Poor Coop's Almanac™ for Mineral County

Recreation, calendar, news, weather, sports, government & politics, business, things to do

With great pleasure, we present the inaugural issue of Poor Coop’s Almanac™ for Mineral County, Montana. Our goal―to share our appreciation for this place with visitors and residents alike―is reflected in our title. We named the almanac for the unofficial ambassador of Mineral County, DeBorgia resident Don Cooper. An independent film producer, popular speaker and humorist, Don retired in 2003 after receiving the Travel Adventure Cinema Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Coop’s name atop the enterprise reminds us to promote our favorite corner of Montana while having fun along the way...[Read the rest of the introduction]

Recreation features: Downhill skiing at the Lookout Pass Recreation Area on 5 new runs in Mineral County; cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the Great Burn area, which is being managed as wilderness; the Snow Boss professional snowmobile racing at Haugan Jan. 17-18; the Poker Ride at Lincoln's Silver Dollar at Haugan Feb. 6-7; tips for snowmobile safety from Mineral County Search and Rescue; Thank you, Montana Night Riders; latest status of the Trail of the Hiawatha project; Bob Culp looks for area hunting and fishing records.

Community features: St. Regis hosts grand opening for community center; Peggy Stewart recommends teas and tinctures for cold and flu season; signs of Ice Age Floods readily visible within Mineral County; Gildersleeve Mine latest addition to National Register of Historic Places; Dear Coop: DVDs in DeBorgia; Directory of community organizations; Mineral County Food Bank sees increasing need; Library Corner: curl up with a good mystery; Favorite winter recipes; Academic excellence in the Mineral County schools, fall 2003; Directory of Mineral County government; column by Sen. Jim Elliott, Gov. Martz pays tribute to outgoing Rep. Sylvia Bookout-Reinicke;

News features: Mineral County organizes to fight lawsuits, cooperate on restoration projects; Hole-in-the-Wall survives Fish Creek fires; rehab starts on Fish Creek complex; Montana Coalition of Forest Counties report; economic development team assesses Mineral County, releases draft recommendations; Patrick Hayes presents a brief economic history of the county, describes four areas for economic development; foresters launch projects under new 'categorical exclusion' rules; forest plan revision gets underway; Pam Reed: We need a growth plan; Rob Harper: Superior ranger district 2003 in review

Sports features: Recalling the 1970-71 Alberton Panthers basketball state tournament team; Panther Power: A look back at Alberton's run to the 2003 football playoffs; Tough Tigers: St. Regis star Mike Frawley earns all-conference honors with 1,300 yards rushing; Superior 'Six-Pack' of seniors lead football squad to 9-1 finish; Alberton Lady Panthers volleyball: Blackman, Cooper and Witt garner all-conference spots; Superior volleyball: Bessie, Tanine, JaNaie and Brittney close varsity careers; 'Small' Lady Tigers ride big heart into divisionals.

Current issue January through March 2004. Subscriptions: $16 for four issues, Jan-Feb-March, Apr-May-June, Jul-Aug-Sept, Oct-Nov-Dec. Poor Coop's Almanac™, P.O Box 608, Superior MT 59872. Newsstand price: $2.95 for first issue; $4.95 afterwards.

For news features:	contact John Q. Murray at (406) 626-0047
For community and calendar:	contact Shawna Hudson
For recreation and sports:	contact Mark Hebert at (406) 543-1212
For arts and entertainment features:	contact Jessica Noonan at (406) 239-2419
For advertising and distribution:	contact Mary Jo Berry at (406) 822-4800
Publisher emeritus:	Don Cooper, DeBorgia MT

Press release issued Jan. 2, 2004: Poor Coop's Almanac™ asks FBI for clarification on its alert to law enforcement authorities warning about persons carrying almanacs; full text of letter to FBI

Click here for an archive of stories related to Lolo National Forest post-burn plan lawsuits. The Montana Economic Developers Association in Nov. 2003 released its draft report on Mineral County. Other links of interest to Mineral County: Mineral County Chamber of Commerce (courtesy Dan Hollenback); Mineral County (courtesy Tim Spangler); Montana Senate District 36 Sen. Jim Elliott, the Mineral County Library, Mineral County website. Support our troops! News about the armed services: US Armed Forces News Service , U.S. Army .