Author Archives: Hugh Paterson III

Montana Taxes

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Becky and I have been looking at Property Taxes in Montana to better understand the variation in the system there.

Like Texas, they have fluctuating tax amounts based on real market value. Properties are appraised every two years. Property Taxes unlike in Oregon which pre-pays them, are paid in arrears in Montana.

https://mtrevenue.gov/property/

https://mtrevenue.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-Personal-Property-Assessment-Factsheet.pdf

I first traveled through Montana in 2005. I liked it then and liked it now.
"Homesteading" is interesting, but not really our thing at this point in our lives. The tax law doesn't really help prospectors to "grab" land and then hold them.

Some interesting concepts which are unique to Montana are explained here:
https://discoveringmontana.com/montana/homestead/

In addition to property taxes Montana has Mills. https://madisoncountymt.gov/208/Millage-Rate-Explained

Role and options of delinquent taxes seems to not be straight forward.
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/what-happens-if-i-dont-pay-property-taxes-montana.html
https://flathead.mt.gov/property_tax/delinquent_tax_list.php

Climbing in and around Kalispell

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Trying to find some good climbing around Kalispell. https://www.mountainproject.com/area/119204876/stryker-crags

https://www.mountainproject.com/map/119204876/stryker-crags

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Kalispell,+MT/48.6582607,-114.7629217/@48.4309247,-114.8252882,87238m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x536650959ceac247:0xaf1fbdda1d5abb62!2m2!1d-114.316813!2d48.1919889!1m0!3e0?hl=en

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/106075527/kila-crags

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Kalispell,+MT/48.0938412,-114.5028261/@48.1470508,-114.4796715,21931m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x536650959ceac247:0xaf1fbdda1d5abb62!2m2!1d-114.316813!2d48.1919889!1m0!3e0?hl=en

https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105942120/stone-hill

Companies in the scene:
https://www.rockclimbmontana.com
https://www.logan.org/fitness/courts-recreation/climbing-wall
https://golocalflathead.com/2018/05/31/rockfish-climbing-fitness-gym/

Indoor gyms in Montana: https://www.indoorclimbing.com/montana.html http://www.xtraactionsports.com/rock-climbing-walls/montana-rock-climbing-walls.htm https://www.umt.edu/crec/Outdoor/wall.php

the UMT wall is between 30' and 50' high and about 38' wide with about 7000 sq ft of climbing surface.

Topical vs. Exegetical

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When I was in highschool I took an internship with the pastor of the church which ran the school in which I was enrolled. It was a fantastic relationship and mentorship. One of the things that was stressed in that course was the merits of exegetical preaching over topical preaching. While both are alleged to have their merits, topical preaching was framed as the weaker public form because it was seen as supporting a theology which was ungrounded. It gave opportunity for convenience in theology. However, there are times which social groups need to address specific topics. In fact Paul addresses specific topics at churches in his letters. In this sense then, theology when systematic, must look at issues topically. It must also look at all supporting arguments to make sure those arguments are exegetically or socio-culturally-contextually accurate. In these cases contextual relevance and interpretation is important. The topic of the discourse unit is paramount in the application of the verse. Verses markers in scripture are purely indexical. Understanding the topics the Bible discusses and why those topics are discussed allows for accurate and appropriate application in new social environments.