Memories for Wednesday, April 27, 2022

10 years ago-

Wednesday,

April 18, 2012

Shawn Bleth is the new middle school principal

Shawn Bleth, a teacher in the Malta School District, has been appointed to serve as the middle school principal, a part-time position.

The Malta Board of Education approved the appointment last week at their monthly meeting.

Mr. Bleth will succeed Scott King, who has been chosen to be the new high school principal when current principal John Roberts retires at the end of his current contract in May.

Mr. Bleth currently teaches government, U.S. History, current world affairs, and an economics-geography class.

Mr. Bleth graduated in May 2001 from Dickinson State University with a Bachelor of Science in composite social and behavioral science in secondary education.

He has taught at Malta High School for the past 11 years.

Bank’s new building is an investment in the community

Independence Bank’s new branch bank building in Malta which is currently under construction represents the firms’ investment in Phillips County.

“We’re pretty bullish about our future in Malta,” said president and chief executive officer Miles Hamilton of Havre.

Hamilton visited Malta last Thursday to say goodbye to Nate Simons, Malta branch president, who is leaving to return to work on the family farm, and to welcome new branch president, Cody Oxarart, a Phillips County native.

Before returning to Malta, Oxarart was employed at Independence Bank’s Glasgow branch.

General contractor Clausen and Sons Construction of Havre is building the new structure which will have 3,500 square feet of space on the main floor and almost a full basement underneath.

“You could put four of our current buildings in the basement of the new one,” said Kay Mayer, vice president for human resources, who accompanied Hamilton to Malta.

The new building will also have a conference room on the main floor.

Independence Bank purchased Western Security Federal and began operating in Malta in May 2000.

Showing at the Villa

21 Jump Street starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum

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25 years ago-

Wednesday,

April 16, 1997

Ereaux announces lease-purchase agreement to operate Marion Hills

Local resort manager Roger Ereaux announced this week that he has signed a lease-purchase agreement with Craig Stiles of Malta giving him control of the Marion Hills Golf Course.

Ereaux said he plans to operate the golf course located south of Malta this summer as well as the course at the Sleeping Buffalo Resort 18-miles east of Malta.

The businessman said he will immediately begin steps to organize a Phillips County Golf Association, a non-profit organization, which he ultimately hopes will manage the operation of both courses on a joint basis.

Although memberships will apparently be sold separately this year for each course, Ereaux said he anticipates that in the following years, golfers will purchase memberships that will allow them to play both courses.

Ereaux said he has asked five county residents to serve on the board of the new association along with himself, Alan Wasson, Dan Leader, Kevin Ryan, David Broadbrooks, and Byron Ereaux. All have agreed, Ereaux said.

Ereaux said the board planned to meet on Tuesday of this week to begin establishing membership fees and ironing out other details.

The agreement by Ereaux apparently ends several weeks of behind-the-scenes efforts by Ereaux and others to put together a group that could raise the money to purchase the course from Stiles.

While not disclosing the specific terms, Ereaux said he signed the lease agreement with Stiles in his own name. Both courses, he said, have struggled the last four or five years. Ereaux said he hoped by “trying to consolidate the golf courses” and creating a non-profit golf association to help try and fund both courses, both will benefit from a “stable environment.”

Benefit bar-b-que slated for victims of Saco fire

A roast beef bar-b-que benefit will be held Sunday, April 27, at the Saco IPPF Hall for Vern and Mary Vollum of Saco whose home was destroyed by a fire.

The benefit will begin at 2 p.m. Cost is $3 a plate. A pie auction, auction and jam session, and dance are also planned.

Donations for the auction may be dropped off at OB’s Bar.

The couple’s mobile home was damaged by fire in mid-March.

Showing at the Villa Theatre

Jungle 2 Jungle starring Tim Allen

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50 years ago-

Thursday,

May 4, 1972

Burglars Hit Malta, Saco Schools

A burglary occurred at the Malta High School in the early morning hours Wednesday, during which approximately $500 in cash was taken.

Supt. James C. Nordlund said there is a janitor on duty until midnight and the robbery must have occurred between then and 7 a.m. Wednesday when the break-in and theft were discovered by Jerry Salveson of the custodial staff.

Entry to the school had been made by breaking a window in the typing room on the west side of the school. The thieves then pried open the door of the teachers’ room and forced a door between that room and the office.

The thieves evidently carried the money out in a cardboard box, the contents of which had been dumped on the floor. They went through a number of cash boxes that were piled in the room.

Pete Messerly, county sheriff, said the safe dial and door had been “punched” in what looked like a job by professionals. After it had been punched, the door was pried open as evidenced by damage to the door.

The Saco school was also broken into sometime during the same night. Supt. James Tindall said Wednesday morning that they still did not know if anything had been taken. The dial had been blown off the safe, and the door was closed, so if the thieves did get in, they had closed the door afterward and school officials and police were unable to get in.

The Saco school was entered when the south door of the grade school building was forced. The burglars evidently had trouble with the safe so they tried to go through the wall in the superintendent’s office, but abandoned that when they struck a brick wall. There was also a hole in the wall on the other side of the safe in a book room.

Sheriff Messerly said there was also a break-in in Havre Tuesday night and a Volkswagon was found burned in the Zurich area that was believed to have been stolen. All the incidents may be linked together as the investigation proceeds.

High School Spring Concert Is On May 10

The spring concert of the Malta High School music department will be next Wednesday, May 10, at the high school auditorium at 8 p.m.

The senior band will present Tschaikowski’s “1812 Overture,”; “Choral and Fugue” by Bach; “The Flea,” “Summer of ’42 Theme,” “Matador”, and “Stars and Stripes.”

Also appearing will be the junior high chorus, the Euterpe Singers, and high school vocal numbers which have not been selected as yet.

Robert Rundle directs the band, and Dick Anderson is the vocal instructor.

Showing at the NEW Villa

Pocket Money starring Paul Newman and Lee Marvin

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75 years ago-

Thursday,

April 24, 1947

Marias Pass Road Will Close Starting This Week

U.S. Highway No. 2 from Belton to Nyack will be closed from April 25 to about June 1 due to reconstruction work being started there, the State Highway office announced this week.

Approximately seven miles of the Marias Pass road through the winding mountainous section will be widened and improved by the Union Construction Co. of Great Falls, the contractors. Considerable heavy work and blasting make travel dangerous so the traffic closing order was effected.

Band Concert At School Tomorrow

Reorganized Band Planning First Public Appearance

Malta’s reorganized school band will make its initial public appearance in a concert planned for tomorrow night at 8 p.m. at the high school auditorium. With the band, Director Alfred Ventur will present the chorus of the seventh and eighth grades, as well as numbers by the beginners and the junior band.

The highlight of the evening’s performance will be selections played by the combined bands, which might be called a Junior High School Band, although the average age of the group of 30 players is only 12 ½ years.

Showing at the Palace

The Bowery starring Fay Wray and Pert Kelton

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The 100 and 118 Years Ago were Absent From This Weeks Paper