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Articles written by Frank & Lin Vargo


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  • Six More Weeks of Winter

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to The Courier|Feb 9, 2022

    Well, in case you didn’t hear, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog Day which means we have 6 more weeks of winter! Each year, thousands actually descend on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to watch the giant rodent makes this annual weather prediction at dawn. Now, if he didn’t see his shadow, good chance would be that spring would have come early. Phil had more people at his rally than the current acting President ever did! Actual weather data says that Phil has only a 40% accurate prediction status. So he is wrong more...

  • Remembering Edwina

    Frank and Lin Vargo|Feb 2, 2022

    We would like to give our condolences to Greg Pederson and his sister Brenda Ketsdever whose mother Edwina L Schneider passed away on Friday, January 21st after she had been in the hospital for about a week. Greg moved here before Edwina and her husband, to help do work on their building. That is how we met our future son in law. Edwina and her husband moved to Saint Marie in about 2008, about 14 years ago. Condolences also go out to Edwina’s brother, Jerry Williams who resides in Oregon and also condolences to family and friends. Where oh w...

  • The Powder River Kid!

    Frank and Lin Vargo|Jan 26, 2022

    Lately, I have been delving into the past family histories again, something I have done for years and have actually been able to find cousin’s that I never even knew existed! Part of my family did settle in the Northeastern Montana area and I was sent some very interesting articles and information about some of them and their lives here in Montana during the mid to late 1800‘s. I thought I would share one story with you all. My Great Great Great Grandmother’s brother was Samuel Russell. He was known in his earlier days as the “Powder River K...

  • Expensive Fuel

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to The Courier|Jan 19, 2022

    In the very useful miscellaneous information department, my opinion, here is a Saint Marie factoid. We are about 20 miles from Glasgow, Montana. If your vehicle gets 18 miles to the gallon of gas, as ours does, you use, about two gallons of gas getting to and from Glasgow. You say, “so what”! Let me digress for a moment. You get the advertisements from lets say, Reynold’s or Albertson’s, and there is a “SALE” going on. So you depart Saint Marie and go to town to purchase something “ON SALE”. Well, with the price of gasoline being $3.19 and...

  • Happy New Year to All!

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to The Courier|Jan 5, 2022

    We got to talking the other day about the city of Glasgow, Montana being in the “Middle of Nowhere” but had a question about that… just how did they come up with this? Found out that a group at Oxford’s Big Data Institute that studies the intersection of disease, geography and demographics, spent years building a globe-spanning map outlining just how long it takes to cross any spot on the planet. So the Washington Post stated that they spent hours of computer time processing every pixel and every populated place in the contiguous United States...

  • A New Year in a Free Country

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to The Courier|Dec 29, 2021

    Waving his small arms, Michael Pederson, excitedly explained the Christmas party that he was invited to at T&R Trucking. Michael told about how his friend "Rocky" Thompson, owner of T&R Trucking, and his family, had a Christmas party for T&R employees at the Cottonwood Inn. It is an annual affair. Michael got to play "tag" and other games with all the kids. Thank you, "Rocky" Thompson for your kindness and goodwill. Well, it is official, now, chronologically, Dec. 21, marks the first day of Wint...

  • Wonderful Christmas Music

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to the Courier|Dec 22, 2021

    Wow! What a wonderful Christmas musical at Irle Elementary school on Thursday, as the third grade class put on an extravaganza show that even Broadway would envy! Directed by Ms. Christine Gilchrist with a cast of 40 third graders, these kids sang, danced and acted out their parts to perfection. Way to go Ms. Gilchrist and the members of the show. 'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....' up in St. Marie. We took a drive around the area and though it lacks the population of Glasgow,...

  • Face-to-Face with the Enemy 50 Years after Pearl Harbor

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to The Courier|Dec 15, 2021

    Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021 was the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. Hard to believe that for us, it was 30 years ago and many of the "players" of this event are now gone. However, this is how one story unfolded on the 50th anniversary of that date, 1991, as it was told to us... Lin and I were having supper with Richard Fiske at the Chart House, Honolulu, Hawaii, as we had done on many occasions. But this time, it was a few days before the 50th anniversary of the, not to be opprobrious, "J...

  • Christmas Tree Hunting in Custer National Forest

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to The Courier|Dec 8, 2021

    Over the river (Milk river) and through the woods, (Custer National Forest) to harvest a Christmas tree we will go, well you get the idea. Our family went to the BLM office in Glasgow, and for a mere fin, (Five bucks) you can pick up a harvest permit to cut your own Christmas tree. We did it every year and it is a family tradition for us and several others that we meet in Zortman, Montana. It is a very beautiful area where you can pick out your own personal tree. However, be forewarned it is...

  • There is a lot to be thankful for in the U.S. and in your families

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to the Courier|Dec 1, 2021

    Shining Star One shining star in the spectrum of medical professionals was my nurse Tranle Granlie.​ Last year at this time, it was touch and go for me reaching another Holiday season but I was sent to Billings Clinic. I was operated on and even though they did not have a room for me after a seven hour surgery, they placed me in the hallway at ICU. The nursing staff and surgeons kept close tabs on me and the flashing lights that were on the medical devices that I was hooked up to. Out of all o...

  • Military Vehicles, Fall Backward, and Winter is Coming

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to The Courier|Nov 10, 2021

    In the What the heck department?!! On Nov. 5, at about 11 a.m., going through Glasgow was a special train load heading for Washington State. What was in the flat train cars? Military vehicles, thirty railroad cars carrying three of these special military vehicles each. Last year, there were video's of the same kind of military vehicles being transported east, which doesn't help the laymen's sense of imagination. Some might be thinking conspiracy theory.... Fall Backward Well, it is that time of...

  • Adventures in St. Marie, Classic

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to The Courier|Nov 3, 2021

    Greetings from the "Original" Adventures in St. Marie. We were rather flummoxed when we listened to our phone answering device and found out that we were writing articles for the "Buzz!" After carefully checking the assertion we found out "close, but no cigar." Our header was copied for the most part. So to make it perfectly clear we are not affiliated in any way, with "The Buzz," or the author of the article. We are sorry that you got confused. "Nuff said" on that! On the Mend We can now...

  • Yo Quiero Señor Pup-Pup

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to The Courier|Oct 27, 2021

    Yup-yup! Mr. Pup-Pup is back…. Home! After escaping his collar, he took off and wandered the streets of Glasgow for three days, worrying his family as one can imagine! He stopped and looked around put his nose in the air and took a good sniff and then realized he was in “the middle of nowhere!” And, decided he better find his way home. Mr. Pup-Pup or using his alias of “Dog” is Glasgow Courier editor Chris McDaniel and son Austin’s wayward pup. Glad to hear he is back home and doing great although Chris stated that he did look hungry and...

  • No Conspiracy Here!

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to the Courier|Oct 20, 2021

    ​Well, apparently, the dust has settled at our small town North of Glasgow! Or has it? Right after the not so secret military maneuvers at the old AFB, residents thought that the haven of abandoned buildings and former homes of military personnel back in the day, were over. When what to our wondering eyes should appear between Ash and Locust streets, but Law Enforcement Vehicles from Phillips and Valley counties with a plus one from the Glasgow Police Department. Several officers were in specialty gear near one of the buildings with an odd look...

  • 'It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's...'

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to the Courier|Oct 13, 2021

    "If I knew you were comin' I'd 've baked a cake Hired a band, goodness sake If I knew you were comin' I'd 've baked a cake How-ja do? How-ja do? How-ja do?" 1950's song! Off da hook Well, our phone answering machine jumped to life with semi-frightened residents asking us what was going on. Well, we kinda knew but were not privy to releasing all the information to the public. We really wanted to, but upon returning the phone calls all we could do was reassure our callers that as far as we knew it...

  • Nothing to See Here, Move Along

    FRANK and LIN VARGO, Special to the Courier|Oct 6, 2021

    Want to know what happened this week in Saint Marie? "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf" — George Orwell "1984." Flag at half-staff The American Legion sent out a notice that United States flags on all Federal office buildings are to be flown at half-staff in honor of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service in Emmitsburg, Maryland. This year, the memorial service was held on this past Sunday, Oct. 3, and pays a national tribute to all fallen firefighters. A...

  • Autumn is in the Air

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to the Courier|Sep 29, 2021

    We got to noticing the other day that it was getting later a lot earlier now and came to realize that it was the beginning of Fall. The first day of Fall this year, was on Sept. 22 and, yes, it changes from year to year. It is called the Fall Equinox. But that only applies to the Northern Hemisphere. It is the beginning of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere. So if you like Spring over Fall, go South young man/woman. So there we were, over at Flip Burger's restaurant, love that place, when we...

  • What the Hay!

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to the Courier|Sep 22, 2021

    Sad news for all of you fans of the Montana Hay Bale Trail: What the Hay! Our family always would make the trek to Hobson and Windham (Mt Hyw 239 and 541) the first Sunday after Labor Day. But last year with the COVID, they decided to cancel to be safe for the people planning the event. This year, 2021, the planning committee thought they would have the Hay Bale, but due to the drought conditions, it was canceled this year too. Just a little history on the Hale Bale, in 1989 there was a...

  • Forsan et haec olim menisse invabit.

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to the Courier|Sep 15, 2021

    It's Latin. It translates into "Perhaps some day these things will be a pleasure to recall." By the time that you read this, 9/11 will have passed and many Americans as well as people around the world will be reminiscing as to where they were on that day in infamy. We know where we were and exactly what we were doing. By the time the dust had settled in New York, 2,977 lives had been lost, and the "War on Terror" was being initiated by President George W. Bush. It lasted basically for 20 years...

  • 'Time Keeps on Slippin', Slippin', Slippin'...'

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to the Courier|Sep 8, 2021

    September is here already, amazing how fast this year is going. I am writing this on Sept.1 for both today and Sept. 8. For all you bird hunters out there, since the season has started get your Mountain, Sage and Sharp-Tailed Grouse or Partridge! Good luck to you! September 2, last week, not too many remember the importance of that day. It is VJ Day, victory over Japan and the surrender ceremony was held on that day, aboard the United States Navy battleship USS Missouri, at which officials from the Japanese government signed the Japanese...

  • We Sell Almost Anything!

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to the Courier|Sep 1, 2021

    There has been a request for information on the Saint Marie Co-op Thrift & Consignment Shop, which is located at 715 6th Street. And by the way, the thrift store is doing very well including having some Boeing customers coming into the store. For those who are not from Saint Marie or those not too familiar with our address system out here, which can be confusing at times, the thrift store is just past Town Hall. There is a sign out front. When you come into Saint Marie from Highway 24, you are on 5th street, stay on 5th almost all the way...

  • Remembering Those Who Have Passed On

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to the Courier|Aug 25, 2021

    Saint Marie Fire Chief August Aho's father, Todd Owen Aho, passed away August 17 in Billings after a lengthy illness. Todd Aho would have been only 60-years-young next month. In August's own words: “Dad touched many lives during his time with us and could always put a smile on your face when you needed it. "He had an infectious laugh and if he was smiling so were you. "Dad made friends easily and always had a smart ass comment for a smart ass question. "We would like to thank everyone that had a part in caring for dad in these past years. "...

  • He personified the word "gentle" in gentleman.

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to the Courier|Aug 18, 2021

    Ron was tall and lanky, and walked slowly but with meaning. He spoke quietly to me and Lin as he began to sit down in his chair at Shady Rest RV Park. He and Cary, his wife, like this RV park and came here every year and they would take their Motor Home into the parking spot that he and Cary liked to be in. We liked visiting with them at Shady Rest as well as so many others who frequent the park. Ron made friends through out the sites. A kind of good will ambassador of Rvers. He would show up in the neighboring rv spots sort of unexpectedly...

  • 'We Do What We Can to Protect What We Can'

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Adventures in St. Marie|Aug 11, 2021

    What makes Sara of Long Run, run? Just when the Long Run Firefighters thought that they might have a break from fighting wildfires such as the massive 447-acre-wildfire about three miles from Saint Marie, MT in the early morning hours on 17 of July, another one, albeit only about 5-acres, this time 4 miles up route 24, Chief Sara Johnson-Bryan led her fire crew into the fields again. It was Saturday the 31st this time, and perhaps she was looking forward to enjoying her weekend off with her...

  • 'God Put the Fire Out...'

    Frank and Lin Vargo, Special to the Courier|Aug 4, 2021

    What if there was a fire and no one came? This could have happened with our Saint Marie Fire Department. On Tuesday, July 27th, the Saint Marie Fire Board held their monthly meeting. This meeting started off as most board meetings do, but by the time the Chief's report came around, it was clear there were issues that needed to be heard. It was a very contentious St. Marie Fire Board meeting. Chairman Patrick Trotter did a rather magnificent job in maintaining decorum and order what with the...

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