Local business owners play key roles

Editor,

I am writing in response to the recent letter from Ed and Bunny Monaco. Let me make it abundantly clear that not all "newcomers" feel as the Monacos do. I find it odd that the Monacos did not notice, before moving here, that there was a lack of big box stores in Polson…

We noticed. We are delighted by this phenomenon: No 24/7 light pollution and traffic, no abandoned or half-empty strip malls marring the lovely view. The thought that a Wal-Mart is the entity that will "attract people from surrounding towns into Polson" is rather appalling.

I also hope that some research into the high cost of Wal-Mart's low prices was done; it is not necessarily the universal bargain. There is a wealth of information available on that subject.

But most disturbing to me was the incorrect information the letter implied about the Polson retail/business community and the city's Main Street. I am surprised that, as the Monacos were "following the Wal-Mart Supercenter controversy," they did not notice the many, many articles in the same local media about Polson being awarded the "Main Street" designation, a strategic economic development/preservation program from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Winning this was no small feat. The application process took hours of very meticulous and often tedious work. Much of this effort was accomplished by volunteers and the after-hours efforts of the Polson business owners. Yet, about the merchants the Monacos wrote, "most of them don't seem to be very keen on beautifying Main Street in order to attract more customers." These small business owners were certainly "keen" on investing their sweat to become one of the first six Montana cities in the program. They are continuing to work and will continue to work in the months and years to come — again as volunteers and with volunteers — to make it happen.

Finally the question: "Why do the citizens of Polson have a responsibility to subsidize the small business owners in town?" Of course we do not. But neither do the small business owners have a responsibility to do what they do for the community.

In the short period we have been here, Marilyn Humphrey, the owner of Lake City Bakery, has organized and conducted large fundraising benefits for victims of the tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and for many area citizens who need assistance paying their medical bills, medical transportation costs, or other living expenses during down periods. Most recently she has opened her restaurant to area teens on Saturday nights so that they have a place to meet. (They call it The Zone). All of this is accomplished with volunteer time by her staff and others, and the generous contribution of goods and services from other area businesses.

She is but one example. Other area business people run an education/recreation program for the children of migrant workers, maintain and fund the Polson webcam, organize and sponsor the Christmas parade, the Spring cleanup, the Main Street Festival, a children's reading hour, and the Halloween Trick or Treat. Most, if not all of these business people, volunteer their time to serve on the boards of the area non-profits. And you will always find them well represented among those who are doing the dirty work — cleaning up, washing dishes, planting trees, stuffing envelopes, etc.

Oscar Wilde wrote: "Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing." Fortunately, that is not always true in Polson.

Pat Cross

Polson