RANGERGLENDIVE REVIEW Sunday, January 31, 2021 • Vol. 59, No. 9 • Glendive, Montana $1.00 Airport terminal WE THE PEOPLE: plan issue Look for the complete text of the U.S. Constitution presented handled in a special section in today’s paper. quickly By Hunter Herbaugh Ranger-Review Staff Writer The plans for a new airport ter- The COVID-19 pandemic has caused supply issues for businesses for everything from soda cans to electronics to tires. Although minal at the Dawson Community the manufacturing industry is gradually getting back up and running in many instances, local businesses are still experiencing the Airport ran into a brief but heated repercussion of manufacturing shutdowns from early in the pandemic. point of contention recently when an 11th hour demand from the Transportation Security Adminis- tration ignited frustration with the Dawson County Airport Board. At Businesses still experiencing the Board’s meeting on Tuesday evening, airport manager Craig Hostetler informed the board members of a conversation he had earlier in the day with a TSA rep- pandemic-related supply issues resentative that said the agency PLAYER OF THE required two more rooms for its By Hunter Herbaugh from cans to bottles and it just kind of made its way employees. DECADE: Ranger-Review Staff Writer all the way around,” French said. “They were trying to The matter was settled by pull more pressure off the can industry, which in turn Thursday morning, according to Glendive native is MSU- By this point in the COVID-19 pandemic, the reper- put more pressure on the other side.” Hostetler, and the terminal plans cussion of supply shortages are evident in many Shortages in supplies are also continuing despite were cleared to proceed as they B’s women’s golf Player areas. As every industry is being impacted by quaran- demand for products and services still staying up. are, but the sudden demand drew of the Decade. She also tines, closures and other difficulties, receiving once Lori Peterson, manager of Rolling Rubber, noted that immediate backlash from the regular shipments has become difficult their supply situation has only gotten worse since last board at the time. received an honorable for many industries. year but they are also currently experienc- The project is on a very tight mention for her role in Now a full year into this crisis, busi- “I have stuff like ing higher than usual demand for services. budget, meaning additions at this nesses are still struggling to make trailer parts that “It’s actually been busier than I would point would be financially impos- the school’s women’s some items available for consumers, have expected for this time of year. This is sible. The board members’ ire was basketball program, and these items vary widely. While haven’t even been our slow time, and it is slower, but it isn’t mainly brought on by the timing many factories have reopened since built yet. I have to as slow as I would have foresaw,” Peterson however. The current terminal Page 11 their initial shut downs, there are still said. plans were approved about three a lot of manufactured goods in short order them from the Given the circumstances of the time, years ago after receiving input supply. manufacturer and Peterson said the best she can do is to from and being reviewed by sev- Tige Vester, owner of Boss Office be honest with customers. She’s able to eral agencies, including the Feder- Products, said his business has par- have them made. So inform them of what can be done and what al Aviation Administration, which ticularly been having an issue getting jobs that normally needs to be waited on, but that also brings over sees the TSA. The project is in electronics. a new challenge because she doesn’t know expected to go out to bid in mid- “Supplies have been an issue for us, could have been when supplies will be in. February as well, meaning there especially on electronics. Things that done in a week, I “The thing I’m running into this year is really no time to implement any need circuitry and all that,” Vester that I’ve never really had to deal with is changes. said. “Computers, printers and ink have stuff that sits that at least they could tell me when I’m “It makes absolutely no sense at are probably our three biggest things here a month,” going to have it, now they can’t really say all,” board member Craig Stebbins IT’S OPEN: that we’re having issues keeping on that,” Peterson said. “I have stuff like said. hand, and then our cleaning supplies Lori Peterson, trailer parts that haven’t even been built The rooms the TSA wanted added The Glendive Public of course.” Rolling Rubber yet. I have to order them from the manu- to the plans included a break room Library will reopen to In some instances, a shortage in sup- facturer and have them made. So jobs that and training room for local TSA plies in one area of manufacturing is manager normally could have been done in a week, employees. Hostetler noted that the public on Monday. causing stress on other areas. Shipping I have stuff that sits here a month” these facilities have never been There are several new manager of the Glendive Coca-Cola dis- Luckily for Rolling Rubber, Peterson included in the plans and local tributor Jeremiah French noted that this explained that Rolling Rubber owner, J.R. TSA is happy with the plans as protocols in place,, has been one of the issues Coca-Cola has Bean, was actually in the process of estab- they are, as are the other agen- been dealing with. Select drinks have lishing a warehouse of supplies for all cies that reviewed the project. The Page 6 been missing from office vending machines, some of three Rolling Rubber stores even before the pandemic board also expressed their view them for quite awhile now. French noted this was ini- hit, a fortunate coincidence. that these facilities are unneces- tially because of a shortage of cans, but that eventually “He wanted to build a warehouse in Miles City that sary, as local TSA employees only grew into more issues. stored kind of a stock pile of tires for all three stores work part-time. There are only two To address the can shortage, Coca-Cola began adver- and he could dole them out and he could buy in quanti- flights at the airport each day, tising more for drinks in other containers, like bottles, ty, and he’s kind of done that and that has really helped one to and one from Billings. In but that then led to other shortages. us here. Just as a way to buy better for the customer, between flights, local TSA employ- “It kind of started with the cans, back at the beginning he had already started the process of that,” Peterson ees are free to do as they please, of the pandemic. As sales transitioned through our busi- said. including going home until the next ness, they started moving ads, like grocery store ads, flight comes in. to different packages, which just continued to put more and more pressure on different items. So they went See SUPPLIES, page 2 See AIRPORT, page 2 LAWMAKERS: Young Republican Real estate market remained busy in 2020 lawmakers chart their By Hunter Herbaugh at all,” said Holly Micheletto of some first-time home buyers, but Ranger-Review Staff Writer Montana East Realty. mostly it was people moving into own course in the Of the reasons that local real- bigger and better homes. ‘Montana Legislature, Despite a challenging year for tors believed to be driving the “There was some first-time buy- many people, Glendive’s real busier than expected real estate ers but mostly it was upgrades. It Page 5 estate market remained surpris- market, the ongoing pandem- was really busy for everyone,” ingly busy last year. With numer- ic was a major focus, as it has Kjelstrup said. “Houses with ous layoffs in the oil field due spurred many people to leave more acreage seem to be the to economic damage from the larger, more crowded areas and most popular.” COVID-19 pandemic and the clo- move to smaller communities Jack Crockett, owner of Realty sure of the BNSF roundhouse, across the country. Combined One, said he has also noticed that area real estate agents were with low interest rates, that much of his business has been expecting a slow season. Now means much more business for locals moving into new homes, into the winter months, the real realtors. as well as people from Western estate market has seen a slow However, while people are leav- Montana moving into the com- down but for some, still remains ing larger areas, the local real munity as more people from out- busier than average. estate market seems to have seen of-state continue settling in the “2020 was an awesome year in a majority of its business from west. real estate for Glendive, even local customers. Lisa Kjelstrup, “There was a lot of people though everything that trans- realtor for United Country Real upgrading, there was a lot of good pired as everybody knows. I Estate, noted that out-of-area buys and houses on the market. think that everybody was think- customers made only about 25% There was a lot of opportunity ing doom and gloom, but that to 30% of the company’s busi- to move up to some nicer, newer didn’t happen, that didn’t happen ness last year and the rest were local customers.