No headline
An amazing year for Lakers
Thank you, Lakers. What an amazing year you young men had — No. 2 seed was the best in history. Even though the state title wasn’t there this year, the spectators got to see what a talented team you were.
My hat goes off to all the coaches. You produced a team that delivered on the field but also lived up to a code of honor. Thank you for all the hours you put in to make our young athletes the best they can be.
A big thank you to all the parents and volunteers that worked endless hours to make sure our state tournament was a success. —Renae Morton, Kalispell
Why Creston residents oppose wireless tower
The author of the Inter Lake’s editorial on the Creston School wireless tower sums up opposition to the tower as follows:
“Turns out that some folks think a narrow 118-foot tower will harm their view of the sky and the mountains...”
Allow me to clarify the reasons behind opposition to the tower:
1) The tower is set to be located where it will have little impact on anyone’s views.
2) The land on which it is to be located was deeded to the school with a 50-year restrictive covenant limiting the use of the property to school purposes.
3) The school entered into a business venture to share revenues on leased sections of the tower.
4) Per the deed, the land, on which the original grantors hoped the school would someday build a new school, will now revert to the grantors’ heirs.
5) Multiple Montana statutes were broken by the school holding secret hearings and approving the business venture. The first anyone knew of the tower was when Flathead Electric approached my neighbor on July 9, after the contract had been executed and an easement recorded.
6) Having been caught with their collective pants down, the board is attempting to backtrack and accept comments on the project they already approved.
7) There is a growing body of evidence as to the various illnesses these towers can cause, and we care about the children’s long-term health.
8) Much simpler solutions, such as inexpensive jetpacks, might rectify the problem.
9) The board has mysteriously refused to post the minutes from the secret meeting in which they ratified their agreement.
10) There is already a tower within a mile of the school; might it provide for their needs?
We are simply concerned citizens who see an illegal backroom deal for exactly what it is. —William Rogers, Creston
Thank you to the drivers of the Flathead Valley
I have the privilege of being a driver’s education instructor in the valley. I share this task with a number of other area traffic educators.
We serve the families of more than 500 students a year from public, private and home schools. We provide 42 hours of classroom instruction, 12 hours of non-driver observation and six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction. All staff is state certified. In addition to our expertise we utilize volunteers from law enforcement, emergency responders, insurance providers, railroad safety experts, medical personnel, and those who have lost loved ones on Montana roads.
My purpose in writing is to thank the Flathead Valley drivers for their patience and influence on these young drivers. We receive thumbs up and smiles from many as we learn how to negotiate intersections, drive the bypass, parallel park, etc. Thanks for that!
I tell students that a significant portion of their learning comes from watching other drivers. So thanks to those who stop at EVERY stop sign, always yield, don’t run red lights, obey speed limits, defer to pedestrians, wear seat belts, use cellphones responsibly and so on.
As well as the positive traits listed above, we also learn from less mature examples. So a shout out to those who text and drive, don’t wear seatbelts, do not properly restrain children, roll through stop signs, seem confused as to pulling over for emergency vehicles and more.
Then there are the readers, flossers, eyelash shapers, make-up appliers, litterbugs, etc. It would be remiss of me to leave out the fist-shaking, middle-finger road ragers and even occasional bare butts (sadly).
So thanks again. We appreciate all of you who help us keep our roads safe. Montana is ranked as one of the poorest driving environments in the U.S. We need your help in changing that ranking in the positive direction. —Jamie Miller, Kalispell
‘Death of Nation’ offers a great history lesson
Summertime in the Flathead. A time for family, friends and having fun! But the world around us does not stop, and maybe we can give up a couple of hours for an incredible history lesson.
Dinesh D’Souza’s new documentary “Death of a Nation,” produced by Montana’s Gerald R. Molen, is exactly that — a great history lesson!
Inspired by the turbulent events of post-2016 presidential election, “Death of a Nation” reveals an eerie similarity between the situation faced by President Trump now and the situation faced by President Lincoln in 1860.
Which is the party of the slave plantation? Which is the party that invented white supremacy? Which is the party that praised fascist dictators and shaped their genocidal policies and was in turn praised by them?
Which is the party of racism today? Is fascism now institutionally embodied on the right or on the left?
Through stunning historical recreations and a searching examination of fascism and white supremacy, “Death of a Nation” cuts through progressive big lies to expose hidden history and explosive truths.
“Death of a Nation” opened nationwide Aug. 3. Please check local listings. —Caroline Solomon, Bigfork
A safety tip to help escape from a submerged car
Lots of farm ponds in Montana, and rivers and swollen creeks next to poor roads. Windows on newer vehicles don’t work well when submerged.
You never know. Which is why you always carry a cheap hammer easily reachable beneath the seat. Don’t worry about the adrenaline. —Andy Palchak, Kalispell