T IMES
July 19, 2019
BAKER, MONTANA
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$1.00
July 26 & 27
New school year welcomes a new Superintendent By Shannon Johnson
The Baker Public School System welcomes new Superintendent, Mr. Aaron Skogen, for the 2019-2020 school year. Skogen grew up in Ronan. He participated in athletics during his high school career including football, basketball, and track for a brief period of time before graduating from Ronan High School. After high school, Skogen continued to further his education. He played college basketball at Miles Community College for two years before transferring to Great
Falls where he played basketball for two more years while obtaining his bachelor’s degree. While he was attending school in Great Falls, Skogen met his wife, Marissa. “She was on the girl’s team and I was on the boy’s team,” he smiled. “We got married in college.” Skogen was excited to begin a career doing something he genuinely enjoyed. “I had a lot of strong teachers who had been a part of my education from the beginning,” he said. “I’ve always had a passion for education.” After graduation, newlyweds Aaron and Marissa
went to Highwood where he took a job teaching mathematics, which is a subject he has always enjoyed, and coaching. While working in Highwood, Skogen decided to pursue his master’s degree. “I had a lot of mentors who were encouraging me to go back and get my master’s and I wasn’t sure yet, but the timing was right since we didn’t have kids yet,” he explained. “I really enjoyed it.” After five years of teaching in Highwood and receiving his master’s degree from Montana State University, it was time for the next chapter. Skogen took his first
Superintendent position in Geraldine. “It was different than being in the classroom because now I get to work with more staff,” he mentioned. After two years in Geraldine, Skogen and his family relocated to Colstrip where they lived for two years while he worked as an elementary school principal. Skogen and his wife now have three boys: a fiveyear-old, a three-year-old and a three-month-old. With their oldest getting ready to start school in the fall, the Skogens felt that it was very important to take the school system and the community into consideration
when determining their next step. “We’ve heard nothing but great things about this school as well as the community, so for us we were excited about it,” he noted. The Skogens are currently working on getting settled in, between getting here the end of June and starting straight to work, things have been a bit busy. “We’re trying to catch up on sleep with the little ones,” Skogen acknowledged. “They are enjoying it. We’ve taken them to the lake several times and the splash pad. We’re excited to be here!
Fallon Medical Complex welcomes a new provider By Shannon Johnson
Fallon Medical Complex is welcoming Carol Hough, a Family Nurse Practitioner from Washington. Hough grew up in the small town of Asotin, WA, about 100 miles south of Spokane. In high school she participated in basketball, 4-H, and rodeo. After high school she married her high school sweetheart Norman. They had three kids Chad, Chelsea and Nicole. After being a stay at home wife and mother for several years, Hough had found a career calling. “My mother had a chronic illness and passed away from that,” she said. Since Hough was the only one out of her four other siblings that was not working, she was heavily involved in the care at the end of her mother’s life. “I always thought that the nurses were amazing, and I knew I wanted to pattern my life after that.” Hough got into the field of nursing at the age
of 23 and has been in it ever since. She began her education at Walla Walla Community College in Clarkston, WA for her Associates. Her education continued online, and she received her bachelor’s from Grand Canyon University. Along with many years of travel nursing, Hough worked as an RN in an Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Room. Although she loved what she did, she thought there was a way that she could better care for patients. “By the time I saw patients it was all mostly damage control at that time,” she explained. “If I can prevent disease and illness as a Nurse Practitioner then I want to make an impact that way.” Hough hit the books once more, studying online through Simmons University in Boston, MA where she obtained her master’s degree in December of 2018. Aside from travel nursing and a few years spent living in western Montana, she had lived in Washington her whole life
and was ready for a change. “Rural medicine is what I want to support,” she expressed. “I feel that as a Nurse Practitioner I can make the biggest difference in rural communities.” With her heart set on a rural community and an opening at the Fallon Medical Complex, Hough set her sights on Baker. “Montana is beautiful, so why not,” she affirmed. Although Hough moved here in June, they are just beginning to get settled into their new Montana lives. “It’s a fourteen-hour drive. That’s a lot to do in one day,” added Hough. After they get settled, Hough is excited to get back into her lifelong hobby of horseback riding and do some exploring in the area. Hough remains excited to begin her journey as a Family Nurse Practitioner in the Baker community. “Everybody waves here,” she acknowledged. “It’s just a very friendly place!”
Crazy Days adds extra excitement this summer By Shannon Johnson
Baker’s Crazy Days will be taking place next weekend and both the Baker Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture as well as the City of Baker have added some new events to add to the excitement of the spectacular sales that our Chamber retailers will have going on. On Friday, July 26 the Baker Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a 3 on 3 basketball tournament. All the courts will be set up downtown so people can check out the sales in between games. The tournaments will begin at 9 a.m. and the ending time will depend on how many teams are
participating, although they are estimating it should come to a close between 1 and 2 p.m. Kids from 3rd grade all the way to 12th grade are welcome to participate. The divisions will be split up by age group. There will be a 3rd and 4th grade division with both boys and girls. Grades 5 and 6, 7 and 8, and 9th through 12th will all have separate boys’ and girls’ divisions. The tournament has an entry fee of $20.00 per participating child, and the winning teams will get prizes. Products of the Prairie will also host their first summer market on Friday, July 26 on Main Street in the parking lot between Lawler’s and Spirits Plus from 5 - 8 p.m.
On Saturday come to downtown Baker for the bike parade! Kids are invited to decorate their bikes and dress up for the parade, which will start at 10:30 a.m. in front of Mom’s Laundry and end in the Reynold’s parking lot, where the participating kids will receive a treat. Crazy Days only happens once a year, so swing by downtown Baker to catch the sales, see the bikes being displayed during the parade, and watch some basketball! “The Chamber encourages everybody to come out and support the kids and check out the sales,” mentioned Alissa Miller, a member of the Chamber Board.
Baker team wins 2019 State Bowling Championship Two teams from Baker traveled to Butte to compete in the C Division team, doubles, single and all event categories at MTUSBC Open Championships. The Mitchell’s #2 team, Ernie Scheetz, Dustin Scheetz, Devon Harrison and Daniel Fradenburgh, brought home first place with a score of 3,182. Mitchell’s #1 team, Steve Stickney, Jacob Rieger, Joe Zacher and Steve Fradenburgh, placed 20th with a score of 2,870. There was a total of 164 teams in the C Division. In doubles Ernie Scheetz and Daniel Fradenburgh placed 10th, Dustin Scheetz and Daniel Fradenburgh placed 16th and Devon Harrison and Dustin Scheetz placed 27th. There was a total of 252 entries and payout to 30th place. In singles Daniel Fradenburgh placed 5th, Dustin Scheetz 7th, Jacob Rieger 28th and Devon Harrison 46th out of 485 entries and payout to 59th place. There were 440 entries in the All Event category and payout to 20th place. Dustin Scheetz placed 1st, Daniel Fradenburgh 5th and Jacob Rieger 19th. The Baker bowling teams had an outstanding showing in all events at State Bowling held in Butte on April 26 and 27.
(l-r) Daniel Fradenburgh, Ernie Scheetz, Devon Harrison and Dustin Scheetz
TODAY’S FORECAST High: 79 Low: 57
Mostly Sunny
Beaver Creek Rendezvous
Inside Files of the Times.............2 From the Bench...............5 Obituaries........................3 Crossword........................7 Upcoming Events.............4 Classifieds........................8
Charity Fun Shoot Saturday, July 20 151 N HWY 7 • Ekalaka, Mt
Russell’s Clothing Check our Krazee Sale is going...
Friday & Saturday July 26 & 27
For up-to-the-minute news visit falloncountyextra.com We want to hear from you: See how to contact us on Page 2 Vol. 103 No. 29
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