Hill City Prevailer

What a school year!

Published by admin on Thu, 05/20/2021 - 9:40am

What a year! The story of this year actually begins last March when COVID-19 caused school to close down. We came together as a school family to provide distance learning as best we could. In the course of days, we recreated the educational process. We focused on “Controlling the Controllables”.

It’s gonna be a good summer

Published by admin on Thu, 05/13/2021 - 11:30am

I went on a trip last weekend to Colorado. That’s right: for the first time since 2019 I left the state of South Dakota. In the words of Jeb Bush: “Please clap.”

It’s funny, when most people go to Colorado it’s to escape the city and go out into nature. For us, it’s the opposite. We go to Colorado so we can feel like we’re back in a city. While I was there, I was able to do some pretty cool things. While I did go for a nice little hike, by far my favorite thing that I got to do was eat 11 tacos.

An ode to mothers

Published by admin on Thu, 05/06/2021 - 11:39am

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you moms out there.

I can’t imagine how hard being a mother is. The only “child” I have ever had has been of the four-legged variety. And while it’s kind of sort of similar, it is by no means in any way the same.

Moms get a very different rap than dads do. Just think of how many songs reference mothers and how many reference fathers. Or how mothers are portrayed in movies and literary works. They seem to take all the “blame” when things go wrong in the family.

Take me to the water

Published by admin on Thu, 04/29/2021 - 11:58am

We all have one of those things that brings us back to being a kid again.

For me, nothing makes me feel young again like water.

Growing up, I was pretty much always surrounded by water. The first house that my mom and I moved into in Maryland was on a bay. As someone who was used to the concrete jungle of Philadelphia, being able to walk out of my house and see water was something I was not used to. We had a dock, too.

I will always love you, girl

Published by admin on Thu, 04/22/2021 - 11:25am

Last week I traveled home to see my oldest friend.

She has been on hospice at home since the last day in March. Soon after she stopped eating. I’m amazed that she is still alive.

At  times she was so lucid...like when the town official asked over Zoom if she consented to marry her fiance and she clearly nodded consent. (I actually was the wedding officiant, honored to keep my promise of making sure she died a married woman.) At other times she seemed to be reliving moments in her life, saying the names people she or we had known.

The power of friendship

Published by admin on Thu, 04/15/2021 - 11:05am

I lost a very close friend the other day.

I’ve had a rollercoaster of emotions since then. Anger, sadness — basically if it was one of the five stages of grief I’ve experienced it in the past week.

But looking back at our friendship, I am just so incredibly thankful that I met him.

Forest, fire and everything in between

Published by admin on Thu, 04/08/2021 - 11:19am

What an emotional week.

I want to begin my column by thanking all the firefighters and first responders who helped protect Keystone, the Monument, and Rapid City from the devastating fires that plagued our Hills. You are all fearless, selfless souls who don’t get enough recognition for all you do. Some of us just have jobs; you have jobs that completely change lives!

I was hiking in Custer State Park and was enjoying a beautiful view when my phone started to “blow up” with concerned friends asking, “Are you OK?”

Spring has officially sprung

Published by admin on Thu, 04/01/2021 - 10:16am

I’ve written about all of the seasons save one. I’ve written about how fall is my favorite season, I’ve complained to no end about winter and I’ve written how summers here are a fantastic season.

But I’ve yet to write about my least favorite season: spring.

You may be wondering, “Why does Gray hate spring?” One word, three syllables: allergies. Yes, if you’re like me then you have horrendous seasonal allergies. Springs growing up meant watery eyes, stuffy nose and just a general feeling of feeling like garbage.

Talking about OHVs in District No. 1

Published by admin on Thu, 03/25/2021 - 11:20am

On Feb. 25 and 26 I virtually attended the 2021 Black Hills Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Summit via an invite from the Black Hills National Forest Supervisor’s office headquartered in Custer. 

There was a limit of 100 attendees, which included employees of the Black Hills National Forest, Nebraska National Forest, South Dakota Game Fish and Parks, Black Hills Tourism Industry, OHV Club associations, local government, South Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) and private stakeholders.

Mars and Venus unite

Published by admin on Thu, 03/25/2021 - 11:20am

As I write this I am three months and two days away from getting married! And by coincidence I just happened to finish reading “Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus.”

I got turned on to this book about a decade ago from a friend of mine named Molly. She read it cover to cover and often referred to the insights the author had about the male species. I admit I didn’t read the book then, even though I was curious. I guess I thought I knew more about men than this so called expert did. I was wrong.