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No way around it. Kalispell public schools are in a difficult situation. Federal and state support has decreased but the needs of our schools and students have increased. We have more students, higher costs, expanded needs. Our schools simply can’t “do more with less,” and our administration has already examined our budget in minute detail to find any possible savings. We’ve reached the point there aren’t any additional dollars to cut without our entire community feeling the effects.

As a parent and school trustee, I believe we have a responsibility to support our schools. A school system that provides an outstanding education, programs and services for our students means a stronger community for us all. Kalispell Public Schools recognize the importance our kids have on our future. With our vote, we can acknowledge this belief as well. —Diane Morton Stout, Kalispell

Bigfork Fire Department levy ballot was reissued

Dear voters of the Bigfork Fire District: As I am sure you are aware, the 73-year-old Bigfork Fire Department is asking for their “first ever” mill levy increase (15 mills). Many of us have already voted and mailed or dropped off our ballots. The Flathead County Election Office made a mistake on the original ballots by leaving off the financial impact for homeowners within the district. This forced the county to reissue ballots with all the required information included. Consequently, our original ballots are invalid.

If you have not yet voted, please do so as soon as you can (make sure to use the reissued ballot). If you have voted, please vote again. All ballots must be in the Election Office by 8 p.m. on May 8, 2018. Ballots can be mailed or dropped off at the Election Office at 40 11th St. W., Suite 230, in Kalispell. To make voting even easier, the Bigfork Fire Hall has provided a RED ballot box where you can personally deposit yours.

FYI: If this mill levy passes, the Bigfork Fire Department will be able to continue providing the services we have grown accustomed to, and even improve on those services. If not, we will definitely see a reduction in response time and level of care/service. Any of us who have had an emergency can attest to our Fire Department’s timely and professional response. Let’s keep it that way! —Jim Sticka, president of the Friends of Bigfork Fire

Vote to expand Egan Slough Zoning District

On June 5, all Flathead County voters will have the opportunity to vote “FOR Initiative No. 17-01 — Add Property to the Egan Slough Zoning District.” The wording of this ballot initiative may sound quite obtuse and confusing. It is often this way with ballot initiatives. What does it mean and why is it important to all of us? Why should we vote “FOR” this initiative?

I will tell you why. By voting “For” the expansion of the Egan Slough Zoning District, we are doing the following:

1. Stopping a super warehouse-sized water bottling plant that could produce and rinse 1.2 billion plastic bottles a year polluting our rivers, streams, aquifers with chemicals and residues, threatening bull trout and other fish and aquatic wildlife. This plant would be permitted to operate 24/7, 365 days a year, pumping more than 230 million gallons of water out of the ground, sending it out of state on county roads —150 trucks each day!

2. Preserving our pristine valley, the Gateway to Glacier National Park and keeping Flathead Lake crystal clear.

3. Protecting the agriculture and water rights of ALL the landowners in the Egan Slough — whose property values and access to clean water could be seriously compromised and threatened if this industrial activity were to be in their backyard.

4. Protecting the water resource we ALL depend on. Our own 1,000-foot well water level has dropped 100 feet since we built our home 20 years ago above Flathead Lake. Without water, we have nothing.

5. It will serve as a very important precedent for any future effort to take our water and ship it out of state. As water continues to become “liquid gold,” other water bottling plants will likely look to our valley as the next great place. Let’s do all we can to protect “The Last Great Place.”

The upcoming ballot initiative, which required more than 12,000 county voter signatures last year, will stop this water bottling plant if approved.

All you need to do is:

Vote “FOR ENACTMENT of Resolution 1594C to add property to the Egan Slough Zoning District.” —Jane Corwin, Somers

Principles and values may be thing of the past

Justice? Principles? Values? THAT was then, THIS is now:

Only three brief pieces of prevailing Americana evidence are necessary to summarize the septic state in which we swim ...

—Sanctuary cities.

—An Oscar copped from a linen table littered with martinis ... worthy of a three-year prison sentence juxtaposed with wealthy politicians consuming millions of taxpayer dollars via litigation, who will ultimately avoid ANY jail time.

—And basketball stars mouthing slobbery epithets, who earn 10 times in one year what a competent teacher accrues in a full career.

Why, the trail of tears continues far off into the distant forest. We have no excuse to whine, really. —Gary Vinson, Kalispell

Tester works for the people of Montana

It is political season once again and advertisements are beginning to appear on television. The big election seems to be for the U.S. Senate, a position now occupied by Jon Tester.

Sen. Tester uses people representing working people of Montana, veterans, police, firemen, teachers, etc., to demonstrate how he has worked for all the people of Montana. The Republican challengers have employed mockery, juvenile bravado, and misinformation to represent their cause.

Personally, I am very happy for the music students who have been asked to perform at Carnegie Hall next year and for all the music teachers who bring joy to our population. Be alert, Montanans, the Con is alive and coming at you. Return Jon Tester to the Senate, to represent the working population of our state. —Dan King, Bigfork

Kalispell public schools need your support

No way around it. Kalispell public schools are in a difficult situation. Federal and state support has decreased but the needs of our schools and students have increased. We have more students, higher costs, expanded needs. Our schools simply can’t “do more with less,” and our administration has already examined our budget in minute detail to find any possible savings. We’ve reached the point there aren’t any additional dollars to cut without our entire community feeling the effects.

As a parent and school trustee, I believe we have a responsibility to support our schools. A school system that provides an outstanding education, programs and services for our students means a stronger community for us all. Kalispell Public Schools recognize the importance our kids have on our future. With our vote, we can acknowledge this belief as well. —Diane Morton Stout, Kalispell

Bigfork Fire Department levy ballot was reissued

Dear voters of the Bigfork Fire District: As I am sure you are aware, the 73-year-old Bigfork Fire Department is asking for their “first ever” mill levy increase (15 mills). Many of us have already voted and mailed or dropped off our ballots. The Flathead County Election Office made a mistake on the original ballots by leaving off the financial impact for homeowners within the district. This forced the county to reissue ballots with all the required information included. Consequently, our original ballots are invalid.

If you have not yet voted, please do so as soon as you can (make sure to use the reissued ballot). If you have voted, please vote again. All ballots must be in the Election Office by 8 p.m. on May 8, 2018. Ballots can be mailed or dropped off at the Election Office at 40 11th St. W., Suite 230, in Kalispell. To make voting even easier, the Bigfork Fire Hall has provided a RED ballot box where you can personally deposit yours.

FYI: If this mill levy passes, the Bigfork Fire Department will be able to continue providing the services we have grown accustomed to, and even improve on those services. If not, we will definitely see a reduction in response time and level of care/service. Any of us who have had an emergency can attest to our Fire Department’s timely and professional response. Let’s keep it that way! —Jim Sticka, president of the Friends of Bigfork Fire

Vote to expand Egan Slough Zoning District

On June 5, all Flathead County voters will have the opportunity to vote “FOR Initiative No. 17-01 — Add Property to the Egan Slough Zoning District.” The wording of this ballot initiative may sound quite obtuse and confusing. It is often this way with ballot initiatives. What does it mean and why is it important to all of us? Why should we vote “FOR” this initiative?

I will tell you why. By voting “For” the expansion of the Egan Slough Zoning District, we are doing the following:

1. Stopping a super warehouse-sized water bottling plant that could produce and rinse 1.2 billion plastic bottles a year polluting our rivers, streams, aquifers with chemicals and residues, threatening bull trout and other fish and aquatic wildlife. This plant would be permitted to operate 24/7, 365 days a year, pumping more than 230 million gallons of water out of the ground, sending it out of state on county roads —150 trucks each day!

2. Preserving our pristine valley, the Gateway to Glacier National Park and keeping Flathead Lake crystal clear.

3. Protecting the agriculture and water rights of ALL the landowners in the Egan Slough — whose property values and access to clean water could be seriously compromised and threatened if this industrial activity were to be in their backyard.

4. Protecting the water resource we ALL depend on. Our own 1,000-foot well water level has dropped 100 feet since we built our home 20 years ago above Flathead Lake. Without water, we have nothing.

5. It will serve as a very important precedent for any future effort to take our water and ship it out of state. As water continues to become “liquid gold,” other water bottling plants will likely look to our valley as the next great place. Let’s do all we can to protect “The Last Great Place.”

The upcoming ballot initiative, which required more than 12,000 county voter signatures last year, will stop this water bottling plant if approved.

All you need to do is:

Vote “FOR ENACTMENT of Resolution 1594C to add property to the Egan Slough Zoning District.” —Jane Corwin, Somers

Principles and values may be thing of the past

Justice? Principles? Values? THAT was then, THIS is now:

Only three brief pieces of prevailing Americana evidence are necessary to summarize the septic state in which we swim ...

—Sanctuary cities.

—An Oscar copped from a linen table littered with martinis ... worthy of a three-year prison sentence juxtaposed with wealthy politicians consuming millions of taxpayer dollars via litigation, who will ultimately avoid ANY jail time.

—And basketball stars mouthing slobbery epithets, who earn 10 times in one year what a competent teacher accrues in a full career.

Why, the trail of tears continues far off into the distant forest. We have no excuse to whine, really. —Gary Vinson, Kalispell

Tester works for the people of Montana

It is political season once again and advertisements are beginning to appear on television. The big election seems to be for the U.S. Senate, a position now occupied by Jon Tester.

Sen. Tester uses people representing working people of Montana, veterans, police, firemen, teachers, etc., to demonstrate how he has worked for all the people of Montana. The Republican challengers have employed mockery, juvenile bravado, and misinformation to represent their cause.

Personally, I am very happy for the music students who have been asked to perform at Carnegie Hall next year and for all the music teachers who bring joy to our population. Be alert, Montanans, the Con is alive and coming at you. Return Jon Tester to the Senate, to represent the working population of our state. —Dan King, Bigfork