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Leskovar Athletes of the Week: Ethan Cunningham, Ella Moodry
Butte High senior Ethan “Easy” Cunningham and Butte Central junior Ella Moodry are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
The honors come after both student-athletes got in their first action of the spring sports season.
Cunningham earns the boys’ honor after pitching Butte High to an 8-5 win in the Bulldogs’ first-ever high school baseball game in Columbus.
Cunningham lived up to his nickname by going six innings, scattering five hits and giving up two earned runs. He walked one and struck out 13. Cunningham also had a big day at the dish, going 1 for 1 with a single. He worked three walks.
Moodry receives the girls’ award after winning the javelin at the Townsend Invitational with a mark of 116 feet. Moodry also placed sixth in the high jump and seventh in the 100-meter dash.
The javelin victory begins a promising season for Moodry, who placed second in the javelin at the Class A State meet last May. She won the state title in the event as a freshman.
Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warranty, teamed up with the ButteCast to honor the finest student-athletes from the Mining City in an effort to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.
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KC basketball schedule
Following is the Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s four-man basketball schedule for the week of April 10.
Monday
6 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Towel Boys
7 p.m. — Roll Diggs vs. OFU
8 p.m. — Parish vs. Dream Team
9 p.m. — Rosary Rattlers vs. ButteSportsTuesday
6 p.m. — Crib Crew vs. Bomb Squad
7 p.m. — Logan’s vs. ButteSports
8 p.m. — Logan’s vs. ButteCast
9 p.m. — Fighting Irish vs. Towel BoysWednesday
6 p.m. — OFU vs. Hoopin Heathens
7 p.m. — Longie Trucking vs. Fighting Irish
8 p.m. — Roll Diggs vs. Dream Team
9 p.m. — ButteCast vs. Bomb SquadThursday
7 p.m. — Rosary Rattlers vs. Longie Trucking
8 p.m. — Hoopin Heathens vs. Parish
9 p.m. — Fighting Irish vs. Poi Time
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Butte loses a legend with the death of Harp Cote
By Bill Foley
Believe it or not, but John “Harp” Cote was capable of reading the Riot Act.
Well, as much as the gentlest of gentleman can read such a lecture, anyway.
If you don’t believe me, just ask Bernie Boyle. He had to face the wrath of Harp one day because Bernie instructed a Butte Central graduate to send a thank you note to Harp and Esther Cote.
The Cotes paid for four years of tuition for that graduate, allowing him to attend the school his family otherwise could not have afforded. Like most of their giving, they did not want anyone to know. They did not even want the graduate or his parents to know who was responsible for sending the checks.
So, after receiving any kind of recognition, even as small as a thank you note, Harp called Bernie, and he was not happy.
The boy who sent that note was not the only high school graduate who unknowingly had his tuition paid for by Harp and Esther. Most of the time, they were able to keep their generosity a secret.
Harp and Esther were the Moonlight Grahams of the Mining City, but they so often worked their magic in the background.
Harp passed away at his home Thursday night. He was 99 and a half. He lived the last 14 months with a broken heart following the death of Esther in April of 2022.
What an incredible run that was for Harp and Esther. Now that they have both left this Earth, we have to wonder just how fortunate we were to have them for so long. We have to think of just how much better off we all are because they were here.
When you ask someone what makes Butte such a great place, nine times out of 10, the answer is “the people.”
Harp and Esther were those people. They were a shining example of humanity at its finest. They did anything they could to help those in need, and they never wanted anything in return.
Former Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive Don Peoples Sr. told me recently that he never knew a better man than Harp. Peoples is in his early 80s, and he said Harp called him nearly every day to check in on him.
“He’s 99 years old and he calls to make sure I’m OK,” Peoples said with a laugh.
Harp was a World War II veteran, one of the greatest of the “Greatest Generation.”
He worked hard and smart as a businessman, starting with the famed Copper Club in Meaderville. He worked for the New York Life Insurance Company for decades.
He signed on for the loan that helped get the Maroon Activities Center built, and Bernie says there is no way that great facility would have been built without him.
Harp, of course, downplayed that.
Trying to keep track of all Harp’s business successes and generosity through the years is a nearly impossible task. The main reason for that was that Harp never wanted recognition for his giving, so much of it went unnoticed.
Well, it went unnoticed by everyone except the recipients of that generosity.
Everything I knew about Harp Cote came from my Grandpa Bill. My grandpa had an amazing ability to see through B.S., and he often called people out on it.
So, my grandpa respected John Kennedy, Robin Selvig and maybe a handful of other people. To him, nobody ranked higher than Harp Cote and his good pal Tucker McGree.
Those two could do no wrong in my grandpa’s eyes. My dad’s dad spoke of Harp like my mom’s mom spoke of the pope.
On Jan. 18, I texted Harp’s son Paul to see if his dad would be a guest on my podcast, the ButteCast. I knew Harp’s health was failing a bit, and I wasn’t sure if he would even know what a podcast was.
I figured getting the Butte legend on the show was a longshot at best. But within 25 seconds, Paul got back to me.
“I just talked to him,” Paul wrote. “He would love to.”
The next day, I met Harp at his house for a conversation. He told me about his days serving on the USS San Juan in the Pacific Theatre during World War II, downplaying his service, naturally.
He said his job as a doorman at the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C. was maybe the best job he ever had.
“I got to stop all the pretty girls and get their name and address,” he said with a laugh. “It was a fun place.”
That job, by the way, was well before he met Esther.
Harp told me about some of the antics of McGree and his longtime New York Life partner Kevin Shannon. He talked about going to Princeton University with Albert Einstein, joking that he tied with the world-renown theoretical physicist for the head of the class.
He talked about the great people of Butte and why he spent most of his 99 plus years in the Mining City.
“I never regretted a moment I lived in Butte,” he said.
When asked him why he never ran for office to take advantage of his popular name, he joked “I never wanted people to be calling me an S.O.B.”
Toward the of the podcast, I asked Harp how he wants to be remembered. He thought for a second and said, “He did what he could. That’s all I ever did, what I could. If I could help, I did. If I couldn’t help, I got out the way.”
Harp, of course, will be remembered for so much more than that. He will go down as one of the best and nicest people this town has ever seen. He will go down as a Mining City Legend.
It was an amazing honor to sit down Harp that day. The conversation was exactly why I started the podcast in the first place.
As we spoke, I couldn’t help but think of how great the world could be if everybody tried to be like Harp and Esther.
It was hard to believe Harp was ever capable of reading the Riot Act.
— Bill Foley can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74. Listen to the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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Podcast No. 76: Tim Dick
In 1986, Tim Dick pulled off something that not many — if any — have done before or since.
He was voted class clown and class president of Butte High’s Class of 1986.
Tim says he is most proud of the class clown distinction, and if you know Tim, you know it is a well-deserved honor. He is smart, funny and fast — at least two of those Tim says can be attributed to the teasing he received for his last name.
He is also the youngest of Arthur and Marlene Dick’s eight children. That, too, kept him on his toes.
Tim, 56, is an attorney in Butte, and he is closing in on 20 years serving Butte’s drug court, where he has helped so many people get back on their feet. It is a sometimes-rewarding job that can be very difficult and stressful.
Last June 9, Tim suffered a heart attack while on an exercise walk. Thanks to some serious luck — former Butte-Silver Bow Undersheriff George Skuletich and District Judge Bob Whelan happened to find him and begin the CPR process that continued on the ambulance ride to St. James Healthcare — Tim is still around to make us laugh.
Listen in as Tim talks about that difficult day, as well as another time we nearly lost him. Listen as he talks about working at the family mill, bartending at the Deluxe Bar and going to law school.
Listen to him describe the incredible strength of his friend Pat Ryan and how he developed his quick wit.
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Podcast No. 75: Jaimee (Paffhausen) Richards
Jaimee Paffhausen entered Butte High School with some lofty expectations on her shoulders thanks to her last name.
For decades, that last name meant greatness for the Bulldogs.
Somehow, she left the school by taking that name to the next level. Jaimee was the ace pitcher and cleanup hitter for the 2011 Butte High Class AA State championship softball team. Following the season, she was named the Gatorade Montana Softball Player of the Year.
She was the first Paffhausen to win that honor. Not even her uncle Josh, who led the state in all-purpose yards while quarterbacking the 1991 Bulldogs to the state title, did not win the Gatorade.
In 2017, Jaimee married Chuckie Richards and changed her last name. She is still doing great things.
Her work as a physical therapist at Stenson Physical Therapy helps get people back on their feet. Since she overcame a torn ACL in her left knee as a junior in high school, Jaimee has walked a mile in her patients’ shoes, giving her a unique understanding of their situation.
Jaimee is also part of the Copper City Softball program in Butte. That program is growing exponentially. In doing so, Jaimee is helping lay the foundation for future state championship high school softball teams from the Mining City.
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Podcast No. 74: Kathleen McLaughlin, Part 2
Kathleen McLaughlin made her first appearance on the ButteCast in September. She was guest No. 2.
She returns to the podcast for this latest episode, which was recorded at Mike Hamblin’s Studio No. 7 in Walkerville, to talk about her new book, Blood Money: The story of Life, Death, and the Profit Inside America’s Blood Industry.
Thanks Mike.
I have never been one for book reports, but I can tell you this. Read the book. It is worth it. It is an amazing work of journalism that examines an aspect of economic inequality in America.
You probably never realized how many people sell their plasma for blood. You probably had no idea how badly the big-money industry takes advantage of people who are struggling to make ends meet.
Kathleen is a 1989 Butte High graduate. After pursuing her passion for journalism at the University of Montana, she worked at the Great Falls Tribune before going to work at the Lee State Bureau in Helena. There, Kathleen worked under the great Chuck Johnson, who we lost unexpectedly last month.
In an article in The Nation this week, Kathleen wrote about Johnson and how legendary local journalists are not and cannot be replaced. Click here to check it out.
Listen in to hear Kathleen talk about Chuck. Listen to her talk about her book and all the hard work that went into it. Listen as we discuss the sad state of local journalism and how it is threatening our democracy.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, also listen to her first appearance on the ButteCast from September.
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Despite the snow, prep baseball is still a good idea
Longtime Kalispell Flathead track coach Dan Hodge pulled out his phone to show me a photo.
It was a picture I took in April of 2017. Dillon superstar Troy Andersen was winning the 100-meter dash at a cold meet on the Charlie Merrifield Track. He was running a ridiculously fast time on a day when some snow fell.
In the background, running well behind, was Butte High freshman Tommy Mellott.
Someone shared that photo on Twitter late in the 2021 football season, showing off two stars of the Montana State University football team.
Hodge, a Butte High graduate and a member of the Butte Sports Hall of Fame, showed me that picture at a meet in Missoula last spring. Anderson had just been drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, and Mellott was the toast of the state after leading the Bobcats to the national championship game as a freshman.
Hodge showed me the photo, that he didn’t know that I took while working for Butte Sports, to illustrate his point about the importance of running track.
If you want to be a better football player, run track. If you want to be a better basketball player, run track. You want to be a better volleyball player, a better wrestler or a better swimmer, run track.
You want to be a better baseball player, run track.
Running track will make you faster, and it will help you get in better shape.
The coach said running track is better for you than early-morning football workouts. Track is the secret to being a better athlete, no matter what sport you want to specialize in.
Hodge is right about that.
Butte High baseball coach Jim LeProwse apparently thinks so, too. That is why the first part of every baseball practice is with the track team.
LeProwse and Arie Grey, who doubles as the leader of Butte High’s football team and track program, came up with the idea that has a double benefit.
The Bulldogs will be faster on the baseball diamond, and a few more boys might compete in track meets for the school.
Butte High’s baseball and track schedules were set up so boys can compete in both sports, if they want to. The Class AA State baseball tournament is the weekend before the State track meets.
Hopefully that same setup can be made so that girls around the state can compete in track and softball. If they want to.
With their set up, LeProwse and Grey are proving that high school baseball in Montana can be a very good thing. The recent heavy winter storms and lingering snow and ice from a brutal winter do not change that.
The naysayers, though, seem to want to use the weather as a moment to say, “I told you so” as we try to begin Montana’s first high school baseball season.
Yes, Butte High’s first three games have been postponed, including Monday’s scheduled game against Butte Central at 3 Legends Stadium. Central’s first four games have been snowed out.
The eventual rescheduling of the games might cut into the plans to allow Butte High’s baseball players to compete in track meets.
But you know what? California got a ton of late snow, too. Spring training players in Arizona suffered through the cold.
While springtime in the Rockies has never been ideal, weather can wreak havoc on a baseball game anywhere.
It doesn’t just affect baseball, either. Softball, track, tennis and lacrosse have all had events postponed or canceled in Montana.
We’ve had basketball games postponed because of snow storms, too.
Rain completely wiped out the 1996 State softball tournaments in Montana, something that is still a sore spot with the players from the teams around the state.
Weather canceled the 2019 Class AA Divisional softball tournaments, robbing many teams, including the Butte High Bulldogs, of a chance of making a postseason run.
By the way, none of those softball tournaments were scheduled for Butte, which sits at more than a mile above sea level and has worst weather than most.
This time a year ago, there was not much of a hint of snow in town at all, so not every spring is bad for sports.
During the spring of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the entire spring schedule, the weather was great. We would not have had a single postponement.
That just goes to show you that Mother Nature has a sick sense of humor.
This year, like many springs, the weather is almost unbearable. It is almost as if it is not a good idea to live in Montana at all.
Consider that if you are one of those people thinking of moving here because you like a silly television show with Kevin Costner wearing a cowboy hat.
Montana is not easy living.
It is also hard to live in Alaska at times, and they play high school baseball there.
Until this spring, Montana was one of the last states in the union without high school baseball. Now, Wyoming stands alone.
As of now, just 21 schools have elected to play baseball in Montana. Butte High and Belgrade are the only schools in Class AA to play, and that is too bad.
Other schools are choosing not to play for various reasons. Some places gave into pressure from American Legion programs that don’t want to share the season.
Other schools do not have the facilities to play yet. Some might not have the interest to field a team. Some have administrators who just don’t want to start a new program.
None can legitimately claim weather as a reason not to play. Not when they play high school baseball in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau.
If you can play Legion baseball in the spring, you can play high school baseball.
And, like the other 48 states playing baseball, Legion and high school baseball can coexist. In Butte, the two programs are working hand-in-hand to make both stronger.
Other schools should follow suit because high school baseball is opening doors and opportunities to more boys.
That is what high school sports are all about. That is what sports are all about.
Why the I-told-you-so crowd wants to point to baseball as the bad guy is puzzling.
The more sports — or any extracurricular activities — that students take part in, the better.
Go out for the band. Audition for a play. Tryout for the cheerleading team. Join the art club. Try speech and debate. Run cross country. Golf. Play soccer. Join the football, basketball, swimming or wrestling teams.
In the spring, play softball, tennis, baseball or lacrosse — if you can stand the cold.
When you get older, you will never regret the activities you try. You will only regret the ones you did not.
The more sports you compete in, the better you will be at the one you like the best. No matter which sport that is, going out for track will make you better.
Dan Hodge has the photo to prove it.
— Bill Foley, who would be in the Hall of Fame if Montana had high school baseball in his day, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74. Listen to the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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Leskovar Athletes of the Week: Joseph Montoya, Kori LaDouceur
This week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week are East Middle School student-athletes Joseph Montoya and Kori LaDouceur.
Both receive the honor after competing in the school’s Unified Basketball Program.
Montoya is a seventh-grade student who wrapped up his first year of hoops at East. He takes home the boys’ honor.
Coach Kelci Thatcher said Joseph has a positive attitude and he always encourages his teammates.
“Joseph lights up the basketball floor with his smile,” Thatcher said. “Joseph has the ideal body language that any coach would want in a player. He is a true asset to East Middle School.”
LaDouceur, an eighth grader, receives the girls’ accolades after playing her second season of basketball at East.
Thatcher said Kori has been a great leader and teammate for the past two seasons.
“She is always willing to play any role on the team,” Thatcher said. “Kori was the best passer on the Wildcats. Kori always gives her best effort in any situation. She has a positive, energetic attitude.”
Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warranty, teamed up with the ButteCast to honor the finest student-athletes from the Mining City in an effort to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.
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KC basketball schedule
Following is the Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s four-man basketball schedule for the week of April 3.
Monday
6 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Bomb Squad
7 p.m. — Rosary Rattlers vs. Towel Boys
8 p.m. — Longie Trucking vs. Hoopin Heathens
9 p.m. — Fighting Irish vs. ButteCastTuesday
6 p.m. — Bomb Squad vs. Towel Boys
7 p.m. — Logan’s vs. OFU
8 p.m. — Logan’s vs. Parish
9 p.m. — Dream Team vs. Hoopin HeathensWednesday
6 p.m. — Crib Crew vs. OFU
7 p.m. — Roll Diggs vs. Dream Team
8 p.m. — Parish vs. Longie Trucking
9 p.m. — Towel Boys vs. ButteSportsThursday
7 p.m. — Roll Diggs vs. ButteCast
8 p.m. — Fighting Irish vs. ButteSports
9 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Rosary Rattlers -
Podcast No. 73: Davey Dunmire
There is nobody I enjoy making fun of more than my good friend Davey Dunmire.
Usually, he takes that in good humor. Other times he wanted to blow up my house. Through it all, though, we have always been friends.
Davey, a 1998 graduate of Butte High School, is a passionate man. He is passionate about his children. He is passionate about his job as a copper miner at Montana Resources. He is passionate about the Chicago Bears. He is passionate about baseball.
Unfortunately, much of that passion is devoted to the Evil Empire, the New York Yankees. Davey, though, also loves Butte baseball. He coached Little League for many years. Two years ago, he took over as public address announcer for the Butte Miners and Butte Muckers.
This year, Davey will be the voice of the Butte High Bulldogs as high school baseball debuts in the Mining City. Eventually.
Davey’s passion and love of the game helps bring a big league feel to the games. That makes the experience better for the Butte players.
Listen in as Davey shows off that passion in a semi-educated talk about baseball and life. Listen to see if he is going to offer a long-overdue public apology to Scott Ferguson. Spoiler alert: he will not.
The ButteCast with Bill Foley 