We in Whitefish are very fortunate for numerous things. One thing that constantly amazes me is the ability of the community to work together to accomplish projects that enhance our quality of life.

From the O'Shaughnessy Center to the Ice Den to The Wave and on and on, Whitefish is a small town with great amenities made possible by big-hearted people.

One of our more recent achievements is the renovated Kiddie Park on Central Avenue. Whitefish Rotary Club initiated this project and, with additional contributions from the city, they built a fantastic place for our children to play.

With all the additional families frequenting the park, the lack of a public restroom (Dr. Beach's office is currently the de facto public restroom) has become a critical issue for those with tiny accident-prone bladders and their parents.

Along with families, a public restroom would serve (no pun intended) tennis players in Riverside Park and the general public.

One would typically expect a public restroom to cost at least $100,000. I recall reading about an effort to install one in a Columbia Falls park several years ago, and, if memory serves me right, that was the going price. It's an insane amount, no matter how bad you need to go.

The purpose of this letter is to once again ask for community support for the building of a restroom. The good news is that it will be cheaper than all of the recent community projects. The total cost will be approximately $35,000 installed.

The Whitefish Rotary Club has agreed to coordinate this project and will contribute a sizable donation toward the project. The city will donate all the necessary infrastructure (water and sewer installation).

I'm asking Whitefish residents to contribute toward our goal of $35,000 by sending a check to "Gotta Go", c/o Rotary Club of Whitefish, P.O. Box 1845, Whitefish MT 59937.

Any amount is appreciated, and donations are tax deductible. If everyone who uses the park contributes $10, I think we'll have enough money to build the restroom by next spring.

So, if you've ever been out of reach of a toilet and felt at the time that you'd pay a king's ransom to use one, here's your chance to end that worry at the Kiddie Park.

Thanks in advance for caring enough to make our great community even better. If you have questions, you can contact me at 862-1171.

Doug Adams

Whitefish

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