Animal shelter thanks

Providing Dog Beds for the Flathead County Animal Shelter has been a mission of the heart. The success of the project has resulted in 65 Kuranda Dog Beds and 22 Fleece Pads (that fit the beds) being donated to the Shelter. To these wonderful, caring sponsors (and to the many who shared special animal stories with me as they were writing their checks):

For your generosity, I thank you.

For your love of animals, I thank you.

But most of all, I thank you because you have made life a little better for the dogs at the shelter.

A special thank you also to Myni Ferguson and Kirsten Holland who gave me support and encouragement, to Gail Sheffield who literally put the word out, and to Carol, the Kuranda Dog Bed Respresentative, who taught me how to travel through the shelter sponsor program. Anyone interested in donating beds or pads in the future, go to Kuranda.com/Shelters and click on "Donate A Kuranda Bed".

Pleases continue to support the local organizations who take care of our unwanted animals - Flathead County Animal Shelter, Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force- Kay Landon Adoption Center, the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, and the Montana Animal Rescue League.

With heartfelt gratitude, Bonnie Hodges

School water problems

I think the taxpayers of School District #38 should know about a problem with water showing up on the inside of the east wall of the high school gymnasium. This problem should be addressed by an impartial, qualified building inspector and then fixed. Water leads to mold and also respiratory problems in some people.

If this is condensation because of the temperature changes, why is it showing up on the inside wall, especially in a public building?

Before you vote on a high school levy let's make sure what we already have will not rot or fall down.

I have shown the A.D. where there is water in one spot. How many other places there are water on the way, I don't know. But a good building inspector should be able to find out.

John M. Edgerton, Bigfork

Swan Lake defense

Mr. Paul Milhous is a good steward of the land. He is not a money-hungry developer who wants to come in, make a fortune, and leave. He is here for the long haul, and will live on Swan Lake. What he has done so far is outstanding. Go see for yourself, his staff would be glad to show you around. The quality of the new building, in conjunction with the restoration of the existing buildings is a tribute to Mr. Milhous and River Run Associates commitment to making this project something we can all be proud of. The beauty of Kootenai Lodge, both from the road and from the lake is being protected and enhanced. It is now and will continue to be a crown jewel in our community. It is a far cry from some of the surrounding properties. You will see no scrap piles, or blue tarp covered wood piles here. No vehicles on blocks, or rusting lawn mowers in the drive. This is a clean, beautiful, first rate project.

Add to that the effect this project has on the local economy, and I can see no reason to do anything other than applaud Mr. Milhous' efforts. There are many, many businesses benefiting from the project as well, from excavators, framers, roofers, electricians, plumbers, landscapers, insulators, drywallers, perfatapers, painters, finish carpenters, suppliers, lumberyards, etc., and that is just the beginning. The economic benefit of additional tax dollars is just another positive piece of the puzzle.

A few disgruntled people, with self-serving motives have now filed frivolous lawsuits to try and stop Mr. Milhous from selling the beautiful creations he and his staff have thus far produced. The buildings and landscaping that have been completed do nothing less than improve the aesthetics of the Kootenai Lodge project ten-fold. The residents wanting to purchase these properties will be largely seasonal, maintaining the tranquility of the area, while boosting the tax base. Rather than being a detriment to our community, this project brings a win/win situation to the valley. The Supreme Court may have determined that these nay-sayers have the legal right to take this action, but isn't the action they are taking an "I have my piece of Montana, now everyone else go away!" attitude?

Do our courts and our tax dollars not have better things to do than finance the selfish motives of a few?

Let's not forget that this property has always been privately owned. These owners, like those in the past, appreciate and want to maintain the beauty of the property that made it so attractive to them in the first place.

Let's get behind Mr. Paul Milhous and voice our support for this beautiful project. There are countless local families and businesses that count on projects like this for their financial future, the future of our valley, and our way of life.

Mark Fopp