Letters to the editor, July 1
Reintroduction of the wolf
Though I am only 14, I have seen what the wolves are doing to wildlife and livestock.
I have hunted for two years and this fall will be my third. I have hardly seen so much as one elk in the mountains during hunting season, let alone any other time of year.
As for livestock, ranching is affected also, because the wolves don't only kill the calves, but also take advantage during the winter when they can run on top of the snow harassing cattle, causing them to starve.
This hurts ranchers because they can't sell livestock, to get the money they need to pay bills.
What was all this talk about the "reintroduction" of the wolf? In case they didn't know, wolves were still here, just seldom seen. Even in my young age I know this isn't right. The Wolf Recovery Act was forced on us and we didn't have a say. Shouldn't we be able to sue the Federal Wildlife Agency for "reintroducing" something that was never gone?
My great grandmother tells of an incident that happened when she was just six years old. In Canada, there was a family that was sledding in the hills when a pack of wolves came, drug the baby off, and killed it. This shows that it has been happening for over 70 years.
This is obviously nothing new. When will something be done? Does it have to go from wildlife and livestock to children?
I don't want to worry about being attacked by a pack of wolves when I'm hunting, fishing, hiking, etc. Two years ago I went hunting with my dad in the Bitterroot. On a morning hunt we saw some fresh tracks. We went to look and see what animal had left them. They were deer tracks with wolf tracks right behind them.
We later came across the wolf still following the tracks. It ran when it caught sight of us. That trip we saw no elk, when they had been seen in large numbers just months earlier. Will elk go extinct because we are trying to "bring back" an unwanted creature? Or will my children ever even see an elk?
Though this letter may do little or nothing at all, I just want to let Judge Molloy, environmentalists, and others know that even us younger generations know we are being cheated and it isn't fair! I would like to shoot an elk before I die if it's possible, before the wolves kill them all.
All I know is that I tried to get a point across and I know many others who feel the same way about this as I do.
Carley Elverud
St. Ignatius resident
Main Street Success
Thank you, thank you, thank you to the Valley Cruisers Car Club and Sharon Procopio with the Mission Valley Rodeo for being at the June 21 City Council meeting and letting the council know how important it is for our Main Street to be fixed before our busy tourist season.
By having your facts and comments stated, it showed the council how much money these events, along with the Cherry Festival, Hoopfest, Art in the Park and others bring into this community.
It is not just about the Main Street businesses, but also hotels, campgrounds, gas stations, restaurants and other businesses that rely on our tourists and locals to help us all prosper.
Also, thanks to the businesses that gave Jackie and I anywhere from $25 to $100 to pay towards getting Main Street fixed. The council gave us our money back and said they would pay to patch the entire street. The Valley Cruisers told us (the PBC) to keep their $100 and put it towards the Armed Forces Memorial Staircase!!!
This shows us that by working together we can make a difference
Thank you again!
Tali Duford of First Resort Clothing and Jackie Cripe of Jackie M's
Support for the Library
As a child growing up, I was incredibly fortunate, along with my brothers and sisters and cousins, to have an opportunity to spend all summer visiting with my grandparents in Yellow Bay. Part of the weekly routine my grandparents had to keep this brood under control was to have my grandfather drive all the older kids to Polson every Tuesday all summer long.
I am sure my grandmother, mother, and aunt were thrilled to have the kids gone for a few hours. We kids were dropped off at the library where we stocked up on our adventures for the week, and then we made a stop at the Lake City Bakery where we spent our allowance for the day, before heading back to the cabin.
My lifelong devotion to reading stems from the wonderful books I was able to check out of the Polson Library.
From July 8 through 27, residents of Polson and north Lake County will have an opportunity to vote, by mail-in ballot, on a proposal to establish a library district, which would provide sustainable operational funding for the Polson Library.
We are fortunate to have a high quality library in Polson that affords the public free access to a wide variety of written materials like the books I read as a child and continue to read as an adult; especially the ones I get on interlibrary loan, as well as things like free Internet-connected computers, reading programs and services vital to the intellectual health and development of our community.
It is important to everyone in our community that these services continue benefiting all users. This requires a sustainable, equitable and dedicated source of funding. Without this mill levy, we will lose many of our current services.
Voters: Please join me in approving a mill levy to provide this funding and support continuation of all of our library services by voting yes. By the way, it's not too late to sign yourself or your kids and grand-kids up for the Summer Reading Program. The adventures await you!
Toni Krebsbach Young
Polson resident
Vote yes for Library
During the past few years, our family has rediscovered a somewhat little known precious commodity in our town. Our own local library. As parents of two grown children and also 10-year-old twins, the Polson City Library has become an invaluable resource to our family.
We are frequent visitors to the library and our twins consider the PCL "The Last Best Place" to visit on any given day. On most days our daughter will have her head buried in a book in a series by Erin Hunter about cat clans called "Warriors" and our son will be devouring books about Sasquatch, Chihuahuas or even Cryptozoology.
When they need the next book in a series or more books on any subject the resource we use daily is the Montana Shared Library Network called "Partners." This system through PCL grants us access to all of the Montana shared libraries and allows us to order books online using the computers at PCL or in the convenience of your own home on your own computer, any time of the day or night. When your item arrives, you are notified that it is ready to be picked up at PCL.
We can regularly review our accounts, including materials checked out, holds, fines, when books are due or overdue. There is an impressive selection of audio books, music CDs and thousands of videos to choose from. We can usually find any book, video, CD etc, through one of the participating libraries on the shared library network.
Our twins eagerly await that call several times a week notifying them of the latest requested arrival.
Library director Marilyn Trosper and her staff at PCL have created a "user-friendly" environment where all patrons young and old feel welcome. This friendly atmosphere has also influenced our twins in their love of reading and writing.
Unbeknownst to many, our library does not receive any tax dollars for books and materials. Books are purchased only through contributions and memorial funds. Presently there is not a sustainable form of funding available to cover the increasing basic expense of operating PCL. Starting July 8 through July 27 there will be a mail in ballot levy.
Many Lake County residents will have the opportunity to support the forming of the North Lake County Public Library District. If this levy is passed it will ensure that our library continues to be one of the most valuable assets in our community. For more detailed information, visit the Polson Public Library and talk with Marilyn or one of the staff, grab a Library District Levy information sheet, a "Save our Library" brochure, or visit PCL's new website at www.polsonpubliclibrary.org.
Sheila Young Peterson
Polson resident
The importance of books
The greatest educator begins with a book.
Where would we be without libraries? A library is a building full of knowledge open to all with no regards to wealth, race, education or occupation. A library is a building with an open invitation to come in and learn. Libraries have been on the Earth for centuries and have educated people since man could read and write.
Libraries today have also entered into the 21st century by offering services online, including downloading audio books, an online database of periodicals, and even an auto repair reference center.
We, the people of Lake County, will soon be asked to approve a mill levy to provide funding for a library district that will include the areas of Polson, Valley View, Big Arm, Elmo, Proctor, Dayton, Rollins and the East Shore to Yellow Bay. If approved, this funding will aid in the continuation of library services to all, including our future generations.
A library falls in the category of education. Education is the most vital part of our country and budgets should never be cut. It is up to us, the people of this county, of this country, to see that our future will strive through education with schools and libraries. Vote YES for the library district levy beginning July 8. I close with this quote which says it all.
"If you think education is expensive, wait till you see what ignorance costs you."
Karen Bach
Rollins resident