Ellington

Travis Fair

Travis Jack Fair, 8, the son of Dean and Kimberly Fair, of Layton, Utah, "stepped onto the most amazing train he had ever seen" on March 17, 2006, "and went to a place where there's no pain and suffering."

Like there I … you know … was

Spent too much time last weekend watching the basketball playoffs to the "Final Four." Saw some amazing athletics but it detracted from the game's excellence to hear so many young people during the interviews who were unable to express ideas in even simple English. That reminded me of a piece written in 1991, which was about the time our kids were actively learning to butcher all oral communications.

Minnie Arnold

Minnie M. Arnold, 76, passed away March 18, 2006, in Nine Mile Falls, Wash.

A few scenes from the first days of spring in Glacier National Park. All photos by Chris Peterson.

Eminent domain projections

Eminent domain became a major issue in Montana the day after the Supreme Court action in Connecticut (Kelo vs London) took private property as means for economic development. The "compelling public interest" requirement appeared to be minimized or absent. Several weeks ago Sen. Bob Keenan introduced a resolution to the Flathead County Commissioners concerning the eminent domain issue and it is being reviewed for implementation by them at this time.

Many thanks

We extend a huge thank you to everyone in the community who participated in this year's Winter Classic events. Visiting NFL football players and celebrities thoroughly enjoyed the warmth of the local community, and many contributed generously to help our local kids.

High energy

Thank you to our member-owners for attending the 69th Flathead Electric Cooperative Annual Meeting. Many of the comments at the end of the meeting focused on how member-owners can stay involved and help us when external influences threaten to create instability in Flathead Electric rates. You can help and we appreciate your interest.

Did you know?

It is said that travel broadens the mind and I found this so on a recent trip to England, the island of my birth.

Vivian (Jill) Murphy

Vivian (Jill) Murphy, age 81, passed away March 19, 2006, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center. She was born Vivian Zunft on May 15, 1924, in Albany, N.Y. She was raised in New York and Florida. She was married to Jack Murphy for 54 years prior to his death.

Preserving water rights

I'm convinced one of the concerns for the majority of small towns and rural Montanans is their water. Over 70 percent of Montanans live in lightly populated areas. We depend on wells, canals or streams for our water. Many isolated homeowners still haul their water to their property.

Take a hike

I had to chuckle the other day when I read a quote in the newspaper from a leader in the local motorized use group, saying we need to spend more tax dollars bulldozing roads in the back country. He said something to the effect, "the rapidly growing and aging population has less leisure time for recreation and they demand more motorized access, not less, in the future…"

Francis Ernest (Rip) Riepl

Francis Ernest (Rip) Riepl, age 85, died on Friday, March 17, 2006 at Brendan House in Kalispell. He was born on June 22, 1920 in Herndon, Kansas the son of Matthew & Suzanna (Pingetzer) Riepl.

Dr. Frank J. Laird III

Dr. Frank J. Laird died peacefully at his home in San Diego, Calif., on Friday, March 10, 2006, in the presence of his loving family. Although cancer had weakened his once vital body, he remained to the end a man of great strength and dignity, demonstrating even in his final days his trademark concern for others and his limitless love for his family.

Monsour help

Skiing just outside the Big Mountain Ski Resort area, 46-year-old Robert (Bob) Monsour was caught in an avalanche on March 9, 2006. Bob sustained serious injuries as a result of the accident and was flown to Harbor View Medical Center in Seattle where he underwent eight hours of surgery to repair his broken pelvis, leg and internal injuries that occurred during the avalanche.

Additional information

Your article on the Roadless Rule Task Force report left out many details that seem to need clarification. To correct that, may I submit some further information.

Retraction

After my letter to the editor was published on March 9, 2006, I learned that Mr. Verdell Jackson does in fact live in Senate District 5. I apologize to Verdell Jackson for the errors that were in the last two paragraphs of that letter.

Would you like to repeat your high school years?

a) No way

Edwin B. "Sonny" Boon

Edwin B. "Sonny" Boon, age 84, of Somers, passed away on Saturday, March 11, 2006 at Health Center Northwest in Kalispell. He was born in Somers on July 15, 1921, the son of Clarence Merle and Albina (Anderson) Boon.

Letter from the Editor

Self discovery

Chrysler mistaken

Mr. Chrysler should check his facts before writing letters to be read by the public. In a recent letter printed in valley newspapers he stated that my husband, Rep. Verdell Jackson, and I do not live in Senate District 5. This is not true! Verdell is a senate candidate for SD5. State law requires that a candidate live in the district, if that district includes parts of more than one county.

Oops!

Really Verdell, let's be serious. My recent questioning of your voting record and legislative performance on the water rights issue was not a personal attack. Rather, it was a serious look at your performance as a legislator—the voters deserve no less. Though I earlier refrained from mentioning your affirmative vote on Senate Bill 468, which closed new water rights on the Montana portion of the Clark Fork River Basin, I will do so now. As you recently revealed on the local radio show, "KOFI Talk," you did not know what the bill did until you were subsequently denied approval for your request to actually increase the head capacity of your own pumping equipment. Oops! We may not always agree with everything our legislators do, but cannot we agree that they should at least know what they are doing?

Save the fish

If Barbara Elvy Strate's granddaughter, Janel, had watched her son slowly starve the family dog or cat, she would be facing cruelty to animals charges ("Spike the fish," March 8). But because a fish was treated so callously, Ms. Strate gets a "funny" story to share with her readers.

Bears, barristers and booze

We are not going to mention her name here because we "sorta" feel sorry for her. On the other hand, her lawyer's name should be used because that is the person we hunters are all disgusted with; however the AP stories last week didn't carry the attorney's name. I'm talking about the case of the widow of a man who was killed by a grizzly bear a couple years ago on the Clearwater Game Preserve south of Seeley Lake.

For the people

My name is Ric Smith, and I am a candidate for Senate District 5. I have decided to run for this office because I have an intense passion to give back to a state and people that have given so much to my family and me. Living here since 1981, I have had the opportunity to raise a family and run a small business, allowing me to understand the unique needs, challenges and opportunities we have and will face.

Fall 714 miles per hour?

Captain Kittinger "reached a record speed of 614 miles per hour" while falling over 16 miles from a balloon in 1960, at Tularosa, New Mexico. That is what I, George Ostrom, said in this very column last week. Ironically, the Wall Street Journal has just done a story on falling and in there they state Kittinger hit 714 miles per hour on his famous jump and thus became "the first person to break the sound barrier without a vehicle." I hope the Wall Street Journal is right and I was wrong on that 100 miles per hour difference. We'll see.

Remember when we used to have a Forest Service?

The Forest Service in Region 1, encompassing Montana, North Dakota and Idaho, is losing about 110 jobs in a move to downsize and reorganize the department. Missoula alone will lose 35 positions in the first round of a multi-year plan to reduce the Forest Service.

John Musser

John "Jack" Musser died of natural causes Feb. 26, 2006.