Letter from the editorBigfork's best can be found here 

In today's paper on pages B4 and B5 you'll find the results of our second annual Best of Bigfork contest. Eagle readers have been submitting the ballots over the last month or so and the results, I think you'll agree, are pretty darn accurate.

In a town with as many fine artists as Bigfork, Brett Thuma once again dominated. While there was some change at the top of the dining categories, all the usual suspects were in the mix. Surprisingly, Bigfork recreational spots lost out to some others in the Valley, but were still big vote getters.

And if there was anything to be taken away from the final tallies, it's this: Bigfork has a lot of great stuff in it. So drop by these winners' establishments and see for yourself what all the fuss is about.

And a little bragging

While I lived in Missoula, it was a long-running joke amongst my journalism friends that the Missoulian and the Missoula Independent would always include a "Best newspaper" category in their annual "Best of" sections. Surprise, surprise, each always won its own contest.

Well you'll notice there is no "Best newspaper" category in our Best of Bigfork awards — no sense in opening that can of worms — but the Bigfork Eagle did take home some awards last week.

Like most industries, the Montana journalism community has an annual convention in which we sit around and congratulate one another. It is, as so many of these things are, somewhat of a mutual admiration society.

That said, The Eagle is proud to be mutually admired by more than most, as we took home top honors in the small weekly newspaper category in which we compete.

Aside from winning general excellence and general excellence in advertising, the Eagle also took home the sweepstakes award for papers with less than 1,500 in circulation.

I would like to especially note the work of sportswriter Jordan Dawson — who continued the Eagle's complete dominance of the sports categories — and reporter Jacob Doran, whose fine feature stories were honored.

And you're looking at the best small weekly newspaper editorial page for the second year running. For this last honor in particular, we owe a special thanks to our columnists Barbara Strate and George Ostrom and our cartoonist Jerry Sprunger, not to mention the regular guest columnists and letter writers who submit their thoughts.

It's not much of a paper without readers, and the Eagle is lucky to have plenty of good ones.

—Alex Strickland