Valley Views

Of smoothies and kayaks

Iwanted a kayak. It was a simple request I repeated repeatedly. I talked about how we would go kayaking this summer on the lake. We’d have a blast making family memories while building our triceps and getting a tan. I communicated as clearly as I could, in English, which is the language they speak. I wanted a kayak.

They got me a blender.

There was a reason for their actions. They like smoothies. And, despite the allure of a sleek kayak cutting through the cool, clear water, it was a distant vision. In my climate zone, you can’t kayak in the winter. You have to wait until summer. Smoothies are available all times of the year – for those with the machinery to make them. Months of waiting for warm weather or immediate gratification: the choice was obvious.

To their credit, they didn’t get me any ordinary blender. They purchased one with a motor capable of powering a rocket to the moon. This thing doesn’t blend food. It pulverizes cells; turns them inside out and supercharges the nutritional value like no blender ever dreamt of doing. Well, that, and it makes smoothies.

I appreciated my supersonic blender, I really did. But you know how it is with some gifts that aren’t kayaks. They sit in the living room for one week, then two, until we sort of become oblivious to their being there at all.

My boys were dying to make smoothies, of course, but they didn’t dare remove my megatron blender from its packaging. They left that privilege to me. They can be surprisingly considerate to the needs of others in the most unexpected ways - sometimes.

The box sat unopened because (it wasn’t a kayak) and I’ve never been much of a smoothie kind of gal. I like a little crunch in my food. But, somewhere between weeks two and three, I got tired of stepping over my non-kayak, missile blender and carried the bad boy into the kitchen.

My kids reacted with a one-word exclamation: “Smoothies!”

We revved up our rocket and shot out frozen, ice cream laden, calorie-laden smoothies like nobody’s business. The kids were happy. I took a look at the literature in the box, which offered healthy smoothie recipes containing a small amount of fruits accompanied by lots of vegetables only a guy like Popeye could love.

Call me crazy, but I decided to give it a try.

I threw in leafy greens by the handful and added minimal fruit and water. I hit the switch and watched the cyclonic action take my normal food and transform it into a nutrition explosion. I poured the mixture into a glass and was worried. Then I took a taste.

It wasn’t half bad. Surprisingly good, in fact. I didn’t mind drinking it one bit and have blended similar concoctions every day since. I’m having a blast while becoming the epitome of health. (Or so I like to think.)

My birthday is approaching and because of the thoughtful gift of the atomic blender, I’m looking forward to being in better shape this year than last. There’s just one birthday gift I can think of that might further enhance my new dietary routine: a method of exercise.

You know, like the kind you can get with a

Slices of Life Jill Pertler Syndicated columnist

Cap property taxes

Capping Montana’s double digit property tax increases on homeowners would seem a no-brainer issue for legislative candidates. Not so. The focus of Republicans and Democrats alike is on protecting the cash flow to government and placating moneyed special interests. The bi-partisan Revenue Interim Committee unanimously opposed Cl-121 the Cap Montana Property Tax initiative. Their members believe the legislature/ lobbyist cabal is best left in charge of your money.

Their two main rationales for opposing Cl121 are that the Montana Constitution is no place for tax policy. In fact, Article 8 Sec. 3 of the Montana Constitution mandates residential taxation at appraised value. Cl-121 simply amends that provision to cap the tax increases on established residences, then new residences, to a maximum of 2% per year. No amendment to the Constitution means no meaningful

change.

Before the vote the committee had an informational panel discussion. Only opponents to Cl-121 were on the “informational committee.” An expert on public bonding testified that the only thing that worked was “unlimited taxing authority.” No legislators challenged that concept.

Count on the legislature to fix sky rocketing property taxes? The laughter you hear is from the lobbyists opposing Cl-121. The problem has been growing since 2012 and exploded since 2019 but the legislature refused to even address the problem in 2021. Why should we trust them now?

All presenters claimed scorched earth scenarios if residential taxes are not continuously doubled. Reducing spending was never discussed. Montana’s families were mentioned only as cash cows for funding government.

There is a political action committee op-

Down the Middle Brad Molnar State Senator

see page 11 kayak.

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook. This is a classic column originally published in 2014.

LETTER POLICY

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from page 10

posed to Cl-121 Cap Mt. Property Taxes. Their members include unions, governmental entities, and liberal lobbyists that historically lobby against tax cuts and support more spending. They also include self-described “pro-business” groups which historically advocate for more spending and against tax cuts. Specifically, the Montana Chamber of Commerce (advocates for a general sales tax) and its members the Montana Bankers Association, Montana Association of Realtors (they pledge to defeat Cl-121 to protect their commissions), Montana Contractors Association, and the Montana Farm Bureau. They have amassed a $85,000 war chest and hired political consultants to keep property taxes skyrocketing.

The other thing they share is that they all have PACs, using fictitious names i.e. Realtors for Better Government, etc. that join with other PAC’, also with factious names, to fund the Super PAC-Jobs For Montana, which opposes social and fiscal conservative candidates running for the legislature, confronting or confronted by, liberal Republican candidates. We are talking tens of thousands of dollars in third party expenditures per targeted race. This protects the ‘Conservative’ Solutions Caucus which then shovels money and political power to their benefactors. Raise your hand if you believe they are building a war chest to defend Montana families.

CI-121 has $919 in its war chest. We can’t do this alone. Join the fight. Go to Cap Property Taxes.com

Author Senator Brad Molnar serves on the Tax Committee, served 8 years on the Public Service Commission and term limited from the Montana House.

vj

Think positively

Editor,

Human nature, being what it is, our nation and our world have surely fallen into a ‘habit thinking pattern’ of divisiveness, negative attitudes, and wars. This is a very clear and present danger. We have answers to this.

Let’s be very clear about one thing: our thinking controls how we deal with all events in living our lives together.

Years ago, I was introduced to the book “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993). The application of ‘thinking positively’ has had a tremendous influence on my life. Our nation and our world desperately need application of this power in all aspects of our individual and collective lives on planet earth.

We humans can and should most certainly eliminate wars and address the destruction of our planet earth. This requires individuals accepting and living with new attitudes, new thinking, new behavior.

What is needed is a sincere desire for change, plans of action, and carrying out these plans effectively in all phases of our society. It all has to do with helping us humans understand the need to change our thinking.

This may sound rather unlikely and something that has been preached by many over the years. But, in my view, it can never be said enough in our normal conversations and appropriate gathering. This is why I write these letters to the editor, and continue talking about it individually and in gatherings.

Bob McClellan Missoula

Check the facts

Editor,

We have a billboard outside of St. Ignatius. On one side, it says, “Zinke for Public Lands,” and on the other it says, “Zinke, Montana’s SEAL.”

We don’t have laws restricting misrepresentations and lies in political speech. Candidates may say what they like - but it is our job as citizens to check the facts.

Mr. Zinke’s career as a SEAL was stalled by indiscretions over billing the military for personal travel — termed “lapses of judgment” – in a 1999 Navy fitness report. He left the SEALs after this report and began looking for other work. He spent two years as Montana’s single Congressman before being installed as Secretary of Interior.

As Secretary, he presided over the largest selloff of public lands and oceans in American history. He took some of our most beautiful, important habitats, as well as our most culturally significant lands, from the people - and handed them over to a few wealthy industries, for their profit - not ours. He recommended that the president shrink several national monuments, despite the fact that the 1906 Antiquities Act grants presidents only the authority to protect these sites - not to dismantle them.

In an administration plagued by scandal, after just two years, the president announced that Ryan Zinke would leave his post. He was under investigation on 15 counts, including a real estate deal involving a company that his department regulated, bending rules to allow his wife to use government vehicles, and allowing a security detail to travel with him on a vacation to Turkey.

Now Mr. Zinke is asking the people of Montana to vote for him for Representative of our new House District. Liberals and conservatives alike should be thinking about the importance of honesty and transparency in good government. Ryan Zinke is not a good candidate.

Gail Trenfield St. Ignatius

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Lake City Bakery featured in ‘Baked by Grace’ documentary

By Taylor Davison Valley Journal

POLSON — Local filmmakers David and Jessica King of the FLIC Film Festival have a new documentary premiering May 13. “Baked by Grace,” tells the story about the folks who make Polson’s Lake City Bakery so special.

The idea came to the couple after a particularly good experience at the bakery one summer. Jessica described how, even with the packed dining room and a long line at the counter, employee Damian Innerbichler didn’t miss a beat when he walked in the front door. “Before the door even closed behind him, he was greeting the first person in line… It was almost like it fueled him to be excited and happy,” Jessica said. While it can be easy to get frustrated in a line like that, Jessica instead was pleasantly surprised. Innerbichler moved through the line efficiently, showering each waiting customer with positivity and joy.

The experience led the Kings to return more frequently, as they said they quickly realized it’s a special place. What they originally thought would be a short documentary expanded into an hourlong film as they peeled back the bakery’s layers and got to know the people inside.

The Lake City Bakery has been owned by Mike and Deneya Humphrey for the last six years, but run by their family for 52. Both of them came from a difficult past of grappling with addiction.

Mike’s mother, who previously ran the restaurant, had ended up hiring Deneya as a cook around 30 years ago, before eventually inviting her to church. “From that first visit, Deneya embraced Jesus Christ as her savior,” David said. Eventually convincing Mike to join her for the sake of their son, they both ended up fully embracing their faith and recovery.

According to David, it became clear while filming that the Humphreys have a deep relationship with God. “They start some days praying together,” he said. “They view that restaurant as God’s little donut shop.”

Many of the bakery’s employees have come from difficult pasts, the Kings explained. The Humphreys view it as an opportunity to help people integrate back into society.

“I love the atmosphere here,” Innerbichler stated. “One of the things my boss has really cultivated is a family.”

“Damian’s become like one of my children, and we’ve just hired a couple of new people. Both of them are in recovery and both of them have had changes in their life,” Deneya said. “We just love all the customers that come in here, and getting to know them, and them becoming part of our family... I’ve watched mothers being pregnant and now their kids have graduated high school or graduated college. It’s just been a good experience.”

Plenty of regulars visit the bakery daily - from Russel, a local man who is deaf and teaching the staff sign language through conversation, to the “local coffee guys” who show up for a brew before the open sign is even on in the morning.

“We love our customers. If it wasn’t for them, none of us would be here,” Mike said.

Mike goes in every morning at 3 a.m., down into the bakery’s cavernous basement to make all the day’s treats from scratch. A third-generation scratch baker, Mike takes immense pride in his work, and has plenty of freshly baked goods ready to go by the time their early morning regulars arrive. He also makes sure to set aside an unfrosted buttermilk bar for his wife, just how she likes it, every morning.

The whole documentary ended up coming together in just two or three months, the Kings said, and has already been entered in over 20 film festivals.

“It’s kind of a neat look into what it takes to make it happen, but more than just logistics. It’s the heart,” Jessica stated. “It’s really not about donuts or food, but the heart these customers have for Mike and Deneya, and the love Mike and Deneya show to their customers and staff and the rest of the community.”

The Kings and Humphreys bonded during the project, each couple describing the other as family. Through their filming and the friendships they’ve made, the Kings have now become part of the bakery’s story too.

“They did a really good job,” Mike praised.

“Baked by Grace” will be shown in Polson at the Showboat Theatre from Friday, May 13 to Thursday, May 19. It’ll premiere at 4 p.m. Members of the restaurant family will be there for a Q&A and celebration of the bakery.

The entire theatrical run will also feature subtitles so Russel can go see it whenever he wants, David added.

“I’m looking forward to seeing (the film) and crying,” Innerbichler laughed. The personal stories and themes of redemption and hope shared by him and the rest of the staff had him crying during the filming as well, he explained.

“All of us have (gone) through adversity, even the self-inflicted drugs and stuff, but there’s always hope. Even if it’s coming in and having a donut and seeing good people and that puts a smile on your face,” Mike commented.

Deneya agreed, adding, “I hope to see a lot of people changing their lives from addiction to recovery. For this bakery, I want to see people change, and I want to see people have hope.”

DAVID W. KING PHOTO Part of the documentary process involved going in with Mike Humphrey (above) at 3 a.m. to make the day’s pastries. While Mike typically listens to the radio as he works, filming gave him the opportunity to talk about the importance of doing what you love. Right: Deneya and Mike Humphrey begin the day together at the bakery in prayer.

DAVID W. KING PHOTO