This year’s, one mile, Color Fun Run/Walk begins at 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 4 at the west side of Roseland Park in Scobey. The non-timed event will also wrap up at the park.

A new twist this year — participants will be divided into teams of less than ten. Each team will receive a clue at the starting line and at each color station concerning the race route. The slogan this year is “Giving is an art…be the artist” and the powdered paint will create a masterpiece on the t-shirt.

Logo t-shirts will not be delivered until after the actual event, so participants are asked to wear your own white or light colored t-shirt for the Run.

Some things participants may want to bring to a color run include sunglasses, a plastic bag or phone holder, a plastic bag for sneakers and flip flops to slip on, tow els to put on your car seat, bug spray, and baby wipes.

The color run is a fund raiser put on for local charities and sponsored by the Assembly of God Church in Scobey.

Sherie Anderberg, coordinator

The Senior Center will remain CLOSED until further notice.

Menu

(subject to change)

Oct. 1 – meat lasagna, grilled zucchini, garlic bread, dessert, milk

Oct. 2 – chef’s choice Oct. 3 – baked chicken, ranch potato wedge, green beans, roll, dessert, milk Oct. 5 – baked ham, scalloped potatoes, creamed corn, roll, dessert, milk Oct. 6 – almond chicken casserole, rice, carrots, roll, dessert, milk Oct. 7 – shrimp fettuccine, buttered broccoli, garlic bread sticks, dessert, milk Oct. 8 – hot beef sandwich, mashed potatoes w/gravy, carrots, dessert, milk

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* Advertising copy no later than Monday noon.

* News, social and club items by Monday afternoons. Sooner is better!

* Pictures to be appearing in an issue of a given week should be in no later than Monday afternoons.

* Makeup of pages regularly is completed and ready to email by Tuesday noon to Helena.

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e-mail your ads and news to the

Leader at 2leader@nemont.net

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Monday thru Friday

Sheridan Electric Cooperative, Inc. will be holding this year’s Annual Meeting of the membership on Thursday, October 8th at 4pm. Registration will begin at 2:30pm. This year, our annual meeting will be held as a drive-in style meeting that will be broadcast over an FM transmitter. The location of the meeting will be at 6385 HWY 16 S—

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ortheast corner of Medicine Lake. There will be a $100 bill credit for all members in attendance. We will have drawings for a cross-arm table built by Lineman Steve

Augustin, 4 quarters of beef and the progressive drawing for $500. Sheridan Electric Cooperative, Inc.

would like to thank all members for their understanding during this unprecedented time.

9-25-20

Dear Editor,

Empire Builder’s Future Uncertain

The Empire Builder has been a Life-Line in Northern Montana for decades, however another cloud hangs over the Passenger Service. There is effort to re-establish the Southern Mt Hiawatha Passenger Service (terminated 1979) from Chicago to Sand Point Id, by creating the Big Sky Passenger RailAuthority. It will comprise of Counties from Dawson Co (Glendive) to Missoula Co. Once established another study will ensue, then funding and approval of the Southern Rte by Congress will be sought.

I’m not going into detail, as one can get details – log into <Big Sky Passenger Rail Service> I’m not an alarmist, but I am a realist, I would like to share some thoughts, as to what this campaign means for the Future of the Empire Builder.

Please know I have been involved in this issue for decades.

We have always had to defend the existence of the Empire Builder as Congress would cut its funding every budgeting cycle, then funding would be added back in after some real scrutinizing. It was called O-Based Budgeting of which I don’t have a problem with, if only Congress would practice it across the board.

I don’t have to tell you, funding is all important, Amtrakisproposingtoreduce its service to 3 days a week, starting October 15th.

Alittle history is in order to give one a perspective.While the effort to re-establish the Hiawatha Rte dates back decades, it received new life when Gov Schweitzer hosted a meeting in 2007, at which time, the Gov along with Sen Baucus, Sen Tester and Cong Rehberg endorsed the effort. Sen Tester introduced a bill in Congress that included $340 million, however we were successful at keeping the bill inSenateFinanceandClaims.

Legislation has been introduced in every Mt Legislative session since 2007, each time the bills were defeated except for 2019 when Rep Andrea Olson (Missoula) introduced legislation to study the issue and create a Mt Passenger Rail Commission.

In Sept, 2019, the Transportation Interim Comm considered HJ 34 and decided not to do the study. Yet in Jan, 2020 Rep Olson (who sits on the comm) moved for a reconsideration of the committee action. They agreed to take it up at theApril meeting at which time they yet again voted not to do the study.

I’m not speaking for the Lawmakers, but my consensus has been that they have rejected all legislation since 2017 on the basis that two Passenger Rail Services won’t be funded.

Here’s what at stake if the Authority ever comes to pass & they are successful in their mission to re-establish the Hiawatha Southern Rte “The Empire Builder will be Jeopardized” To substantiate my assertion, I remind you of what happenedwhenI94wascompleted in Mt (about 1976), 30% of the traffic was divert ed from Hwy 2 to I 94. People started leaving, businesses closed and communities began to die. THEY HAVE NEVER RECOVERED.

Remember, it was a government action that disenfranchised Northern Mt and no one has ever been held to account.

Here’s where the politics comes in, you should know that the original plan for the Eisenhower Interstate was to run thru Northern Montana, but the political might existed in Southern Mt, so I 94 went South.

That is exactly what will happen if the Hiawatha Passenger Service is re-established, of which has the support of Gov Bullock, Sen Tester, Sen Daines and Cong Gianforte, it will take passengers away from the Northern Rte and because of the Political Might of Southern Mt, it’s quite evident which route will survive.

The most egregious statement coming out of the Authority Group is – “This is not about either / or Passenger Service, but having two Passenger Rail Services” Folks don’t believe that for one minute, fast forward to that day if there are two routes and they have to compete for funding, with the political might in the south, we know what the outcome will be. Their support for Northern Mt will have evaporated.

In support of my assertion, I’ll cite what Rep Ron Erickson, (Missoula) stated during the 2017 Legislature, “There’s nothing going on in N Mt so why should we be spending money there?”

So where from here ??? We the people in Northern Montana have to become engaged. I was disappointed thatIwastheonlyonetoshow up at each session, to oppose the bills.

Here’s the point, if I’m the only one in N Mt who cares why should anyone else care ???

I would suggest writing letters to our elected officials,

be prepared for the 2021 Legislative Session because there will be legislation introduced, mark my word.

I’m involved because I care about Northern Montana, I’m an optimist, I’m bullish on the Region because of it’s abundance of Natural Resources, it’s Modern, Productive Agriculture and Tourism with a potential not yet realized.

Sure we have challenges, like constructing anAdequate Hwy 2 so Communities can Compete For and Attract Business but that’s a doable, let’s get’er done. Cordially Bob Sivertsen Havre, MT

laredoenterprises76gmail.com Hwy 2 Assoc, Pres. 406-262-2346 Letters To Editor Policy: We do not publish candidate endorsement 'Letters to the Editor'. All letters written to the Leader must be signed and be of general interest to the readers of this area. This column is not to be used for 'thank you' notes or other commercial messages. The opinions expressed are those of the letter's authors. The Leader reserves the right to edit for length, clarity and to prevent libel.