Community, 4
Cougar Notes, 7
Annual Moonlight Madness and Appreciation Dinner
2016 Miss Montana, Lauren Scofield visited Plevna School
VOLUME 100
ISSUE 43
TIMES
FALLON County
fctimes@midrivers.com 406-778-3344
BAKER, MONTANA 59313
Visit Us Online falloncountyextra.com $1.00
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2016
County commissioner candidates respond Candidates will be asked a series of questions between now and the General Election. They will all be asked the same question and their answers will be limited to 300 words and printed exactly as they are submitted, unedited. Question (2 parts) Part 1: When sworn in for the Fallon County Commissioner position, you will be asked to “support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic.” Can you give any examples of what an enemy of the constitution might look like or sound like? Part 2: Do you consider the constitution the supreme law of the land above you or anyone else’s ideology?
Roy Rost Part 1: The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land, and I will absolutely uphold it above my own or anyone else’s ideology regardless of any public office I may or may not hold. As far as what an enemy of the Constitution looks or sounds like, I would consider that to be someone who takes matters into his or her own hands without following due process or taking into consideration the requests and needs of “We the People.” An
enemy of the Constitution is someone who uses political power for personal gain. An enemy of the Constitution ignores or minimizes the efforts “We the People” make to commuRoy Rost nicate with county officials in order to perpetuate his or her own plan. Part 2: Our government is for the people. A person holding public office should strive always to serve the public and put the good of the people above personal agenda or the voice of a few outspoken individuals pushing a private itinerary. I strive to always listen and evaluate impartially, seeking advice and input from all sides and perspectives of a given issue. I am not afraid to make hard decisions. I am not swayed by power; I have a higher conviction to answer to. My only goal and priority as Fallon County Commissioner is to help our community be as healthy and successful as
possible and to foster good communication between the government and the people.
Dave Havens Hi, I'm Dave Havens. In response to the FCT question of parts: I Dave Havens two would first like to note that the readers of this article may reference this “oath” under Article VI, Section III of the United States Constitution and also that this response is not “all inclusive.” Part 1: An easy example to understand is; a foreign enemy of the Constitution is an entity who wants to overthrow the Constitution and a domestic enemy of the Constitution is an entity from the United States that wants to do the same. More complex perhaps, is the example of despotism. Despotism is an enemy of the Constitution, in that, it is a form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power. That entity may be an individual, as in an autocracy, or it may be a group as in
an oligarchy. The term implies tyranny (dominance through the threat of punishment and violence), absolutism, or a dictatorship (a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator, not restricted by a constitution, laws, or opposition, etc.) Our Constitution allows for “checks and balances” by imposing three separate branches of government, the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial. A nation at war with the U.S. is a foreign enemy of the Constitution and, while the U.S. is at war, under Article III, Section 3, of the Constitution, any person, (foreign or domestic) who adheres to that enemy by giving them “aid and comfort” has committed treason within the meaning of the Constitution. However, if the United States is not at war, under the First Amendment a person has the right to free speech and can state “the U.S. government should be disbanded and it’s Constitution overthrown.” This does not warrant treason against the U.S. as noted in the Treason Clause. Part 2: The United States Constitution is THE Charter of the Nation. It defines the framework of the government it establishes. It delegates authority to act in specific areas. It
CANDIDATES | PAGE 3
Trick-orTreat fun in downtown Baker By Sherry Vogel
Pastors Bruce and Reba Kolasch baptize little Tristan Eastan Tan as father and mother, Todd and Rachelle Tan look on.
(Photo by Sherry Vogel)
Pastors Kolasch say goodbye to Fallon County and United Trinity Lutheran Parish By Sherry Vogel Pastors Bruce Kolasch and Reba Kiger-Kolasch were stepping out in faith as they accepted the call to serve the people from the Baker, Ekalaka, and Plevna communities at the United Trinity Lutheran Parish on Nov. 1, 2004. Pastor Bruce shared, “Both Reba and I felt God intentionally lead us here, affirming our call to serve the people we have grown to love and care for. I have grown so much through our relationships and
work together. We have laughed, loved and cried.” Pastor Reba agreed, “Thank you for all the conversations, the fun discussions and even the difficult times. I have learned something new from each of you. Relationships are sacred and I have been blessed in all God’s abundance by so many. I truly have loved it here.”
Coming to rural Montana The couple reminisced, sharing some of the
“firsts” for them having moved to rural Montana. For Reba, a native of California, it was quite a cultural shock, but a wonderful adventure into the “Wild West.” One of the first community events they were invited to attend was a branding, where Reba attempted to ride horses and wrestle cattle. They got to experience a real working ranch, even partaking in the deliciousness of Rocky Mountain oysters for
KOLASCH | PAGE 3
SMART distributes tornado donation fund By Sherry Vogel The Baker Tornado Relief Fund dispersed over $90,000 to some 43 area recipients the first week of October. After a devastating F-3 tornado touched down in Baker, this summer on June 11, one hundred sixty unsolicited donations from lo-
cals, as well as people from all over the U.S. came pouring in. Individual entities generously gifting donations to the fund were churches, schools, organizations, area friends and neighbors, corporations and fund-raising events, each wanting to help defray costs accrued by those affected by the storm. Since this was the first severe tor-
Russell’s Clothing Baker, Montana 406-778-2427
nado that touched down in our community causing catastrophic damage, the process of distributing funds was an unknown factor for local government. The County selected the SMART office, under the direction of Mona Madler, to collect all donations and distribute appropriate amounts to qualified recipients. Madler went to work educating herself in the process
s t f i G t a e r G for any Occasion!
instrumented by other communities accustomed to such occurrences. The successful process employed, which dispersed 100 percent of the donated money, started with a Needs Assessment Form that was sent out the first week of August to the 60 property owners directly affected by the tornado.
Downtown storekeepers will be rounding up a harvest of sweet treats for trick-ortreaters on Halloween day. The Baker Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture is sponsoring the third annual “Downtown Trick-or-Treat” Oct. 31, from 4 to 6 p.m. Business owners, not in the downtown area or in the shopping center, are encouraged to be involved by participating in something new this year called a trunk-or-treat. Each participant is encouraged to decorate the tail end of a pick-up, trunk of a vehicle or any other mobile unit and park in Russell’s parking lot so the children can parade by to pick up your treat. It would be a “spooktacular” good time if all business people would join in the fun by dressing up. All participating businesses should register with the Chamber to be included on the list. The Chamber is awarding a $50 cash prize to the best-decorated storefront and a $50 cash prize to the best-decorated “trunk”. Everyone in town is encouraged to dress up and join the fun. A list of participating businesses will be available at local stores. To register your business or for further information, contact Katie Brawley, Chamber Director, 406778-2266: or e-mail bakerchamber@midrivers.com.