A 'must see' book and 'must see' play
By Paul Fugleberg
New Mission Valley book just published is "My Montana — A History and Memoir, 1930-1950" by Jewel Beck Lansing, whose grandparents —Daniel and Stacy Syla — homesteaded in the area.
Her folks — Lars and Julia Beck — farmed and ran the Round Butte store and post office for many years until selling the farm and store in 1950.
Jewel was born in 1930 and tells of life in the valley during the 20-year period. It's a real eye opener and insightful. I was privileged to write a "blurb" for the back cover of the book as follows:
Those of us growing up in the 1930-1950 era will appreciate Jewel Beck Lansing's experiences. You needn't have grown up in rural Montana to appreciate them either — many western and mid-west farms and ranches shared the same lifestyle.
No running water, no electricity except by generator; hand-cranked wall telephones and part lines; water wells that needed priming before pumping, country dances. And those WWII years of food/gasoline/rubber/shoe rationing; the theoretical 35 mph national speed limit; collecting magazines, papers, tinfoil, metal for the war effort; candy bar shortages, young men leaving for the armed forces, some never to return.
Difficult days? Yes, but the challenges were met with ingenuity, cooperation, camaraderie and humor.
If you didn't grow up in that era, you'll learn what it was like — and gain a new appreciation and respect for the folks who did.
The book can be ordered through local book stores, inkwaterbooks.com, Amazon.com and other popular online and retail outlets. Price is $22.95.
The Boys Next Door
I'll have to admit to a certain apprehension when I attended the opening night of Port Polson Players' production of "The Boys Next Door." The setting is a group home for four mentally challenged individuals and their idiosyncrasies.
I'm particularly sensitive to the subject because I had a nephew who was profoundly retarded. But playwright Tom Griffin develops the plot in such a way that even the zaniest antics and situations sometimes are resolved better by the boys next door than so-called "regular" folks can do.
Just a couple of examples of how insightful messages are interwoven in the story are when:
? Lucien steps out of his character briefly to address the audience about how he feels with the mind of a five-year-old imprisoned in his body.
? Their supervisor, Jack, yields to burnout, resigns his position and takes a job in a travel agency. Commenting on change, Jack tells the audience that normally everything and everyone, including himself, change over the years. But the residents of the home don't change, beyond their capabilities.
As in life's difficult and sometimes tragic times, there are humorous incidents that are either acted out or recalled and appreciated. The Boys Next Door is a blend of all these things — handled well by the cast of Mike Lozar, Dom Charleton, Neal Lewing, James Uhde, Pat Matt, Hope Johnson, K.C. Sorensen, Wendy Arnold and Kevin Avison.
I recommend calling for reservations. Opening night was almost a full house. Final performances are this weekend — 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m., Sunday, at the John Dowdall Theatre.