Time Capsule: From the archives of local weeklies
BERL TISKUS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 6 months AGO
Reporter Berl Tiskus joined the Lake County Leader team in early March 2023, and covers Ronan City Council, schools, ag and business. Berl grew up on a ranch in Wyoming and earned a degree in English education from MSU-Billings and a degree in elementary education from the University of Montana. Since moving to Polson three decades ago, she’s worked as a substitute teacher, a reporter for the Valley Journal and a secretary for Lake County Extension. | February 12, 2025 11:00 PM
The Flathead Courier, Published on the Shores of Beautiful Flathead, America's Finest Lake, Feb. 16, 1950
Montana picnic in Mesa, Arizona
A record number of 1,040 were registered at the seventh annual Montana Picnic on Feb. 5 in Rendezvous Park in Mesa, Ariz.
The county most highly represented was Fergus with a registered attendance of 102; Gallatin was runner-up with 84. Mrs. A.R. Mitton of Kalispell was awarded the door prize with others for such things as being the shortest woman present or the fattest man.
Officers of the association for 1950 were Harold M. Olson, formerly of Glasgow; Harry Reef, vice-president, formerly of Bozeman; Lucille Sigler, secretary, Bozeman; Mrs. C.E. Hill, corresponding secretary, Kalispell; and Mrs. George Harris, treasurer, Polson.
Among the registrars were Mr. and Mrs. Scott Fries, Mr. and Mrs. F. Brown, and Miss Juanita Yob, Polson; and Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Hill and Mr. and Mrs. B. M. Wohlwind, Kalispell.
Vinge trial set for February 21
Judge Besancon asked arraignment be continued a week for the purpose of gathering more material in the cases of Harold W. Vinge and Alvin J. Vinge, suspects in the burglary of Boettcher Hardware.
The court fixed the same bail as had been set in Justice Court for $6,000 for each man. Both of the defendants refused the services of a court-appointed lawyer. Trial is set for 10 a.m. Feb. 21.
Business training offered students at high school
Students graduating from Polson High School with business training are qualified for general secretarial work, said Neil Devlin, typing and shorthand teacher, in an interview recently.
The school teaches mainly courses in typing, shorthand and accounting, but some students obtain a little training in adding machine work and mimeographing.
Because of the many students taking typing it’s impossible to teach transcription since the machines are in almost constant use. There are four beginners classes and two advanced classes or about 110 students in all.
License sales slow
Car and driver’s license sales have not picked up as they might have been expected to with the clearing of some of the snow, and Feb. 15 so close at hand.
Sales so far are in the 800s for trucks, 1,600s for cars, and more than 3,600 for driver’s licenses.
ARTICLES BY BERL TISKUS
Dirt flies for the groundbreaking of Mission Valley Ice Arena
The first shovels of soil marked the groundbreaking for the Mission Valley Ice Arena after ten to 12 years of fundraising.
Cruisin’ by the Bay brings classic cars to Polson
Smoke veiled the Missions, but it didn’t discourage car buffs from bringing their prized autos to Cruisin’ by the Bay, the Mission Mountain Cruisers’ annual show. Car lovers didn’t stay home either; they gathered and discussed their favorites, peeked at the engines, sometimes even looked at the suspension.
Ronan Pioneer Days offers plenty of Horsin' Around
Horsin’ Around was the theme for the 2026 Ronan Pioneer Days, held last weekend. While there were a few horses involved, there were lots of humans at play during the three-day event.