Effort intensifies to garner support for Lakeside plan

In order to continue to garner support from Lakeside and Somers communities, concerned members of those communities plan to produce an e-newsletter called The Lakeside-Somers Voice.

The e-newsletter is not associated with either Lakeside Neighborhood Plan Committee or the Lakeside Community Council but represents a volunteer e-mail distribution list, which aims to keep the public informed of upcoming events regarding local planning or other items of interest to Lakeside and Somers.

"While recently working on the Lakeside Neighborhood Plan, I often heard the statement, 'Had I known about it, I would have been there'", LNPC chairwoman Debbie Spaulding said. "Hopefully, the Lakeside-Somers Voice will give residents a better opportunity to be aware of important happenings and events in their community."

Residents who would like to volunteer their e-mails to receive such notices should e-mail their requests to lakeside_somers_voice@centurytel.net or contact Debbie Spaulding at 844-2479 to be added to the e-mail distribution list.

To date, just over 175 people have signed up to receive the electronic publication. Any non-profit group, organization or other entity desiring to have an announcement of community interest placed in the Lakeside-Somers Voice may forward the information to the same address.

Members of the Lakeside community are also currently circulating a petition for residents and property owners, within the Lakeside planning area asking that Flathead County adopt the 2009 Lakeside Neighborhood Plan and serving as an indicator of the level of local support that currently exists for the plan.

Members of the Lakeside Community Council are also requesting that e-mails and letters of support for the plan be sent to LakesideCommunityCouncil@bresnan.net or directly to the Flathead County Planning Board or Flathead County Commisioners.

Supporters of the plan say they expect the opposition to become more vocal as the current revision progresses through the Flathead County Planning Board and on to the Flathead commissioners, which means that those in support of the plan need to stay informed and be equally vocal.

The Lakeside-Somers Voice and organized petitions are the two most recent tools created by supporters to help others in the community do just that. Already, the supporters have gathered more than 150 signatures in favor of the 2009 Lakeside Neighborhood Plan.