Culture

Family’s devotion to rarely used church spans a century

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Altar

On the high plains of Eastern Montana, abandoned churches are nearly as plentiful as abandoned schoolhouses.

From a distance, the little white church sitting on a rise nine miles west and a little south of Broadview looks as if it might be one of those forlorn, forgotten structures.

But step inside and it is immediately clear that this is a church still under someone’s loving care. The ornate altar, with its prominent statue of the Virgin Mary and a front panel featuring a relief sculpture of the Last Supper, is bright and beautifully preserved. Continue Reading →

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From the Outpost

David Crisp: Remembering Roger Clawson

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Clawson

In his 1944 story about the death of Capt. Henry T. Waskow, probably the most famous piece of war correspondence since Thucydides, Ernie Pyle described a soldier who looked at the body of the fallen officer and said, “God damn it to hell anyway” before walking off into the darkness.

I first read that line when I was barely a teenager, and I used it at times of tragedy and loss for decades before I realized where I had stolen it. It came to mind again this weekend, when my wife and I returned from an emergency trip to Texas to bury her mother only to learn that longtime reporter and Outpost columnist Roger Clawson had died. (An obituary is below this column.) Continue Reading →

Culture

On the road to Roundup, a new restaurant with a flair

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DOA

Let’s say you live in Billings and you’re in the mood for some substantial food that is also imaginative, even a little edgy. And maybe you’d like to wash it down with some fun cocktails containing ingredients you’d never thought to mix with booze.

Where to go?

How about 30 miles north of Billings on Highway 87, to a roadside tavern on the outskirts of hell-and-gone? Continue Reading →

At Your Service

At Your Service: Reflections, regrets at the end of a series

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Holy card

It was with a pang of regret that I published the 24th and last chapter in my At Your Service series last Monday.

I began thinking of such a series something like 20 years ago, figuring it would be fascinating to visit some of the many churches in Billings and hoping that my “reviews” of the services might be of interest to others. At the time, though, and for many years after, I couldn’t imagine where I might publish such a series. Continue Reading →

Culture

TEDx speakers advocate for innovation, connections

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Roberts

Hip hop artist Supaman (Christian Parrish) began TEDxMSU Billings by asking audience members to turn to their neighbors, shake hands and connect. That quest for connection was threaded throughout Montana State University Billings’ first organized TEDx event, held Saturday on campus and featuring 11 speakers from Billings and the surrounding area. Speakers, selected by committee, were asked to make presentations on the theme of “Innovation in Action.” Though talks varied from music to math to the medical field and more, each propelled the concept of community and the mission of TED, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ideas worth spreading. TEDx events are self-organized, combining live speakers and TEDTalks videos to spark deep discussion and connection. Amanda Green, TEDx organizer and a graduate of MSU Billings, said the event included a mix of speakers, music and performers in order to offer a robust look at innovation. Continue Reading →