The National Capitol Christmas Tree lighting on Thanksgiving weekend has been around since 1964. We all know about the lighting of the tree, but does anyone know how that tree is picked and brought to the Capitol?
Well, this year Choteau is very lucky to be picked as one of the 16 towns in Montana to host a celebration for the tree. This is probably one of the most exciting things that has taken place in Choteau over the past couple of years. We will have a festivity at the courthouse honoring the tree, our veterans, and those serving in the army. This might be a once in a lifetime opportunity, so come see the Capitol Christmas Tree!
The National Forest that is chosen to supply the tree is given a great honor. While picking out the tree they have to take into consideration four different things; the shape and fullness of all four sides of the tree, it has to be a richly colored green that matches the species of tree, and the tree must be between 60-85 ft tall. The one other aspect that they have to take into consideration is how accessible the tree is to get to, so they can cut it down and load it on a flatbed.
Once they have cut down the trees they have the first celebration, which is the “Cutting Celebration” on November 1. On November 2 they have the packing celebration. They load the tree into a semi truck that is specifically for the tree so it is not damaged. The semi is also refrigerated. November 4 through the 12 the route coordinators have a series of celebrations planned along the road to D.C. The trip is a total of 21 days, and 9 of them are spent in the state of Montana.
The Capitol Christmas tree is always one of the most beautiful things to see in D.C. at Christmas time. The centerpiece for the Capitol lawn is full of lights. With the flip of a switch over 10,000 lights are used to illuminate the tree.
Along with the lights on the tree they need over 5,000 handmade ornaments for the main tree. They also need 750 ornaments for each of the 75 smaller trees. These ornaments have to be about 9-12 inches long, and about 6-8 inches high, with a wire that is about 8-12 inches long for the outside trees. The inside tree ornaments need to be 3-7 inches in height, and full of detail. The theme of the ornaments is “Sharing Montana’s Treasures.” The ornaments you make cannot have anything about religion on them, and if they do the ornaments will not be used. If you enter an ornament and complete the entry form you are entered into a drawing to win a trip to D.C. to see the Christmas Tree Lighting.
Speaking of the Christmas Tree Lighting, here are some facts about the history of the National Capitol’s Christmas Tree. The very first Capitol Christmas Tree was cut down on December 18, 1964. It was bought from Buddies Nursery in Birdsboro Pennsylvania for $700. This tree was 25 ft tall, and lasted through the 1967 celebration. This tree was also the smallest tree the United States ever had as a Capitol Christmas tree celebration. Buddies supplied the Christmas Trees for the next four years of exciting celebrations. The biggest tree that was ever cut down was 75 ft tall in Wasatch-Cache Forrest in Utah. Montana is filled with beautiful trees and lush forests, and guess what? There has been only one other time that Montana was chosen to supply a capitol Christmas tree, and that was in 1989! This tree was cut down in the Kooteni Forrest, and it was a 60ft tall Engelmann Spruce. So it is about time that the Capitol Christmas Tree team came back to Montana to get another great Christmas Tree.
When the Capitol Christmas Tree comes to Choteau it will be in the main semi truck, which is 110ft long. It is also accompanied with at least 4 additional support vehicles, and two law enforcement automobiles. There will be a total of about 12-15 people accompanying the Christmas Tree. Along with the truck being so long, the truck has windows so we can look into the truck at the Holiday Tree. It is unable to turn 90° corners, so while we plan our celebration we will have to take that into consideration. The route coordinators have asked our celebration planners to provide Police or Fire Escorts while entering Choteau to draw the attention to the tree.
The celebration will be held on the lawn of the courthouse at 10:00 a.m. on November 8. The crew coming with the tree will set up a fake tree in front of the courthouse for the gala, but they will take it down before they leave for their next destination. The festivity will last about an hour so the tree can get back on the road to travel to Augusta. There will be a small program with the Elementary choir singing a few patriotic songs to support our troops and veterans. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come and see the 2008 Capitol Christmas Tree on November 8 on the court house lawn.
Alisha Breen
Copyright 2008 Capitol Christmas Tree Campaign
www.capitolchristmastree2008.org
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Have you seen those huge wind mills outside of Great falls or some where else? You’re about to find out what these wind mills are, and what they do. Right now there is a one hundred fifty million dollar project going on to make ninety of them, so far they have thirteen. Those wind mills are an alternate energy source that is inexhaustible. Inexhaustible means that it won’t run out, even though wind isn’t constant it is always here.
Those wind mills will help light up the cities they’re around. For example, the ones on the outskirts of Great falls help power Great falls. Towering over us at two hundred sixty two feet they are made up of three eighty-five foot segments. The government expects one hundred fifty megawatts from the ninety wind mills in the project, which is seven percent of the power needed to provide three hundred thousand customers with electricity.
The wind mills have a cement foundation of forty-eight feet wide and seven feet deep. The foundation has to support one hundred and eight thousand pounds of concrete wind mill. The fiberglass blades on these wind mills have an average of ten to twenty revolutions per minute and are one hundred twenty-six feet in length, so when they reach their top ark they’re four hundred feet in the air.
The full production wind speed for the wind mill is thirty three miles per hour. The minimum wind speed that the blades turn at is six miles per hour, but it’s not until seven point eight miles per hour that electricity is produced. In high winds of fifty-six miles per hour or more the turbines have to be turned off to avoid damage.
Wind farms may just be starting to get put up but these wind farms have potential to be the energy source of the future.
Tim Conklin
Susan Snyder is a new teacher at Bynum School, which until now had only one teacher, Mrs. Luinstra. Bynum School grew to the point that two teachers were needed, so she was asked to join Mrs. Luinstra to help teach the students at Bynum School. Mrs. Snyder teaches kindergarten, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. These grades combined consist of 8 students. She has signed a one year contract to teach at Bynum.
Mrs. Snyder also has a strong teaching background. She has taught 14 years at two different public schools, Cut Bank and Conrad. At Cut Bank she taught, 3rd and 4th grades, and at Conrad she taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. She also coordinated the gifted program at Conrad. The gifted program is a program that has an 8th grade drama club, a 6th grade newspaper, k-5th grade gifted classes, and all school programs. She has also home schooled Watson for kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades. Mrs. Snyder loves to teach and she is very glad she has been given the opportunity to teach at Bynum.
Mrs. Snyder lives on a ranch northwest of Choteau with her husband R.T. Snyder and her 9 year old son, Watson. She grew up on a ranch in Utica, Montana with her two sisters. Mrs. Heintz her 3rd and 4th grade teacher inspired her to become a teacher. She inspired her to become a teacher because she made it fun for Mrs. Snyder to learn, and did activities to encourage her to learn, and read. Mrs. Snyder loves where she is teaching, because when she was little she always wanted to teach at a rural school. Her grandparents also taught at a rural school, which also gave her inspiration.
Bynum School has four rooms and a gym. There are two classrooms, 1 library-band room, and a multi-purpose room. The multi-purpose room is used for a lunch room and extra activities. School starts at 8:00 and ends at 3:45. Everyone has to bring their own school lunch to school.
Mrs. Snyder teaches multiple ways. Some times she will teach all grades at once, when they are doing a science project or writing assignment. When she teaches all grades at the same time she expects different levels of work from different grades. Other times students from one grade will work on class work while Mrs. Snyder meets with other students from another class. So the students must focus, listen and think about their work all at once.
Mrs. Snyder thinks that the students at a rural school get better depth in education, because the students have a longer time to study or do research. They are also learning things at different times, because with students having class while other grade levels are also having class they learn multiple things. For example her students are learning 4th grade information while they are also learning kindergarten information. Another reason is they are learning things at different times than they would in a one grade classroom, and they also have a longer time to learn it.
Mrs. Snyder loves teaching and she is a great teacher. It’s a gift God has given her and that’s what makes her so good at it.
Abby Henderson
Snyder, Susan, Personal interview, 9-14-08
According to legend Bigfoot has been around since 1772, when a man named John Green wrote in his journal about this man-animal. There have been many people saying that they have seen Bigfoot; he is real. While others say they won’t believe in Bigfoot unless they see him. Many wonder is there more than one Bigfoot. Some wonder why they haven’t seen any bones or remains of previous Bigfoot’s.
Not long ago two men were walking in the woods of Georgia. They came across a large carcass. They dragged this enormous 12 foot tall man-animal out of the woods to their car. When they got to their car they realized that this is the body of Bigfoot. Later they thawed out the body and realized that it was no more then a rubber gorilla suit.
Many people have told stories about Bigfoot existing. In fact local Choteau resident Sharon Guse has a story of Bigfoot going through her barn. She says it was a rainy day, and Sharon and her husband Alvin were building their barn so the roof was not on yet. That night the barn animals started going crazy. When they woke up the next morning there were two large partial foot prints in their barn about 6 feet apart.
There have been many sightings of Bigfoot in Montana in the past. In Lincoln Montana, screams that have never been heard before, were heard around Bull Lake. Also a man and his son, from Lincoln saw a strange creature walking near Lake Koocanusa. In Silver Bow County some boy scouts saw a creature running through the woods. And in Mineral County a man saw an orange colored creature sitting in an upright position.
People from all around the world have described Bigfoot in ways that can’t be imaginable. They say that his skin is between the color of black and charcoal brown. His palms are said to be lighter than the rest of his skin. Bigfoot does not have fur, but hair. His hair is around 2 to 3 inches long. They say the size of his head is around the same size as a human head, and his nose is like a pug. Bigfoot is nocturnal so his eyes are fairly large. They say he is an omnivore so he mainly eats berries, roots, leaves, and small animals such as squirrels, gofers and fish. Bigfoot is able to make all types of sounds like moans, growls, howls, and hoots.
So the main questions that people are wondering. Does Bigfoot exist? Is he out there right now wandering the world? Will the world ever find some true proof about this existing Bigfoot?
Ellie Zwerneman