Whitefish Shines is looking for storage

With financial guidance from Jim Trout, local donations and the superb organizational efforts of Bruce Tate and Jim MacKenzie, Whitefish will soon again be the town where everyone says "Whitefish Shines."

Numerous volunteers spend Wednesday evenings at the Armory getting the holiday displays ready for hanging on Nov. 16. On that date, a large number of additional citizens will be needed to help. These Wednesday helpers are high school students and senior citizens, they're local business owners and overworked parents.

This brief letter is not only to heap accolades on the hard workers. There are not enough appropriate thank-yous to express what these workers do for the downtown area and the entrances to our city. Businesses on Central Avenue can each testify to the impact. A primary concern at this point is the size of the facility that is needed for this huge undertaking.

Many years ago, John Thorson and his crew were given space in the basement of The Toggery, thanks to the good graces of Gary Stephens. A remodel of that lower level required a relocation of Whitefish Shines to the Armory. Thanks are due to the city of Whitefish. The space is great.

The problem is that the 600 square feet of floor space cannot now house what has become the Whitefish Shines' program. Swag wreathing has been purchased to replace the annual expenditure for greenery. The economic pay-back will zero out in only two years.

The devil is in the details. The very fine space at the Armory is beyond overcrowded now. Workers often need to crawl over the backs of others to repair and prepare the displays. With the new greenery decorations, storage space is essentially a must.

Considering that the winter holiday season may be even more lucrative for city businesses than other seasons of the year, here is a plea. Whitefish Shines needs floor space for storage in addition to the workspace at the Armory.

What is the time frame? When the numerous boxes of compressed synthetic greenery wreaths are opened — puff — they could require almost half of the present space allocated at the Armory for spring storage alone.

This letter is a heartfelt request. Is there anyone out there who can help with this situation? A need that is so vital to the economic health and beauty of downtown Whitefish. Will we be able to continue to "Shine"?

Dick Solberg lives in Whitefish.