I am of course aware of Billings Gazette editor Darrell Ehrlick’s column and some of the conversation downtown. Ehrlick’s description of downtown Billings on Black Friday, Nov. 28, was unfortunately true. One of my associates and I also noticed most of the problems Ehrlick mentioned around our office that day. (more…) Continue Reading →
Billings Gazette
Recent Posts
Downtown backers making best of a bad situation
|
Editor’s note: The editors of Noise & Color, Billings’ independent monthly magazine of culture and entertainment, asked me to write them a piece expanding on my recent column about downtown Billings, and the intense reaction to a certain column about the downtown that appeared in the Billings Gazette. (more…) Continue Reading →
Filed under: Billings, Culture, Billings Gazette, Darrell Ehrlick, downtown Billings, Noise & Color
Advice for the Mustangs’ new owners
|
The headline in The Billings Gazette read: “New Mustang owners see Dehler as blank canvas.” Allow me to fill in some of the blanks. Why me? Because this spring will mark exactly 50 years that I have been a baseball fan. And because I have faithfully attended Mustang games for more than two decades. (more…) Continue Reading →
Filed under: From the Outpost, Barbara Berreth, Billings Gazette, Billings Mustangs, Marx Brothers, Moby-Dick
Gazette boycott, however appealing, the wrong move
|
A local businessman is organizing a campaign to get downtown businesses to drop all advertising with the Billings Gazette. The spark was a December column by Gazette Editor Darrell Ehrlick, who described some of the least savory aspects of downtown Billings. (more…) Continue Reading →
Filed under: From the Outpost, Billings Gazette, Billings Outpost, Darrell Ehrlick, David Crisp, Ed Kemmick, Last Best News, Pub Station
A different take on downtown Billings
|
A week ago today, Billings Gazette editor Darrell Ehrlick opened his Sunday column with the words, “This is one of those thing that hurts to write.”
If it’s any consolation, Darrell, it was also painful to read. (more…) Continue Reading →
Filed under: Prairie Lights, Billings Gazette, Community Innovations Summit, Darrell Ehrlick, downtown Billings
Remembering a devilishly famous headline
|
A friend with a long habit of hanging onto curious artifacts recently gave me the banner reproduced on top of this column, clipped from the Sept. 5, 1992, edition of the Billings Gazette. I happened to be playing tennis that morning, a Saturday, at Pioneer Park, when a Gazette truck pulled up alongside the newspaper rack just off the sidewalk. The driver jumped out and began removing the papers from the rack. (more…) Continue Reading →
Filed under: Prairie Lights, Billings Gazette, covens, Margaret Rogers, Wayne Schile
Mercury News profiles Sid Thomas
|
Clair Johnson wrote a fine profile of Judge Sidney Thomas last month, a week before he came chief judge of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Today, the San Jose Mercury News ran a profile of Thomas, coming to pretty much the same conclusions as the Montanans who know him well—that Thomas will be a relatively low profile but effective leader for the court. In the words of one of his former law clerks: “There’s no drama. He’s not an ideologically driven person. He really cares about the record; we were deciding cases, not making policy.” Continue Reading →
Filed under: Last Best Blog, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Billings Gazette, Clair Johnson, Martha Sheehy, San Jose Mercury News, Sidney Thomas
From the Outpost: Recollections of a legendary wit
|
Gazette Sports Editor Jeff Welsch wrote a solid farewell column last month for Bill Bighaus, who retired after 23 years as a sports writer at the Gazette. But the column failed to truly capture the range and depth of Bighaus’ remarkable wit. I don’t mean that as a criticism. No single column could have pulled that off, and this one won’t either. Just consider this a modest contribution to the Bighaus legend. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Billings, Bill Bighaus, Billings Gazette, Jeff Welsch, Yellowstone Horse Racing Alliance
Saying goodbye to Bill Bighaus
|
Don’t miss this fine tribute to sportswriter Bill Bighaus, now retired, written by Gazette sports editor Jeff Welsch. Then there was the altogether fitting decision to devote this week’s 5 on 5 feature to reflections on Bill’s career and legacy. His colleagues took the opportunity to lob some witticisms his way, which was only fair. In person, on your your feet, it was difficult to match wits with Bill. His colleagues earned the right, after all these years, to have a little fun at his expense when he was not available to respond. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Last Best Blog, Bill Bighaus, Billings Gazette, David Crisp, Jell Welsch
Cranky ex-copy editor flays ungainly idioms
|
I am excited to be writing this. I am so excited you’d think I had never written anything in my life. And I know you will be excited, too. You’ve heard people talk that way. A city official calls a press conference to announce that some guy who just painted his house donated a couple of half-empty cans of paint to the dog pound. Continue Reading →
