is all the information I have and I am not able to check it out because the View has to go to the River Press tonight (Sunday) as I will not be home on Monday. The original e-mail was from Corrine Protsman and her e-mail is Chouteau2@montana.edu If this concerns you, please contact her.

FLAG RETIREMENT
There will be another Flag Retirement Program on Veteran’s Day; November 11th sponsored by the Boy Scout Troop whose leader is Larry Garlic. If you have a flag that needs to be retired, please take it to the V.F.W. Club House, give it to a Boy Scout, to Troop Leader Larry Garlic or at my house in the entryway on Main Street. If you do not know where I live, please call me at 622-3217 after 1:00 pm. If none of these options is convenient for you, we will arrange a pickup. God bless America and our Flag. This ceremony is only held two times a year so take advantage of this opportunity.

SO LONG FOR NOW
We said so long to another long time friend, Mickey Allen. Every one has a story about Mickey but the most amazing thing about him was that he lived to be 106 years old. He was an honest, hard working man who danced his way through life. We will miss you old friend.

By the time you read this issue October will be half over. Day light savings time will be ending in another two weeks and we will be well into what I consider winter. In my internal calendar winter consists of November, December, January and February. We did not have a so-called “fall” and went directly into winter. Perhaps we will have an Indian summer. I certainly hope so because these short days are not my cup of tea. I like to be outdoors and most of us seniors do not handle this cold weather very well. I suppose with the holidays, the time will pass quickly but I will be looking forward to spring every day. God bless America.