Thanks for park vote
To the editor,
Thank you to Columbia Falls Mayor Fish and City Council members Karper, Plevel, Reikoski and Shepard for voting to purchase the riverfront property as a park for Columbia Falls. Your visionary leadership and bold actions will serve our community now and will be applauded for decades to come.
Further thanks to the many citizens who participated in the public hearing Monday night. The ideas and insights you put forth should give council, city staff and potential park committee many facets to consider as plans for the park are flushed out over the coming years. Thank you again to everyone involved in this wonderful new asset for our city.
And finally, thank you to the Bells, Kenneth and Carole, who had the foresight and dedication to offer the city their beautiful property and to agree to sell it at well below market and appraised value. The community of Columbia Falls will be forever changed by your leadership and vision.
Kathie N. Lapcevic
On behalf of the First Best Place Task Force
Thrift store a favorite
To the editor:
With this hot weather and smoke, it’s hard for us older folks to be out, but when it does clear up some, I head downtown and to the thrift shop. They remodeled it and it looks real nice and is a lot bigger.
With school just around the corner, this is a good place to get some good school things. They have a 25-cent rack and once a week a 50-cent rack. The handicapped people keep it real clean and nice. They still want your donations and will take some small appliances and furniture, also any other thing you might want to get rid of.
The store is called Glacier Thrift and is right across from Smith’s. They have some toys for the kids to play with and buy while you are shopping. If you are looking for something and can’t find it, just ask Mike and he will help you find it. They want your business and are looking forward to meeting you and if you like the place don’t forget to tell others about the shop. When you go in they have a big smile on their face and you will too when you leave.
Thank you so much for letting me tell you about my favorite store.
Irene Rickard
Columbia Falls
Riverfront Park needed
To the editor:
As a member of the Columbia Falls community, I would just like to take a moment to express my support in the proposed Riverfront Park purchase by the City of Columbia Falls. I have read all of the proposals and find it fascinating that we have such an amazing group of people that are working toward a brighter future for Columbia Falls.
I believe that Columbia Falls is in need of such a place to bring this community together and give our visitors something to look forward to. I recently visited a much smaller community, here in Montana, and I have to tell you that when their community plans a function, everyone in that community and surrounding communities come together and have a great time. It felt like we were part of a family and not just visitors. It was a great feeling and I believe that if we had a location, as proposed, that we could become a closer community, too.
I am also a member of the Rotary Club of Columbia Falls and I know there are other clubs/organizations out there that are looking for ways to improve our community and this project would offer many opportunities to assist in reaching some of the same goals.
Norma Reynolds
Columbia Falls
Article a disservice
To the editor,
I am writing to protest the Constance See’s recent article that slandered and ridiculed my employer Dr. Devra West and did a huge disservice to the entire community. As a long-term resident of the Flathead Valley, I remain utterly shocked at the absurd mish mash of off-based, prejudiced reporting that was allowed into print about one of the most generous and decent people I have ever had the good fortune of working with. Dr. West is as far from being a cult leader as I can imagine. Her client-readership list reads like the who’s who of global influentials. I say this, having worked as the
Technical Director for her company Surya Enterprise for over a year. She is a great boss, her office is a fantastic place to work, and her projects are positive and inspiring. She pays well above Montana wages and offers profit sharing to tenured members of her staff. As an employee, I couldn’t ask for more.
As for your source of far-fetched info, I can only describe John Watson as a deranged internet stalker, who wants to line his pockets with extorted
monies. The Hungry Horse News unwittingly fed into his scam. The non-profit who hired him, deeply regrets allowing Dr. West to be victimized by a nutcase like this character. I have also seen hundreds of letters from people who complain that they have been grossly misquoted to retro-fit the perversity of his website. I know for a fact that there are supposed “speakers” on his website are entirely fictitious, made up and are not real people at all.
Dr. West’s only fault in all of this that I can see is having enough money to go after. She has had the guts and the integrity to say “NO” to his extortion tactics and she deserves 100% support from this community. His success at getting misguided people like Dr. Pat Cole to join in on his attack will be short lived. As the IT director, I have knowledge of her fraudulent dipping into Dr. West’s bank accounts, during a time period when Dr. West was tending to her invalid father during his fight with cancer.
Cole’s story is too ludicrous to dignify largely because Watson authored it, along with unmerited attacks from “suddenly disgruntled” ex-employees who Watson has promised a piece of the pie. I assure you that the crme will rise to the top on this one and that any future litigation will uphold that
Dr. West has clearly been the only victim.
From where I sit, your article literally burned Dr. West at the stake for no good reason. Dr. West is owed an enormous apology. I say, leave the tabloid insanity of Hollywood in L.A. Everyone should take notice because if we as a community allow this outrage, then it can happen to you, your family and your business.
Brett A. Jauhola
Technical Director, Surya Enterprise Unlimited Inc.