Letters to the Editor

Thanks for the memories

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to three very important businesses in Bigfork that played a huge part in the celebration in the marriage of our son and daughter-in-law.

Before the kids found the village of Bigfork, they were having a very difficult time searching for the perfect place for their destination wedding.

They knew that there would be friends and family attending from all over the United States. The venues they found were either too small, too stark, went out of business without notification to them, or sold to new owners.

The decision was finally made was that they would be married and have their reception at BruMar Estate in Bigfork.

First of all, thank you to the staff at the Timbers Motel. We appreciate all you did for our family and friends. The motel was clean, quiet and comfortable. The pool and hot tub were enjoyed by almost everyone. We took advantage of the gazebo every day as a meeting place.

Everyone appreciated that they were allowed to stay in the pool and hot tub after hours as long as we were quiet. Big city motels never do that.

I got a chuckle about a comment one of the families heard from your staff when they told them they were there for the Iddings/Sullivan wedding. "Oh, sh_ _! It's not time for that wedding already is it?"

We stormed the motel with a vengeance, but left without a trace. I bet you would even let us come back again.

Now, as the mother of the groom, my one and only responsibility was to locate a venue for the rehearsal dinner. "Nothing fancy mom, just keep it simple." The decision was made — pizza. The reservation was made in February.

By May the pizza business had been sold, and two weeks before the wedding I received an e-mail saying that the new owners were not interested in doing our rehearsal dinner. They did not believe that they would be able to close down the restaurant to the public and make as much money with our party as they could on a normal Friday night.

Fair enough, but I had two weeks to find a new venue. Did I mention that this was my sole responsibility for the wedding? I could not mess this up!

I called the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce and told them about my situation. The chamber suggested I call a new place called Pocketstone Cafe, because since it had newly opened, they might not have anything on the calendar. I visited with Karie Stidham. She was darling to work with, and more than willing to do what she could do to help us out.

After a few quick phone calls and meetings with the co-owners, we decided to do a picnic/barbecue at the park. We were able to come up with a menu that included a barbecue of brats and burgers with salads and her to-die-for home made pies! Karie supplied the worker bees, and two other owners, David and Carolyn Vale, who in addition to serving our guests, walked around greeting the guests, making sure everyone was happy and asking for suggestions since this was their first catering job.

Everything was awesome! They were truly hospitable, down-to-earth folks who wanted to make sure our event was very special and stress free.

They treated our guests as if they were their own personal friends. All our new friends at Pocketstone were truly a blessing in disguise. We loved their hospitality and great food so much that many of us had breakfast and lunch there every day that we were there.

The wedding and the reception were held at BruMar Estate. Bruce and Margie Solberg took care of everything. It even quit raining just minutes before the wedding! We were so lucky. (Maybe that was a God thing, but I will give Bruce and Margie credit for it anyway).

My dad got a kick out of Bruce being the official and the bartender — only in Montana! Margie, you were there, but no one really saw you, everything ran so smoothly and looked lovely. You have an efficient, friendly staff that worked well with the photographer, florist, tux shop and DJ. Your suggestions to Amy and Zach were well received and because of this, the day could not have been more beautiful.

By the way the food was fabulous — any luck with those recipes? I promise I won't tell anyone!

My only regret is that when my daughter gets married, Sioux Falls is so far away from the BruMar.

I love the village of Bigfork —— the funky artisan shops, the lovely yarn shop, the huckleberry jam, the slow pace, friendly folks, the clean living, the weather, the beautiful canola and flax fields and of course the water and the mountains.

I hope to return someday. I would love to live there. Bruce and Margie, you are still living my dream. Maybe someday.

Thank you everyone for a lovely vacation and wedding.

Ev Iddings

Sioux Falls, S.D.

Repeal No Child Left Behind

I was reading the article about Bigfork schools not passing or meeting the criteria for the No Child Left Behind Act and it's sickening how this law contributes to the "dumbing" of America.

The government wants our kids to be fat consumers, walking around and buying stupid stuff at shopping malls, rather than critical thinkers who can change the world.

We elect these people who are figure heads put there by big Corporations to ensure the stupidity and apathy of the American public.

It's unrealistic to expect kids to perform at the same level and standards as everyone else. All kids are different.

Each one has a different learning capacity or excels in one form of strategic learning or other. Some kids learn visually, others by hearing or by doing. Every child has the potential to contribute in their own way to society with the right inspiration, not a law.

This law ensures that we lower our educational standards so that schools can get the funds they need and teachers can keep jobs, which is just another stupidity. Great inspirational teachers get fired because they won't teach according to government rules and regulations. Because they can't fit a square peg in a round hole?! Pathetic!

This law is turning our society from those who walked on the moon to moronic, half-witted consumers of stuff. It's sickening. And it's both sides, the Democrats and Republicans, who are pushing this agenda. And don't get me started on Tea Partiers who are not offering any real solutions either except division. It's deplorable how this country has gone down the tubes and how they are working on our kids to make them stay "good little soldiers' following the curriculum intended to keep the Chinese working at making junk we don't need and are convinced to buy every day. If you want to give your child a real education, home school them. Or make serious waves to get the No Child Left Behind Act repealed.

Cristina Aguilar

Bigfork