The Western News - Libby, Montana

9:16 p.m. – I've always been one to try out new ideas. Over the years, some have worked out just fine; others were a miserable failure. What you are reading right now is an idea that hit me tonight. Of course, blogging has become a big thing the past couple of years. Communicating with friends and family through Facebook has taken off. And the Twitter phenomenon continues and has become a tool used by many newspapers around the country.

One of the most common questions I've heard since my arrival in Libby last year revolves around why I would leave Arizona to live in rural Montana? With an hour-intensive job that keeps me stranded in my office much of the time, I've found it difficult to get out and really get to know a lot of people.

This is the result of those two factors. For now, I'll update this "blog" – although I'm calling it a "Newsroom Journal" because that seems to be a better description – with whatever thoughts pop into my head. I'll share with you some of the things I encounter through the course of a day. I'll type in observations and experiences I come across living in northwestern Montana. Like the headline reads, "Life of a Small-Town Editor."

If you're interested, check back daily because I expect to add new entries during my work day (and sometimes, night). If you're not interested, I appreciate the fact that you've continued to read this far.

Tomorrow is a big day that climaxes with a trip to Troy for the Trojans' 7-B District game against Eureka. Libby is also playing in town with a nonconference meeting against Hamilton. I wish I could be in two places at the same time. I'd like to see how the Loggers play this week because I feel they're capable of doing some good things this season. But I also want to watch Troy to see if they can stop Chad Price and the preseason conference favorite Lions.

9:46 p.m. – Reading news online tonight. I just came across an article in the Invermere Valley Echo out of British Columbia. With the headline, "Asbestos in the valley," it tells about the struggles of what has happened in some Canadian homes because of what happened between the 1950s and 1970s. During that time period, the Canadian government offered homeowners a grant to upgrade their homes with vermiculite. Of course, one of the main suppliers was W.R. Grace out of Libby.

9:53 p.m. – Bruce Vincent of Libby, a third-generation logger and part of the management team at Environomics, will be the featured speaker next January at the Minnesota Farm Bureau's Promotion and Education Conference in Bloomington. Bruce has developed quite a reputation as a speaker and he will deliver the conference's keynote address, "With Vision, There is Hope." Good luck to Bruce.

10:10 p.m. – Here's a tidbit from the past. This is from the Feb. 18, 1954 edition of the Ellensburg (Wash.) Daily Record: "Probe Report Eagles Kill Deer in Montana." With the dateline of Libby, the story reports that a flock of eagles has been swooping down and killing deer near Rexford. Loggers in the area reported that the eagles were "pouncing on the backs of unwary deer, sinking talons into their backs and pecking them to death." Game officials were expected to investigate.

Friday, Sept. 18

9:30 a.m. – It's a more casual day at the office on Fridays so I got the blue jeans out. It's also "Football Friday" this time of the year and it's nice to be comfortable as I go up and down the sidelines keeping stats. Last week, I didn't have time to change and wore dress shoes ... my feet were pretty sore by the end of the night.

10:02 a.m. – Received volleyball photos from Whitefish vs. Libby. Matt Baldwin of the Whitefish Pilot shipped those over to us. We all work for the same parent company and we share pics when we can. Libby swept Whitefish in three games, 25-21, 25-20, 25-18. Jackie Mee had another big performance. I need to work on stories ... it'll be time to go to football before I know it.

12:11 p.m. – Interesting piece of mail this morning with an opinion that people in Lincoln County are mean and nasty. I can't publish it because it's anonymous. I get a fair number of anonymous letters and I guess some folks just don't understand that we have to have guidelines about those things. Most of the anonymous letters are mean-spirited. Allowing people to hide behind the mask of anonymity while taking shots at others is not something I want to get into. People have a right to know who's criticizing them.

* * * * *

1:10 p.m. – Just heard that a grizzly bear was relocated to the Cabinet Mountains from the Whitefish area. I'll try to run down details.

* * * * *

1:26 p.m. – Libby swept Bigfork in soccer yesterday. The boys trailed 1-0 but then reeled off three straight for the victory. The girls won by shutout, 2-0, on goals by Jaime Gilden and Ashley VanHoose.

* * * * *

10:37 p.m. – Back home now after covering the Troy-Eureka football game. The Lions won, 35-8, with an incredible running back named Chad Price. Eureka has a pretty decent ballclub again this season. Our photographer shot the first quarter of the Libby-Hamilton game and then made it to Troy just as the first half was ending. Kudos to Paul Sievers for pulling double-duty tonight.

Saturday, Sept. 19

11:30 a.m. – Just finished up shooting photos at the Libby Invitational out at Cabint View Country Club. Incredible day for golf – just perfect ... and one of the most beautiful golf courses I've ever seen. Got a lot of exercise walking around trying to get photos of our kids along with Polson and Ronan to send to one of our company's other newspapers.

10:16 p.m. – Libby soccer teams swept Polson today. The boys and girls squads are both playing well. I think the girls have a special team this year ... hopefully, they'll keep it going. Troy's volleyball team beat Valley Christian but lost to Loyola Sacred Heart on a trip to Missoula.

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