Letters to the editor

Support for Campbell

We are in times that are confusing and frustrating for many of us. In these kinds of times it is all that more important to keep grounded with solid principles and solid people in our government.

John Campbell has served the city of Polson in many capacities in the last 30 years. I first worked with John over 20 years ago when I was the mayor and he was the department head for the city of Polson water and sewer departments. I found John to be passionate about his job. I was impressed with his vision for the future and the groundwork he laid to make sure the city would have water for its citizens and treatment for the waste.

Since John and I have been working together on the city council I have found that his knowledge of the city of Polson and how things work is invaluable. I have known him as an employee and as a peer councilman and I can assure you that he is well grounded and a very solid person.

Please vote to keep him on the Polson City Council to help us get through these difficult times.

Pat DeVries

Mayor of Polson

Pledging Allegiance

I attended the Polson Chamber of Commerce Candidate forum this past Wednesday night.

During the Pledge of Allegiance, I noted that candidate Murat Kalinuyaprat did not stand or pledge allegiance to our country’s flag while everyone else in the room did. I have also noted Murat does not pledge our flag at city council meetings. Why would someone who does not pledge allegiance to our flag want to serve on our city council?

For that matter, why would anyone who lives in this great country not pledge allegiance to our flag? A better question, why would Polson vote for a candidate who does not pledge their allegiance?

Ric Smith

Polson

Friend in Deed

Each year, The Town Pump Inc. promotes an annual food bank fund drive campaign called “Be A Friend In Deed.”

Our local Town Pump Inc. will match monetary donations gathered by food banks throughout the state through the end of November. The funds raised within each community will be used exclusively by each community’s own local food bank.

The Ronan Bread Basket’s goal is to raise $5,000, which Town Pump will match. As a member of the Bread Basket board, I ask if you were planning to make a monetary donation during the holiday season to the Bread Basket, please consider donating early before the end of November. This will allow the Bread Basket to collect twice the amount of your generous donation.

Donations can be mailed to the address listed below.

Also, there are special collecting points at your local Town Pump businesses. The money collected will be divided and distributed to all food pantries in the area. Money collected at the local Town Pump will be forwarded to the Bread Basket, but those funds do not count toward our matching grant.

Food items of particular need are canned fruits and vegetables, dried beans, pasta and cereals.

If you are a hunter but do not need all of the meat from your hunting success, the Bread Basket and its clients are delighted to use the wild game. The Bread Basket will even pay the processing fees for wild game. Call us at 676-4357 or contact Sherri McDonald, Bread Basket Board Chair, at 676-5541.

Another way of helping is to volunteer at the Bread Basket. Hours of operation are every Tuesday and Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. There is always a need in helping distribute the food to families during the hours of operation. If you would like to donate your time to volunteer at the Bread Basket, please contact Barbara at 676-3699 or Marilynn at 676-5275.

Thank you for your continued support in helping the Bread Basket meet the food needs for our community.

Marilynn Tanner

Ronan

First Class Entertainment

They called it a “presidential debate.” I call it entertainment.

So goes the elevated level of U.S. political discussion among the allegedly grown-up group of people each seeking to be the most powerful leader in the world.

There was Ron Paul, his usual stoic and composed-self speaking logic and total reform of government. And Michele Bachmann, obviously assigned by “the group of seven” to blast away at Obama, regardless of what question might have been asked of her so those with half a chance to win the nomination could “do their thing.” That was a good strategy lest, in their extreme anger at each other, the American public not continue to be treated to more wild accusations against President Obama’s policies and leadership.

A few times, it was like watching Fox News with two or three people yelling at each other, interrupting each other, and all talking at the same time so nothing is understood by those listening. This is both news and entertainment at its worst, in my opinion. Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Greta Van Sustern and others do this all the time on Fox News.

All in all, though, I thought John King handled the ‘debate’ about as well as it could be handled. After all, this was at the Sands Expo, near the Las Vegas strip, one of playgrounds of the world filled with dreams, hopes, desperation, addictions to self-defeating behavior and first class entertainment.

Bob McClellan

Polson