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County's subdivision policy is confusing

| April 5, 2007 12:00 AM

Editor,

Many letters and articles are surfacing with regard to subdivisions in Missoula County.

Following these stories has generated this observation:

If a developer wants to chop up the land, they should give prime consideration to doing so in Lake County where the Planning Board advises the county commissioners on how to achieve that goal. For instance, sometime ago, the commissioners gave approval to a subdivision which has 32 acres located in one part of the county and 63 acres located in another part of the county. To date, the 32-acres has been developed in two sections, one containing nine acres and the other 13 acres. The nine-acre tract has a shared well and sewer system. The 13 acres, of which all lots have been sold, have no water or sewer.

Looking at the primary plat layout, it is evident that whoever intends to build on these lots will have to sink their own wells and septic systems. Thirteen wells and septic systems on 13 acres? When this writer inquired about this proposal, both state representatives on well drilling and the tribal water representative (this development is within the confines of the SKT reservation) have said that while folks may drill wells, they have no water rights.

With the state and tribal water agreement in limbo, why would anyone pay $80,000 and up for a lot to build a home when they would not own a water right? When the subdivision was in review, the fire chief advised the commissioners that water in that area was insufficient to fight fires. With all the development at the nearby Mission Bay, there is a good deal of concern about these Planning Boards who repeatedly ignore the objections of neighbors whose property abuts such a subdivision.

Missoula County is right on in it efforts to listen to the concerns of the folks most affected by such wanton disregard of not only experts in the arenas of density and access to water and sewer, but a look to whom will pay for the needed services to these subdivisions. Polson’s fire chief indicated that in the very near future, they are hoping to build a fire station on the south shore to accommodate the Mission Bay Development.

If that is the case, then let the folks who built there foot the bills. Now a low-income housing development is in the works, again for the south shore. A few years back, Polson was importing water from the west shore via pipes and hoses which snaked across the bridge because of low water. There is one positive item coming up — that is we will be looking for a viable candidate for one of the seats on the Lake County Board of Commissioners and for that we are grateful.

Maureen Theiler

Polson

Support for Meeks, and Mitchell

Editor,

The Cherry Valley PTO (Parent Teachers’ Organization) would like to express our support for our school’s principal, Elaine Meeks. We feel strongly that Elaine goes above and beyond her duties as principal.

She is passionate about our school and cherishes each and every child. She demonstrates her passion by being involved in every aspect of our school.

Due to the recent publicity we wanted to express our support and respect for her and her job as principal of our school. Cherry Valley would not be what it is without Elaine Meeks.

We would also like to give a huge thank you to Michelle Mitchell for all of her hard work for the 10th annual Celebration of Families Powwow She spent numerous hours organizing, planning and preparing for this event and it was very successful. Thank you, Michelle.

Cherry Valley PTA

Lisa Wall-Wilbert, president

Laurel Toland, secretary

Liana Zimmerman,

treasurer

Department of Peace is proposed

Editor:

There is a grass roots movement across the country supporting the establishment of a Department of Peace within the United States Government. You may be saying “Why?” Or you may see the need, but doubt the possibility. Before you move on I hope you will read a little further.

First of all, there is currently no organized approach by the U.S. Government toward creating and supporting nonviolent solutions to domestic and international conflict.

The Department of State handles only international matters and deals exclusively with other “States.”

A Department of Peace would work to support our military with complementary approaches to peacekeeping. It would create and administer a U.S. Peace Academy, acting as a sister organization to the U.S. Military Academy. It would be actively involved in studying the most human aspects of conflict and applying ways to resolve them peacefully. It would teach violence prevention and mediation to America’s school children. It would work toward rehabilitating our prison population.

There are many existing programs addressing problems of violence in our country and throughout the world. Why wouldn’t we want to study these programs and make them available throughout our country?

With the development of more and more lethal weapons available throughout the world we cannot afford to ignore efforts toward peace if we wish to survive.

The current bill, calling for a U. S. Department of Peace, HR 808, can be implemented for just two percent of the defense budget. How about it? Encourage our Congress people to support the establishment of a U.S. Department of Peace.

For more information check out www.thepeacealliance.org

Patty Bowers

Wanda Robinson

Suzanne Luepke

Polson

Elaine Meeks has great record

Editor,

I would like to share my support for Elaine Meeks, the principal of Cherry Valley. I have worked with her, especially in the current school year, on making children’s and their families’ transition from Head Start to the Public school a seamless one. I have been completely impressed with dealing with her in her professional and “down to earth” manner; she is very easy to approach and gives that sense that she has all the time for you.

She never seems to lose focus of the big picture and that is the well being and education of our children. She is always working and thinking of new ways to improve and add to the programs that are already in place such as: fit kids, the new walking path, encouraging parents to come into the school to be part of their child’s education, the Native American Family Coalition, the wonderful art program — there are simply too many to list.

As a parent I couldn’t ask for my children to be in a better learning environment. My husband and I count our blessings everyday that our children are in this school because of Elaine’s influence and demand for the best educational learning environment possible.

With dealings with my son, I felt she took each situation seriously and acted in the best interest of my family. I am proud of all that she has accomplished in her career; I believe in Elaine and look up to her with the utmost respect.

Tara Carvey

Polson

Why do they do that?

Editor,

I am constantly asked by family members and concerned others about the strange behaviors exhibited by their “alcoholic or addict” and can only answer with the truth.

When people start using different mind altering chemicals, one only needs to look at the label. The term “mind altering” should give us a clue.

After all, that is why people use alcohol and/or the drugs in the first place.

When a person begins taking these substances, the first thing affected is the body. For the body to use the substance, the cell structure needs to adapt.

This adaptation begins when people start to notice it takes more of the substance to achieve the desired effect or intoxication, if you will. There is not one part of the human body not affected.

For years people used certain bug sprays and weed killers with little concern about what they might do to them. What people started to notice when exposed to these sorts of chemicals were certain health problems.

Some even noticed memory loss and being sleepy all the time.

The birds finally told us they were dying because of eating the bugs that ate the plants that we sprayed with the stuff.

We quickly outlawed a lot of the chemicals because they were killing the animals. There were birth defects associated with these chemicals and I would hazard to guess some will never completely go away.

So, when you ask, “why do they do that?” I don’t think we need to look very far for the culprit.

Our society has unanimously accepted the use of alcohol as a social drug and continues to accept its use as harmless.

Some physicians, out of ignorance I think, say alcohol helps the circulation. Taking walks and exercise will do the same thing.

We talk badly about “drug addicts” because the substance they choose is not legal. What would happen if we found out there were still people who use DDT as an insecticide?

We are very careful about what we spray on our gardens while drinking a nice cold beer, or having a highball after dinner, yet we pay little attention to the fact that both are poisonous to the human body.

God gave us all the power to think and reason and we consistently impair that gift through the use of these mind altering drugs without regard for what we are doing to the gift given to each of us. We scream and raise hell when we think we are being exposed to some dangerous chemical or pollutant, but we think nothing about pouring one down our throats, snorting or smoking one on a regular basis.

Why do we do that? Some years ago I made the comment, “I’ll bet if someone figures how to get high on embalming fluid, they will use it.” Guess what?

Chuck Ripley

Polson

Charlo teacher’s contract not renewed

Editor,

I have spent several restless and sleepless nights in the last week and a half trying to understand the reasoning behind the decision the Charlo school board made on March 20. In a chaotic 4-3 vote they accepted the recommendation to not rehire one of our most well-liked and dedicated teachers, Tiffany Read.

It is sad that in a “free” country we, parents and students, had to fight to have our voice heard at the meeting. Despite numerous parents, students and community members, who by the way voted to have these people represent us to the school, showing support for this teacher — and a petition put together by a students and signed by over half of the junior and senior high students — the board turned a blind eye and deaf ear to our pleas and went with their own agenda.

Unfortunately, our kids are the ones who pay the price. Our school and community will not be the same without this teacher here. She always had time to lend a helping hand or an attentive ear to any students or parents and genuinely cared for the kids.

I hope you, the Charlo school board, can sleep well at night knowing that our kids are suffering because of your decision. Sweet dreams!

Neoma Cox

Charlo

Umpire’s Clinic supporters thanked

Editor,

I want to thank all the people who helped with the umpire’s clinic on March 31.

Trever Day, Gary Collins, Jon Hansen, Derrick Rathe, Tom Kenney, Alyssa Campbell, Renee Vangunten, Riley Grogan and Justin Evertz came for the two hours of training.

I also thank the Lake County Leader, the Valley Journal and KERR radio for getting the word out all over the valley and Insty Prints for the neat looking cards and Karen Sargent of the Polson Parks Department for letting us use the Kerr Dam fields for this clinic.

Mark Evertz

Polson