Colstrip, Montana

[texas2MT]

Richard and Kimberly Chapman has bought it, and found it on the internet.

[dakbbv]

So are there any gay people in colstrip, and how are they treated, i mean will there be a lynching.

[Rick6t6]

Hello all,
I am currently faced with the fact that i have lost my job as an equipment operator. I had 10 years of loyal, dedicated service with my company when I was faced with an indefinite layoff. Not 2 weeks after my last day at work, my wife and I separated. This was in Oct 08. I currently live in a small town west of Portland Oregon, and work for my profession is scarce at best. I hate to sound destitute, but i am currently living in my travel trailer in a RV park here in town. At this point in my life, I have no obligations to where I am at, and am pursuing options. I have seen posting for equipment operators at Western Energy. Are they a reputable outfit? Stable employment?
I have always been a simple minded, career oriented person. Radical changes in my life structure scare me to death. But at this point, what do I have to lose? I have been a native to the Portland, Vancouver area for 40 years, and I am thinking it is time to find a small town with some huge possibilties for me.
Is Western receptive to "outsiders",or there is a loyalty or preference to the locals? My equipment skills are many,and proficient, but not with the size equipment that Western uses. I know I could master a position, but getting someone to "open the door", and let me in makes me nervous.
Thanks for your time.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by Rick6t6

Hello all,
I am currently faced with the fact that i have lost my job as an equipment operator. I had 10 years of loyal, dedicated service with my company when I was faced with an indefinite layoff. Not 2 weeks after my last day at work, my wife and I separated. This was in Oct 08. I currently live in a small town west of Portland Oregon, and work for my profession is scarce at best. I hate to sound destitute, but i am currently living in my travel trailer in a RV park here in town. At this point in my life, I have no obligations to where I am at, and am pursuing options. I have seen posting for equipment operators at Western Energy. Are they a reputable outfit? Stable employment?
I have always been a simple minded, career oriented person. Radical changes in my life structure scare me to death. But at this point, what do I have to lose? I have been a native to the Portland, Vancouver area for 40 years, and I am thinking it is time to find a small town with some huge possibilties for me.
Is Western receptive to "outsiders",or there is a loyalty or preference to the locals? My equipment skills are many,and proficient, but not with the size equipment that Western uses. I know I could master a position, but getting someone to "open the door", and let me in makes me nervous.
Thanks for your time.

Rick, I don't know about western but I'm sure someone will come along in a bit who does. I can offer some advice for you to either take or leave as you see fit. First thing is it's fine to be nervous about new jobs, heck I always was. I have found (having been in similar situations to yours) that sometimes you just gotta leap and see what happens, you truely will never get ahead without taking some risk at one time or another. Think of it this way, what's the worst thing that can happen? That you are destitute and have to live in a travel trailer? Heck if that's the worst you're already there! Remember something, if your at or near bottom pretty much the only thing left is up right? Take the shot, go where the work is and make some $$$ which will open other oppertunities for you, sitting there certainly won't get you anything will it?
Take care...

[seven of nine]

6/6 Rick, how did you enjoy the snow? I lived 30 years in Clackamas county and you can see now my 2 plus years new home. Hey I hear that the drilling rig industries in North Dakota are hiring equipment operators. Anyone have more info? You could look at the ND board. You are lucky that you posted on our friendly Montana forum. Good luck, I have been treated with consideration here. I have a good work ethic and have found that being respectfully interested in my new home has helped immensely. My husband's family were loggers for generations that saw their livelihood vanish with the spotted owl crap. Our Oregon has vanished in a sea of Starbucks and McMansions. Good luck, get moving. Change is scary but everything happens for a reason.

[Frones]

I have lived in Colstrip for 13 years. My dad retired from there in 97. He worked for the plant for 15 years. What I like about Colstrip was the schools. They pride on accidemics, music just as much as sports. Everyone is treated equally. You don't get put down because your not in sports. They push you to do the best you can in the school system. If you don't get out to meet the people then yes they will push you away. What I miss the most about Colstrip is Colstrip days and community involvement. For instance one year a small mining town in Wyoming had shut down for a while. This happened during Thanksgiving and Christmas. The whole town got together and donated things. From colthes, toys, food and money. I fealt like I had left a big family when we moved back to our home town. Pretty much most of the people, not all, have retired from the plant or coal mine. So all you have to do is stick it out and things will get better.

[KYBleu]

Rick, Western Energy Corporation is a subsidiary of Westmoreland, a very old, very profitable and very well respected coal and mining company. You can do some research of them on the internet.

[30 yrs in Montana]

I moved to Colstrip and have never found a nicer community. It seemed like everyone was bending over backwards to make life pleasant. I cannot disagree more with the negative posts and I have lived all over Montana in the "cool " towns. I found what I was looking for in the people in Colstrip and while we had to move I miss them every day.

[latinking77]

colstrip a nice place to visit but you must be out of your mind to live there! The whole idea of " thats just how small towns are" is not true for my former home. To anyone consider moving to colstrip, you might want to take an add out in the local paper to list all of your negitivites in life so know one in town will get to say " guess what i heard about so and so" thats just my opinion.