Borrowing a little 'Hey Howdy Hey'

Believe it or not, there are occasionally times that I sit down to write this column, and I have no idea what I’m going to write about.

It’s usually after a very long and crazy week, which was the exact definition of last week. There was a lot to do before my first in-person show of the year, where - in more than a year - I would be able to teach in person again. There also seemed to be something going on every night last week. Usually, I keep my schedule to a meeting or function per week now that I’ve released a lot of responsibilities like those that plagued me with non-stop weeks like last week. But the stars aligned and more than one thing needed addressing.

So here I was with a blank screen, waiting to be filled and the thought that kept occurring to me was that maybe it was time to do a version of Jim Oly’s, “Hey, Howdy, Hey,” but with my own twist…

If you’re new to the paper and haven’t heard of or read any of Jim’s pieces, let me tell you, you’ve missed out. Jim has this way of making people feel wonderful by his thoughts and memories he puts to paper. His words are positive, grateful and he means what he says. Someday I hope we see more of his work, but for now, I’m going to recognize a few people who are important to me, and our community, and some of the impacts I believe they make, so here goes.

First, we’re all pretty lucky to have Erin and Roger who put out a quality, informative, weekly newspaper here in Lincoln. This paper, even before they took it over, and still today, is one of the best sources of information our little town has. Sure, there’s Facebook and other social media platforms, but like a good book, it’s just not the same on a computer screen as it is to hold it, feel it, absorb it. When I was getting ready to move to Lincoln, some thirteen years ago, my parents had gifted me a subscription to the BVD, then run by Susan and Nyle Howsmon. Before I moved here, I felt like I already knew people, and had a pretty good idea of the things that happened in town. As a matter of fact, if it hadn’t been for that newspaper and the information about meetings and gatherings, I would never have gone to a fiber guild meeting and met Joy Aquino. Those two factors right there are the big reasons I do what I do today and have my own fiber arts business.

Next, I want to recognize all of our community organizations - and we have a lot of them here for such a small town.

We’re incredibly lucky to have our own volunteer fire and rescue here in Lincoln. We’re lucky to have people so dedicated to our safety, our well-being and our health. They often work - and by work I mean volunteer – and spend a lot of their time and their energy (especially during weekends like the 4th of July in a very dry summer) to make sure we’re safe. Folks like Zach Muse, Derek Perez, Ernie Lundberg, Bobbi Jean Buster, Ward Roberson, Billie Smock, Kristie Fry, Klara Varga, and anyone who’s name I may have missed. You may never hear it enough, and I may not know all of you individually - but please know, you are so very appreciated.

We have other groups in town like the Optimist Club, which in my opinion, is one of the most positive groups in town, doing wonderful things for youth, not just in Lincoln, but in the entire Blackfoot Valley.

The Historical Society does so much to preserve the memories of Lincoln, the Sportsman Club helps educate young and old in guns and safety, the Snowmobile Club works hard to provide trails for people to come and enjoy winter activities, and our Chamber of Commerce and Envision Lincoln groups are doing wonderful things to improve our town, our economy, and our future as a community.

There are groups and organizations I belong to that are near and dear to my heart, including the Lincoln Community Garden, the Lincoln Fiber Circle, the Lincoln Council for the Arts and the Blackfoot River Ducks Unlimited Chapter. These are just a few of many organizations - and if I didn’t mention one you belong to directly, it’s nothing personal and nothing was meant to be left out, I was just rattling off those that came to mind first.

Lincoln is also lucky to have a place for our seniors to go. Diane Ironi and her amazing volunteers do so much for them. They also have a wonderful little thrift shop behind the Methodist Church that’s open each Friday to help support the community.

Our local businesses -without each one, Lincoln wouldn’t be here. If you’re looking for something to eat, or something to do, you can find it in Lincoln. Tuesday is “Taco Night” just about everywhere. Some local eateries have “Wing Wednesday,” There’s Bingo Night, Trivia Night, bands, karaoke (on occasion), and lots of places to shop, have coffee, get a great milkshake. And so much more. In the summer there are horseshoe leagues, and in the winter we have pool leagues.

We have a great community park and camping area at Hooper Park, and an amazing attraction at Sculpture in the Wild, and folks who help put on events all year.

I guess what I’m really trying to say is thank you to an entire community, for all that you do, all that you are, and for making this place my favorite place to live!

And to Jim Oly, thank you for the inspiration… Hey, Howdy, Hey my friend!!