Independent Study

“The hardest part is getting through the day without feeling too lonely.”

Amber Leetch, Student at Sunset School

Photo by David Reber’s Hammer Photography

You’ve heard of a one-room schoolhouse, right? But have you heard of a one-student school? Or, better yet, a one-student school district? Welcome to Sunset School District 30 in Greenough, Montana (population 250).

The district has only one school, one teacher and one student. But this isn’t the story of an impoverished rural area struggling to survive. Quite the opposite—it’s the story of a prosperous ranching region too pricey for families with school-age children to afford. For the one child, Amber Leetch, whose family does live in the area, the school spares no expense. Its $83,000 budget allows for an electronic whiteboard, three computers and 100 percent one-on-one time with the teacher.

Still, Amber gets a bit lonely at school. So the school sprang for one more item this year: Bayley, a three-month-old school dog.

Read more → Jim Robbins, One-room school also one-student school, New York Times, January 29, 2012.

100 Reasons

“I’ve always been dibbling and dabbling in publishing.”

Harriette Leidich, Columnist for Bennington Banner

Photo by Mike McKay

Harriette Leidich of North Bennington, Vermont (population 1,324) has about 100 reasons to be pretty darn pleased with herself. Ms. Leidich, who will celebrate her 100th birthday in April, was recently named the oldest working newspaper columnist in America. Her column “Senior Moments” appears in the Bennington Banner in Vermont. It’s a collection of Ms. Leidich’s musings, most of which center around small town life. She’s written the column on her “trusty old typewriter” for the past 16 years, but she got her start in newspapers long before that. At age 14 she ran the hot-lead Linotype machine for her dad’s newspaper in Nebraska, and she’s been in publishing ever since.

The National Association of Newspaper Columnists named Ms. Leidich the oldest working columnist after Margaret Caldwell, a columnist in Nevada, retired last year. She was 104.

Read more:

■  Eal P. Goswami, Vermont columnist Harriette Leidich may be oldest, Bennington Banner, February 3, 2012.

■  Robert Haught, New member: America’s oldest columnist, Columnists.com, February 1, 2012.

Got Nothin’

“We got a mess to clean up . . .”

Chris Tabor, Business owner in Lincolnton, North Carolina

Photo by takomabibelot

Crime doesn’t pay. Just ask the thieves who hit five businesses in downtown Lincolnton, North Carolina (population 10,925) last week and got nothing. That’s probably because the bumbling burglars targeted a furniture store, printing company, insurance office, appliance store, and finance office—not places most folks go looking for cash. The thieves did try to break open a safe at the finance office, but without success. And they took down ceiling tiles in the printing company, presumably to break into the jewelry store next door, but again, no luck.

The cops got something, though. They’re investigating a trail of blood left by one of the thieves who was hurt smashing through a glass door, and they’ll be checking with area businesses for surveillance video. Hopefully, the cops can catch these guys before they do any more harm to the town, and themselves.

Read more → Diane Turbyfill, Thieves hit five stores, walk away with nothing, Gaston Gazette, January 31, 2012.

Railroad Crossing

“Someone may have to die before they straighten all this out.”

Ron Stacy, Mayor of Wartrace, Tennessee

Photo by Jerry Huddleston

Folks in Wartrace, Tennessee (population 548) grapple with a problem rare in most small towns: traffic jams. But their backups aren’t caused by cars, trucks or even tractors. They’re caused by trains. CSX trains travel through Wartrace on a regular basis. This isn’t a problem until two trains have to pass one another and one has to pull over onto a siding. Trains, which can move a whole lot of goods for relatively little money, have gotten a lot longer in the last few years and outgrown their sidings. Now when a train pulls over, it often blocks the highway going through Wartrace and stays that way for a good hour or longer. It’s an inconvenience for all and life threatening for some. Fire fighters and EMTs responding to emergency calls lose valuable time backtracking and rerouting around the trains.

CSX is aware of the problem and has hired a “train master” to fix it, finally. Town leaders in Wartrace have been complaining about the train blockades since 1999. They’re just happy CSX is finally listening and hope they’re on the right track to a final solution.

Read more → Brian Mosely, Critical condition: Trains block access in Wartrace, Shelbyville Times-Gazette, February 1, 2012.

Holy Hilltop

“I recognize that the statue is important to the community for its historical heritage . . .”

Chip Weber, Supervisor with U.S. Forest Service

Photo by Mark Goble

Jesus can stay atop the mountain—for now, at least. Residents in Whitefish, Montana (population 6,357) were upset when the U.S. Forest Service announced last year it was evicting the Jesus statue that has sat on the hills overlooking that town since 1955.

The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, put the statue there. Many of its members had fought in World War II and were inspired by religious monuments they saw in the mountains of Europe. However, the Forest Service found that the statue violated this country’s laws mandating separation of church and state, and said it had to go. The decision sparked fiery debate and drew over 95,000 comments from folks around the country.

Last month, the Forest Service reversed its decision, finding that the statue is eligible for placement on and protection under the National Register of Historic Places. It granted the Knights of Columbus a special use permit to keep Jesus where he is, for 10 years at least.

Groups opposed to seeing Jesus hold court over the mountain promise to sue.

Read more → Jesus statue will stay atop Whitefish Mountain, Billings Gazette, January 31, 2012.

A Lotta Pucks

“At first, the community didn’t have a clue who I was.”

Scott Crowder, Organizer of the New England Pond Hockey Classic

Photo by TAZ Photos

Nestled among some of New England’s largest lakes, Meredith, New Hampshire (population 1,875) is the perfect getaway in the summer. But come winter, folks pack up and get away from Meredith. This weekend two little words are changing all that: pond hockey.

Played on frozen lakes instead of ice rinks, pond hockey seems a perfect fit for Meredith. At least, that’s what Scott Crowder thought. Growing up, Mr. Crowder spent his summers on the lakes around Meredith and his winters playing hockey. Fresh out of college in 2010, he put the two together and organized the New England Pond Hockey Classic on Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith. Mr. Crowder says local businesses weren’t on board that first year—most didn’t know who he was—but that didn’t stop the hockey players. Seventy-seven teams from around the country showed up to play.

This year, 200 teams are competing in the New England Pond Hockey Classic, which starts tomorrow and lasts through the weekend. Tickets to the event have long been sold out, and hotels and restaurants in Meredith are filled to capacity. In fact, this pond hockey weekend now represents the biggest financial weekend of the year for the small town. I’ll bet the local businesses know who Mr. Crowder is now.

Read more:

■  Jim Connelly, From old pads to new dreams: Former college players help put kids on the ice, USCHO, January 17, 2012.

■  The Pond Hockey Classic website.

Wrong Foot

“Sometimes you’ve just got to do what you’ve got to do to survive.”

Jim Preacher, Mayor of Norway, South Carolina

Photo by Mike Tually

Talk about getting off on the wrong foot. Jim Preacher was elected mayor of Norway, South Carolina (population 360) last November. He couldn’t wait to get started on the job. That’s the problem—he couldn’t wait. He showed up at town hall January 1 but the doors were locked—the council wasn’t actually scheduled to meet until January 9. Mr. Preacher opened a back window and, finding he couldn’t fit through it, helped an unnamed, smaller person through the window. Once inside Mr. Preacher changed the locks and removed the outgoing mayor’s name from the town bank accounts. The outgoing mayor is upset and has asked the sheriff to charge Mr. Preacher with burglary.

Fast forward to last week. Mr. Preacher was pulled over by a state trooper for doing 70 mph in a 55 mph zone. Mr. Preacher doesn’t deny he was speeding but says he was acting as chief constable and was in pursuit of a vehicle. Moments after receiving his ticket, Mr. Preacher turned on his siren and pulled the trooper over. Again acting as chief constable, Mr. Preacher took the trooper’s license and registration, hesitated a while, and let the trooper go. Now the state has been asked to check into Mr. Preacher’s status as a law enforcement officer.

For his part, Mr. Preacher wishes all the negative publicity would just go away. Perhaps he’ll get his wish. Today is a new month and a new opportunity for Mr. Preacher to put his best foot forward . . . or not.

Read more:

■  Norway’s mayor says he did not enter window, The Post and Courier, January 6, 2012.

■  Martha Rose Brown, Trooper pulls over Norway mayor, then mayor pulls over trooper, The Times and Democrat, January 21, 2012.