Best fans say thanks

Last week, my husband Billy and I, along with Christine and Paul Sandry, Sheri and Joe Bell, and Denise and Joe Hamilton were nominated, recognized and honored with the "Fans/Boosters of the Year" Award. This is a letter to say "Thanks!"

In my opinion, although there is often a "love of the game" component for many, that is not always true, so there's really only one true reason to be a fan and that is to support the kids and the teams — the students, the athletes, the competitors. They have learned discipline, time management, strength, endurance, competitiveness, teamwork, mutual respect, team spirit, sportsmanship and have desire to compete.

Win lose or draw — they are the real award winners. So thanks to each and every BHS student who was part of a team this year (especially for us, to Mallery and Travis).

A fan is defined as an admirer, enthusiast, aficionado, groupie, buff, devotee. And, what we do to demonstrate that spirit is to show up, cheer on the athletes and, although most of us as parents, grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, etc. have been doing this already for about 15 years, we all know we are there to support not only our kids, but our kid's friends, our friend's kids and the whole of Bigfork High School.

Perhaps we don't often enough express our appreciation and respect for the dedicated coaches and teachers who contribute countless hours teaching, training, prepping, strategizing, practicing, counseling, nurturing, encouraging and supporting our kids. They are all amazing. In particular, there are four individuals who will be leaving BHS I would like to acknowledge.

Our volleyball coach, Kelsey Jensen, who hit the ground running, creating a dynamic cohesiveness, great unity, brought personal experience, enthusiasm and positive winning spirit. She was tough and determined and focused, Thanks, Coach Jensen.

Girls basketball coach, Nate Hammond, who over nine years built a strong winning program, with remarkable versatility, a personal die-hard work ethic, selfless passion and a true understanding and appreciation of his players. Thanks, Coach Hammond.

Assistant Basketball Coach Bill Epperly who teaches, understands, motivates, encourages, strengthens and makes his players want to be their best. Thanks BillBo.

And last but not least, Activities Director for the past two years, Shannon Smith who is the first non-principal to hold the position, who as much as he inescapably balanced the scholastic and discipline side of his role, with his strong and devoted coaching background, he really was a great "Coach's AD." He established and promoted a "Big School" atmosphere for our "little" school. As I have said, he helped us get our feet planted solidly on the ground and pointing in the right direction for the years to come. Thanks Mr. Smith.

I'm proud and thankful for having so many reasons to be a Fan!

Mary Knoll

Bigfork

I-159 NOT WHAT IT SEEMS

Before you sign a petition to put I-159 on the ballot, read all 15 pages of it, and also the 10-page fiscal note prepared by the Governor's budget office.

You will be told this initiative is about providing more home care for those who need and want it. That is misleading. This initiative was developed by Service Employees International Union (SEIU). It creates a statewide workforce of "independent providers" and creates a mechanism for engaging in collective bargaining with the State of Montana. The State will pay and train the workers and be responsible for paying worker's compensation, unemployment insurance, etc. - yet the initiative says they are not state employees.

The cost is estimated at $2.6M in state funds, increasing to $7 million by 2013, mostly for administrative-type costs — with little going to provide more home care. To provide more services, the "waiting lists" would have to be served, but the fiscal note assumes the waiting lists will NOT be eliminated and estimates the cost to do so at $59-$121 million per year.

Currently, in-home care is provided by local agencies, many of them non-profits, who provide excellent care, nurse oversight and quality monitoring. This initiative aims to replace this private system with a state-run program and comes with all of the bureaucracy you might expect.

There are serious questions about the cost and quality of what is being proposed. The legislature is the appropriate forum in which to debate complex public policy issues — a forum where all concerns are fully aired — not debated in sound bites as part of a costly ballot issue campaign.

Rose M. Hughes

Helena

Water worries

Recent news from Washington State sent shivers up my spine and struck too close to home.

The Columbia River, like our North Fork of the Flathead, is an international body of water, flowing out of British Columbia and into the United States. A lead and zinc smelter in Trail, B.C., just upstream of Washington State, suffered an industrial accident recently.

The result? A ton of lead and 100 gallons of acid escaped the smelter and dumped into the Columbia River — to be swept downstream into the United States. No doubt, it could have been worse. But it made me think of the promises British Columbia has made about its plans to mine in the Canadian Flathead.

British Columbia promises up and down that its standards are strict and no accidents will happen. But the recent industrial accident show that things do go wrong, no matter how careful we humans try to be.

I realize a smelter is not a coal mine. But BC plans to literally turn a pristine mountain north of Glacier Park inside out to dredge out the coal. There?s plenty of opportunity there for things to go badly wrong. And the water flowing from that proposed mine site would flow into Glacier Park in hours and flow into Flathead Lake within days.

The people of Montana have much in common with the people of British Columbia. We are hard-working people who believe in both taking care of our natural resources and using them wisely. Many folks in the Fernie community do not want to risk ruining the North Fork, either.

Together, we need to convince the government of British Columbia that the North Fork of the Flathead drainage is simply too special to put at risk.

Roger Sherman

Whitefish