Invest in our town's future

My wife Sharon and I moved here in 1992 shortly after we were married. We had already developed a love for the Flathead Valley after visiting my college roommate at his family home in Whitefish, and discovering all that this incredible area has to offer. A beautiful lake in the shadow of a world class ski resort, incredible golf, mile after mile of inviting fly water, endless backpacking and hiking opportunities, and, of course, Glacier National Park. With these natural amenities, who wouldn’t want to call the Flathead Valley their home?

Although these are all very good reasons to want to be a part of this community, none of them were the primary reason that Sharon and I decided to call Whitefish home; it was the people. I have had the good fortune to meet many Whitefish residents, and call many of them my friends. The caliber of people who make up the fabric of this town is second to none. The multi-generational nature of our community and the value that we place on our families is inspiring.

However, we now find ourselves at delicate crossroads. What will the next phase in Whitefish’s story look like? Will we become a town focused exclusively on tourism? Will we become a community of empty-nester retirees? Or, will we decide as a community, that we will continue the proud legacy of a town that cherishes the soul and the heartbeat that only a family dynamic can bring?

We should all be very proud of the teachers and faculty at Whitefish High School. Despite the conditions of the current building, they manage to keep our students among the best in the entire state and we have graduates attending the best colleges and universities in the country. Despite their great work, families are choosing to leave our high school for the better facility up the road. Others are choosing not to come to Whitefish at all because of our deteriorated building. As we lose kids, we lose teachers and our school becomes less attractive. If we don’t stop this cycle, Whitefish will lose forever the critical base of real families that give our community its vibrant soul.

The condition of the high school building is desperate. Due to the current state of the economy, there will never be a better time to invest in our town’s future. Interest rates and construction costs are at historic lows providing us an opportunity that we should not pass up.

I urge all of you to join me in voting YES on the Whitefish High School bond and to remember to return your ballot by March 15.

— Bill Kahle is a Whitefish City Councilor