Letters to the editorThanks from Big Arm

For the first time in decades the Big Arm historic school opened its doors this past Saturday to the general public. Doll enthusiasts from Great Falls, Missoula, and many other locations far and near came to view the magnificent doll show. The show highlighted Trish Friez's collection of over 500 dolls and Barbara Wamsley's collection of doll houses and Santas.

The Big Arm Association sends our very special thanks and appreciation to Trish Friez as she worked so hard for days preparing her dolls and furniture. She then spent hours setting up a terrific display and then many more hours packing everything away. Trish you and your dolls were amazing. Thank you so much!

A special thank you to Barbara Wamsley and her helpers for sharing her magnificent collection of doll houses with us. We would like to thank everyone who helped prepare the school by tearing down the 1970's entrance and building the new stairs. A big thank you to those who did electrical work, stripped paint, mowed and cleaned and also a big thank you to those who hosted, baked goodies, prepared sandwiches and parked cars.

Thank you to Super One for donating to the tea and goodies, to the UPS Store for helping out with brochures and the Miracle of America Museum who donated an antique school desk. Thank you to the merchants and businesses who posted our signs. And another special thank you to Polson District #23 School Board for their support.

We thank everyone who attended and helped in any way as your support will help with the restoration of the historic school.

Big Arm's next event will be The Big Arm Fire Company's 30th Anniversary Celebration which will be held on June 27th. The firefighters will be cooking their famous gourmet burgers with all of the trimmings. Please contact BAVFC President Ron Friez for tickets and information 849-5323. The Big Arm Association will be helping out by holding a kids' carnival and the famous water wars run by our very own Despot Dictator Paulus Maurerus.

The Big Arm Association

Alison Meslin

Basketball hoop donation

Dayton Proctor Park Association would like to thank the individual who donated the basketball backboard and hoop. It was very kind of you to think of us. The neighborhood children will enjoy using it. We have gotten County permission to install the basketball hoop, so look for it in the near future.

Pam O'Mara

Beauty takes a Village

I would like to take a moment to offer a heartfelt thank you to a group of dedicated volunteers. On Friday May 15, Jere & Deb Newell, Bill & Mary Harris, Gary & Marlene Spetz, Velora LaMunyon and my husband Edgar Kerley spent the day in Lakeside and Somers preparing the roadside barrels for planting. In addition, with out the help of John Morrow, Sliters-Lakeside, and his trusty forklift our day would not have happened. John, you are a gift to the West Shore.

Then again, on May 29, another group of volunteers from the Lakeside Community Club planted the flowers. Kay Hopkins, as always, has gone the extra mile to support and assist me with the entire barrel project. And now the hard part begins. All of this effort will have been for naught unless the barrels are watered on a regular basis. This requires more volunteers, most of whom are members of the LCC but also area businesses that have flowers in front of their buildings. Thank you to all of you for caring for your community.

This is an annual project funded by the LCC. In the last two years the Club has increased the budget for this project, allowing us to replace old barrels and substantially increase the amount of flowers we can plant, in an effort to step up the curb appeal in our communities.

The West Shore communities of Somers and Lakeside are the gateways to the Flathead Valley. They represent the best of what the area has to offer for both residents and visitors. Pride in our area begins with insuring that downtown areas are well maintained and beautiful to look at. We can all make a difference by watering flowers, planting, picking up garbage when we see it and pulling weeds that get out of hand.

So as a reminder to all who live here, our communities appearance and appeal is totally dependent on your involvement. Local businesses and volunteers working together make the difference. In short, it takes a village to keep a village beautiful.

Jan Kerley

Chairperson, Beautification Committee

Lakeside Community Club

Co-op Calls for implementation versus litigation

The Board of Trustees and Management of Flathead Electric Cooperative are deeply concerned regarding the latest response (issued May 18, 2009) from U.S. District Judge James Redden, to the Federal Biological Opinion (BiOp or plan) on Columbia and Snake River hydro operations. During a March court hearing, Judge Redden said the plan was "very close." Now, in what appears to be a sudden about-face, the Judge has expressed serious reservations about it and lists six additional actions he wants the government to consider implementing before he renders a decision in the case.

The Obama Administration is currently reviewing the biological opinion. Ultimately, they will decide whether to support it, modify it or reject it in favor of starting over. Flathead Electric Trustees feel it is imperative that the Administration support this plan without further delay and are calling for strong advocacy from our Montana delegates in Washington, D.C.

For the first time in decades, the region has true consensus on salmon recovery because the plan was developed collaboratively by Northwest states, federal agencies and the tribes. They have rallied around a common plan and stand ready to implement that plan, not litigate it further. The biological opinion is based on sound science and should provide substantial benefits, including a commitment to help the fish and invest in them as a listed species.

The few who do not support the plan are focused on promoting dam removal and/or further diminishing the region's clean hydro energy supply in the name of helping fish, but with no real support for their claims. The hydro system provides the region not only with clean, renewable energy, but also with jobs, economic stability and cleaner skies.

In supporting the Federal Biological Opinion as it stands, the President has an historic opportunity to set aside regional divisiveness and to forge ahead with constructive actions that will actually help endangered fish. Up to 30 percent of Co-op members' electric bills already go toward funding fish and wildlife mitigation efforts. They should not have to shoulder even more of the costs that would be incurred by Judge Redden's implications and by those whose sole focus seems to be to remain in the courtroom indefinitely.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees for Flathead Electric Co-op,

George Taylor

President

Lakeside park viewing change

In response to my letter to the editor of May 20 in which I strongly urged interested Lakeside residents to come down to the Lakeshore and see for themselves the inadequacy of the narrow lakefront lot envisioned by some as a new Flathead County park and swimming area, I received a telephone call from the owners of the lots. He objected to my suggestion that people could park in the parking area adjacent to where the Blacktail Mountain Ski Company Office is located and go down to the waterfront.

I apologize to the owners for my assumption that they would have no objection to people parking temporarily and walking the property - they informed me that there are "No Trespassing" signs posted on the property. We should all honor their wishes.

However, you are invited to access a good viewpoint from the adjoining property to the north owned by Jan Cash and/or from my property, adjoining Jan's, located behind the Coldwell Banker Real Estate office.

The unsuitability of the property to accommodate large numbers of people and the inherent dangers to headstrong young swimmers (think, especially, eight to16 year olds' of being restricted to a swimming area approximately 50' wide. The temptation to ignore the authorized boundaries and venture further out into the lake with its heavy boat traffic, is just too great.

Noel Bartlett

Lakeside