Three community volunteers honored on 'Extra Mile' day
Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld is honoring three community volunteers recognizing their work to go the “extra mile” by proclaiming Nov. 1 Extra Mile day in their honor.
Through his proclamation, Muhlfeld chose to recognize Pat Jarvi, and Jim and Lisa Stack for their years of service to the city.
Jarvi, who passed away at age 72 in July, was a beloved librarian and widely-respected school board trustee.
Jarvi graduated from Whitefish High School in 1961 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree and master’s in education from the University of Montana.
She served as a librarian at all three schools in Whitefish, but mostly worked at Muldown Elementary. She retired in 1997 after 25 years with the district.
She was first elected to school board in 2000 and served continuously for 15 years. She served as chairwoman from 2009 to 2015. During her tenure on the board, the district renovated the middle school, built a new high school and ushered in many new changes in curriculum.
In his proclamation, Muhlfeld said Jarvi was “beloved by many in town, is certainly missed by us all, and we will all continue to be inspired by Pat’s example.”
Jim and Lisa Stack have been longtime volunteers and made philanthropic contributions to the community over the years.
For more than 20 years, the Stacks worked to preserve Whitefish Lake as members of the Whitefish Lakeshore Protection Committee. Jim was appointed to the committee in 1992 and served 13 years as chairman. Lisa served 16 years as administrator.
Muhlfeld previously thanked the Stacks for their “steadfast commitment to protecting Whitefish Lake.”
The Stacks were also recognized for their $85,000 donation in December 2014 to fundraising efforts by the Whitefish Legacy Partners to raise $2 million to secure a permanent conservation easement on 1,500 acres in the Beaver Lakes area.
In Muhlfeld’s proclamation, he said, the Stacks were humbled by the opportunity to pay it forward and help push the project over the final hurdle.