Letters to the Editor

Jan. 22, 2009

Cell phone driving ban necessary

The National Safety Council has advocated a total ban on talking on a cell phone while driving.

According to the NSC, talking on a cell phone while driving is equivalent to driving drunk. According to the NSC, 6 percent of all traffic fatalities are caused by drivers talking on a cell phone (the news story appeared on the Associated Press wire on Jan. 11).

Let’s hope that a cell phone driving ban goes into effect this year, the sooner the better. It’s about time the common sense of this was nationally recognized.

Let’s hope too that violators are judiciously fined plenty, even for the first violation. I would dare to suggest $100 dollars to start and doubling it for every repeat violation thereafter, even to reflect on one’s driving record — for insurance purposes you understand.

Don Basta, Polson

Thanks to Post Office employees

I had a wonderful circumstance happen today at the Polson post office.

This morning I mailed my son’s passport to him, as he is soon deploying on a U.S. Navy ship.

No sooner had I arrived back at my office when I received an emergency call from him asking me to reroute his passport to a different address.

After explaining my dilemma to the postal employees, they were more than willing to sort through the mail they had processed through the morning to find the package.

They found the package, which was corrected and mailed so that my son could deploy to serve our country.

Many thanks, to the staff for their willingness to help me resolve this problem. It made such a positive difference.

Joleen Barce, Polson

Take history’s advice

 One of the most widely read books of all time is “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” written in 1788 by Edward Gibbon. It sets forth five basic reasons why that great civilization withered and died. These were: 1) The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis for human social. 2) Higher and higher taxes, the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace. 3) The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting, more brutal, more immoral. 4) The building of great armaments when the real enemy was within - the decay of individual responsibility. 5) The decay of religion; faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life, losing power to guide the people.

The oft-heard warning that “history repeats itself” has an ominous meaning in the light of the above.

Betty Seablom, Ronan

Polson Pantry says thanks

We all are truly blessed to live in such a beautiful and breathtaking vista and such a caring community like the Polson area.

The Polson Loaves and Fish Food Pantry volunteers and board are especially thankful and appreciative of the wonderful support it receives from local businesses, organizations, churches, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and private citizens. We recognize the public has many opportunities to donate to worthy causes and feel honored and entrusted that you chose to help the Polson Food Pantry fulfill its mission, i.e., of providing supplemental and emergency food to those in need.

The Pantry provides monthly emergency and supplemental food items to area residents (seniors, children/families, and individuals) in need of assistance at the rate of in excess of 180 client families or 460 individuals per month. This represents a greater than 50 percent increase of 2007!

With the current challenging economic environment more and more folks are turning to the Pantry for food assistance.

Loaves and Fish dispersed in excess of 119,000 lbs. of food items locally during 2008. While numerous locally sponsored food drives contributed significantly to our disbursement effort, approximately 50 percent of those food items by weight came from our local supermarkets, Safeway and SuperOne. We all owe them a “special” thank you for helping the Pantry help those in need! In addition a special thank you is extended to the Knights of Columbus team that picks up donated items from Safeway and SuperOne six days a week.

This fall’s annual Town Pump Match Program was joined by Treasure State Concrete to create an overall $7,500 match program on the Polson Food Pantry’s behalf. We are pleased to announce that our generous community (businesses, service organizations, churches, and caring individuals) helped the Pantry achieve its goal. In addition to providing improved food assistance, your pantry board is endeavoring to locate and secure a more functional facility to better serve those in need of assistance.

As a reminder, the pantry is open for disbursement of food on Tuesdays and Fridays between the hours of 10 a.m. -2 p.m.

If you wish to give something important and personally fulfilling back to your community, volunteer by contacting Gerrie Boyle at 883-5855 or call the pantry during operation hours at 883-6864.

Again, many thanks to the Polson area businesses, service organizations, schools, U.S. Postal Service, churches, Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and individuals who support Polson Loaves and Fish Food Pantry and its mission to help others. Without your help our efforts would be greatly diminished!

Gerrie Boyle, Pantry operations director and board member

Honor Guard says thanks

Just a note to say thanks to some people and organizations that have given a lot of support to our American Legion Post and Honor Guard.

A special thank you to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe for their assistance, to Lake County Bank, Rod’s, Stuart’s for purchasing our ammo, and Tim Orr for bird-dogging that process, and to the local Iron Workers No. 14, and to Doug Allard.

We also need to recognize other locals throughout our communities who have supported our raffles and fundraisers. Many people ask what we do and we would like to share some of the projects, organizations, individuals we have supported or were involved with this past year: 24 military funerals, six parades, five events posting colors including Helena, Missoula, St. Ignatius and Ronan, seven baseball teams and T-ball through Babe Ruth were give $150 donation. Little Guy Wrestlers were given a $150 donation. The Charlo family was presented with a framed Iwo Jime print for Louis Charlo. Dick Orr was presented with a framed print of seven Orr brothers in uniform. Approximately 180 flags were presented on veterans’ graves on Memorial Day at four different cemeteries.

Thirty seven white marker signs were refurbished on U.S. Highway 93 from Ronan to Ravalli, on U.S. Highway 212 from the Charlo turn to Dixon, and on U.S. Highway 200 from Dixon to Ravalli. Sent delegate to boys’ state, which cost $210.

These projects would not have occurred without your backing and support. Thank you.

Albert J. Courville, post commander and Homer Courville, adjutant, James R. McCarthy Post 106 Mission Valley Honor Guard.

Yes we can

 As I write this the Sunday before the inauguration, I am struck by the already great sense of people wanting to cooperate with Obama’s leadership message to the American people. “Yes we can.” Not “Yes we will,” or “Yes I can” . . . the three words carefully chosen to reflect: “hope” (YES), “each and all of us together as a community” (WE) and “new confidence in our abilities” (CAN).

This is a WE administration coming into leadership. As we Americans each do our part in supporting President Obama’s vision and values for America, we must try to live the vision and values here at home. After all, they inspired millions and millions of Americans to respond to his call in rising above both the Clinton and Republican political machines. It is only through our dedication to change that our branches of government in Washington will begin to reflect new vision and values. The Washington system has become so combative and politicized that statesmanship, honesty, integrity, working for the good of the people and meaningful debate have been all but lost.

How do we do this? Each in his or her own way. I write letters to the editor. A teacher might emphasize honesty with students. A loan officer in a bank might look closely at the true interests of the customer rather than just making the loan. A family might decide to all sit together for one meal each day, with no TV on, and talk with each other.  A TV network might decide to eliminate violence in their programing by 50 percent. There are a million and one ways, big and small. We each simply need to want to make a difference through our beliefs, our words and our actions.

Regardless of how powerful the entire Washington political system thinks it is, the real power resides right here with us, the American people. An uprising for new vision and values from the grass-roots of our great nation cannot be ignored by Washington.

 Bob McClellan, Polson