Above: Colclough preps his saddle during a saddle bronc
competition on Friday evening, July 23.
(Photography by Aron Agosto)
It’s been a whirlwind week for Jason Colclough and his
current travel partner, Dalton May. The pair have known each other from working the chutes together for a few years now and chose to set out on a rodeo circuit together this past week. Not uncommon practice in the rodeo world to help
in offsetting the cost of chasing the sport they love.
On Friday morning, July 23, their sites were set on
Forsyth—what would have been Jason’s first pro-ride since acquiring his PRCA card just a few short weeks back.
Unfortunately, fate would keep them in the valley for one more night when the truck they were driving broke down. Yet as saddle bronc rider Colclough described of his sport, ”You just do the best with what you’ve got.” So rather than wallow in the moment of disappointment, the pair set out that night
to ride at Heritage Days in Columbia Falls.
Saddle bronc rider, Jason Colclough, preps for his ride at Heritage Days in Columbia Falls with a little help from bareback rider, Dalton May. The two would go on to win their respective events on Friday, July 23.
(Photography by Aron Agosto)
Colclough and May both walked away with the evening’s prize purse. By dawn, they were back on the road with a little welcome cash in hand and off to seek paydirt in Shelby.
Continued on Page 10…
Yaak River Festival brings unique sound
to the water front crowd
Simple. Raw. Soulful.
by Sara Harrell
A friend posted a YouTube video on Facebook one morning and I actually hit the play button. Not something I would normally take the time to do, but I was curious what instrument laid on the lap of a fellow sitting in a wooded scene. As the video started, I looked on, not quite awake sipping my coffee and thought what is this guy playing? It’s not a
Dulcimer, a lap string instrument I grew up knowing as a small child in the mountains.
The sound was immediately captivating, his
talent showed well even through the haze and
mystery of not knowing just what exactly was sitting in his lap. I had to get to work and only had time for one more YouTube video, I ‘subscribed’ to his
channel to hear more when I got home later that night and took note of his name, Dan Debuque. I
already knew before my second cup was empty and
I headed for the door that I absolutely needed to
find a way to see and to hear this musician play in person.
Little did I know, about a month later Dan
Debuque would be the opening musical act on day two for the 2021 Yaak River Fest held on July 23 and 24. Waiting to hear the price of tickets, showtimes, and which day Dan would be playing I moved my work schedule around to be sure I made it to the Yaak River Tavern on time.
Hearing Dan play is an event everyone should experience. Just what is that instrument, you ask? I came to find out it is a German version of a Hawaiian slide guitar. A man by the name of Hermann Weissenborn took German engineering and combined it with Hawaiian influences of instruments like a ukulele. In the end, he created what is now known as a “Weissenborn Hawaiian Lap Steel Guitar.”
What makes listening to this instrument so mesmerizing in the right hands, like those of Dan’s, is it’s hollowness from the neck down which gives a jaw dropping percussive and bass-sounding Hawaiian tone.
Dan grew up playing more typical guitars, both electric and acoustic. He enjoyed playing Metallica and Nirvana, beats many of us are pretty familiar with even if we don’t know the lyrics or never did. The, Dan was gifted a ticket to hear a performance by a musician he had never heard of – Ben Harper….
Continued on Page 13
Tee-time for Annual CPMC Fundraiser at Cabinet View Golf Club
George Mercer steadies himself for a drive from the 2021 CPMC Foundation “Playing for Fundsies” challenge throne on
Saturday, July 17
at Cabinet View Golf Course in Libby.
Over 80 golfers showed up for the
28th Annual fundraising event
which raised over $26,000 for the
Cabinet Peaks Medical Center Foundation.
READ MORE ON PAGE 13
(Photo by Tracy McNew)
Town Hall set to hold discussion on
Troy Library and Opportunity Center
The Troy Branch
of the Lincoln County
has teamed up with agencies across the area on a community project
that will expand the
Troy library and extend service opportunities
for the Troy community. Partner agencies include
Communities that Care of Troy, Unite For Youth, Western Montana Mental Health, Zero To Five of Lincoln County and Lincoln County itself who are all pooling their resources to bring Troy the community resource center of their dreams. Literally.
“The Troy Library and Opportunity Center (TLOC) should represent the wants, needs and dreams of the Troy community,” reads the projects website.
TLOC is a direct result of town hall listening session work groups developed following similar meetings held by the Montana Economic Developers Association which took place in 2020. The TLOC initiative developed in direct response to identified community needs discovered through two assessments completed in 2019 by the Zero-to-Five Lincoln County organization and through Lincoln County’s annual Health Assessment.
The new opportunity center will be established at 205 N. 3rd Street in Troy, within the empty space that the Troy Ambulance Service will be leaving when they move to their new location. The project will redesign the building, then
incorporate the Troy Library, establishing one overall community facility.
Space acquired can then be used to create opportunity for roving agencies and services which otherwise may not have permanent office space to connect with the Troy area. Services such as mental health counseling and job service assistance can potentially unfold. In addition, “cool” programs like podcasting, cooking classes and a tech lab will have room to sprout – each of these current suggestions being discussed by board members and local residents.
“We want the community to tell us more about what they would like us to see offered,” said Troy Librarian, Sharee Miller.
The group has been garnering feedback through surveys and discussing the project with Lincoln County residents at events Troy’s Old Fashioned 4th of July and the Farmers Market. This next event is a free dinner and visioning session during which the TLOC team will be welcoming a guest facilitator, Deb Halliday, former Senior Policy Advisor to State Superintendent Denise Juneau at the
Office of Public Instruction in Helena.
Halliday will lead the community in imagining the opportunities possible. The TLOC town hall vision meeting will be held on at 5:00 p.m. on August 2,
at the Troy Branch Library located at 3rd and Kalispell Avenue in Troy.
Everyone is invited!
There is also a zoom option for those that wish to attend but may need to
do so remotely. Contact Sharee Miller at smiller@lincolncountylibraries.com