Natives support Jenson for mayor

In the coming days, we as citizens of this lovely community of Whitefish have the duty and privilege to vote for latest slate of elected city officials. First of all, it would be appropriate to thank those who have served in this sometimes thankless and always volunteer role.

Those who chose to give of their time and toil as servants for us are to be commended. We as the benefactors of their efforts are often quick to criticize and too often reluctant to say thank you. So, thank you.

The importance of this falls' ballot can only be reflected in the comparison between a few short years ago, when a seemingly indifferent community couldn't find anyone to fill these roles, to today, in which we have a vast array of choices.

Many factors have contributed to this change 'd1 our land values, the growth of our small community and the protection and improvement of the lifestyle we have enjoyed.

Decisions made by this governing body have become more and more complex as the size and make-up of our town has grown over the past few years. There are those of us who wish to have no growth, and those of us who wish to have unlimited growth. Most of us are somewhere in the middle. This is a very precious place to all of us for all our own important reasons.

That is why we are supporting Mike Jenson for mayor. It is our opinion that Mike is the best qualified individual to guide our town through the next few years of important decision making. Mike is a proven leader with the vast experience of several decades of Whitefish community involvement.

As a family member representing four generations of Whitefish, Mike understands who we are and how we got here. From his early years working for the Great Northern Railroad, to his years as a potter, to his desire to help start the Whitefish Community Foundation, Mike has always been active in protecting who and what we are.

As mayor before, Mike helped lead us into a more progressive mode of municipal government. He spent eight years on the Flathead Valley Community College board, five years as chairman, during which they built the new campus. Mike volunteered for five years on the planning board as well.

Mike is the last native to represent us on the Winter Sports Inc. board. He has been there for many years, and as generational natives ourselves, we find it comforting that a person with a similar background is still part of that decision-making team.

Most importantly, Mike is a good listener and a strong mediator, qualities that we will need as we negotiate a quality future together as a community.

Choices are always nice, for our future, our children's future, and now our grandchildren's future, we feel it is necessary to reach into our past and elect Mike Jenson as our new mayor.

Kathy and Lin Akey live in Whitefish.