Letters to the editor

Rescued

I am writing to give a huge thank you to the Lake County Search and Rescue team that was called out to “save our ship” the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 30.

A group of eight of us that vacation in Polson each summer set out for our annual trip to Bigfork on our pontoon boat. Upon our return we ended up going the wrong way around Wild Horse Island and ultimately ran out of gas. On board with us were two children and my infant son. You can imagine my distress as the sun was setting and lightning started to flash in the distance.

Thank God for cell phones; we were able to reach your dispatch office who referred us to a tow service. Unfortunately the gentleman who answered our call was in Missoula for the night and was not going to be able to help us. We called dispatch again, who without hesitation called out the SAR team.

In no time their boat arrived, got a few of us on board to warm up, and towed us back to our dock in Polson. The situation was complicated by us not being able to recognize which bay was ours in the dark. The SAR team patiently lead us bay-to-bay until we correctly identified the home we were staying in. I wish I had gotten all of their names so I could recognize each of them, but instead I’ll just thank the team.

We come from a tiny tourism-driven mountain town in New Mexico that most people describe as “Heaven.” Upon my return from Montana someone asked, “if you live in paradise, where do you vacation?” My face lit up as I described how incredible Polson and Flathead Lake are. We truly enjoy your community and hospitality and look forward to our trip again next year. Now we know that if we’re ever in trouble again there is a tremendous team there to help us out.

Kudos to the Lake County Search and Rescue team and to each of you for employing such reliable and gracious folks.

See you next year.

Rebecca H. Latham

Red River, N.M.

Fly-in success

The annual Polson fly-in was a huge success. Sixty-six planes flew in and breakfast was served to over 300 people.

In addition to having 66 fellow pilots fly to Polson for the event, the fly-in was made even more successful because so many people from the community came to the airport, viewed the planes, talked with the owners and learned how important the airport is to the Polson community and surrounding area.

This shows visitors that Polson is a welcoming community. When visitors feel welcome, they are more likely to return for a longer stay. The fly-in is one of those events that extends the visitor season beyond the traditional three summer months.

I would like to say thanks for the support of the Polson Chamber of Commerce, the Polson merchants who donated items for the beautiful raffle basket, plus a donated frames print, the Polson businesses that supported the live KERR radio broadcast from the airport, the Polson Cheerleaders who helped serve the breakfast and sell raffle tickets and all the local pilots and their families who helped make the fly-in a community success.

Chuck Jarecki

Polson

Call me Lazarus

I would like to belatedly thank a number of people — most of whom I’ve never met — who saved my life June 3.

On that day, I was wheeling my bride, Penelope, who’d had surgery on her broken ankle the day before, around the block in a wheelchair near St. Joseph Hospital. While returning to the hospital, Penelope said I made a funny noise; the wheelchair stopped; and she looked around and saw me lying on the ground.

According to her account, four people in the parking lot near Polson Health and Rehabilitation Center above her, left their vehicle and came to help. An RN from the center also ran to the scene and began CPR. Someone called the ambulance which responded as did Karen Sergeant (I just learned this a couple of days ago) who was at the hospital.

The “readers’ digest” version of the story is that completely without any warning, I suffered atrial fibrillation; the heart went into tachycardia and failed. I was dead. Apparently, the RN and the paramedics started my heart several times before the ER shipped me off to Kalispell and later, Spokane. I was there, “repaired” and released a week later and back in Polson more than a week before my bride was released from St. Joseph. She is just beginning to walk completely on her own.

I’m sorry to have waited so long to gratefully and humbly thank all those who were involved in rescuing me and mine from oblivion. I wish I knew all your names so that I could personally shake you hands.

Call me Lazarus,

Glenn Timm

Polson

Greatly appreciated

Polson Loaves and Fish Food Pantry was the recent recipient of a most timely and gracious gift of meat from Glacier Bank. This meat donation was most welcome as the communities need for assistance is increasing significantly.

Glacier donated half of a pig and half of a steer to our local pantry. The animals were purchased by Glacier Bank from local 4-H members at the County Fair. What a real community gift, helping our local 4-H youth gain an appreciation of the fruits-of-their-labor and helping some of our other neighbors put protein on the table.

Our Polson community is experiencing a greater need for food assistance as the local economy continues to be struggling.

The number of folks seeking assistance from the Polson Food Pantry has grown appreciably since the beginning of 2009.

Any individuals, companies, or organizations with the ability to donate food or cash to assist our neighbors in need would be greatly appreciated by the clients, volunteers, and the board of Loaves and Fish.

The Polson Loaves and Fish Food Pantry is open to serve clients/those in need on Tuesdays and Fridays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Saturday mornings between 9 a.m. and noon.

A special thanks once again to Glacier Bank for providing the Polson Community with a helping hand!

Merle Parise

Polson

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