Thursday, June 29
Hundred year beer can
Do you believe an aluminum beer can could lay beside the road for a hundred years?
Bigfork Eagle letter from the editor
Farewell, Bigfork
James G. "Jim" Walter
James G. "Jim" Walter, 77, "went to be with the Lord" on June 25, 2006, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He will be remembered by his family and friends as a very loving and caring man. Jim was born Sept. 21, 1928, in Froid, Mont. to Joseph and Inez (Tunison) Walter. Jim died at his home in Bigfork.
James Robert Clark, Jr.
Jimmy was taken from us unexpectedly on June 25 doing what he loved—helping people.
Wednesday, June 28
Louise Phillips
Louise A. Phillips, 76, went home to be with our Lord and Savior on June 2, 2006.
Elsie Robinson
Elsie May Robinson, 88, passed away peacefully of natural causes on June 7, 2006, at her home in Whitefish.
Saying goodbye
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of Big Mountain Tire Store in Whitefish.
4th of July tourney draws 'scratch' players
Fourth of July Tournament
Jacob Lee
Jacob Randall Lee, 19, died Saturday, June 24, 2006, in Eureka from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Thanks, Stacy Oil
My wife and I moved to Whitefish in September of 1981, having vacationed here each summer and winter (Eastern Montana was just too windy). Our first credit application was for fuel delivery to our new home. George Stacy set the tone of Whitefish for us.
Whitefish basketball head coach resigns
Derek Schulz has resigned from his position as head coach of the Whitefish High School boys basketball team.
You can call me sandy
There's a lot of people out there who get a lot of satisfaction from working with wood. Wood boards. Wood spindles. Wooden Nickels. You name it.
Getting the 9/11 facts straight
I was disappointed to hear Conrad Burns get his facts wrong and slander our closest ally during the Tester-Burns debate in Whitefish. He repeated the discredited myth that two of the 9/11 terrorists "came out of Canada."
Park can
It's been a while since I've updated the public on the status of the public rest room facilities at the Kiddie Park. We've been successful in raising nearly $35,000, and we're now making a final push to raise the remaining $5000.
All star game
The Babe Ruth all-star team will take on the Glacier Twins' A team on June 29 at Memorial Field, starting at 7 p.m.
Citizen speaks with police
My name is Nick Ferring-ton, and as some of this community may know, I recently published and distributed petitions regarding the actions and activities of the Whitefish Police Department.
Lost Johnny Bridge will go in Friday
Hungry Horse News
Helber resigns as Twins AA coach
Hungry Horse News
Packer seriously hurt in odd accident in Glacier
A 60-year-old Mule Shoe Outfitter packer returning from Granite Park Chalet Tuesday was seriously injured when one of the propane tanks he was hauling apparently released some gas, spooking the pack train on the Loop Trail.
James Kane
James Thomas Kane, 79, a longtime Whitefish area resident, passed away of natural causes at the North Valley Hospital on June 23, 2006.
Glacier Twins head coach resigns
Jack Helber, the head coach of the Glacier Twins AA American Legion baseball team, resigned from his position last week, citing personal reasons.
Park visitation down, but picking up with better weather
Hungry Horse News
Harold Dalen
Harold Arne "Buz" Dalen Jr., 56, passed away Jan. 31, 2006, in Albany, Mo., from cancer of the larynx.
Wednesday, June 21
Dennis Poncelet
Dennis Jeffrey Poncelet was carried home by the angels on Friday, June 16, 2006, following a tragic electrical accident.
Ronald Dodge
Ronald W. "Ron - Ronnie" Dodge, 19, of Columbia Falls, passed away in Billings on June 13, 2006, as the result of a vehicle accident.
Aleen Chestnut
Aleen B. Chestnut, a resident of the Flathead Valley, died June 13, 2006, in Whitefish. She was born June 6, 1916, in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, daughter of Henry and Viola Byington. She graduated from high school in Lava Hot Springs in 1934. She attended the University of Idaho in Moscow and graduated in 1939. Upon graduation, she married John H. Chestnut and moved to his hometown of Havre.
Toole challenges Taylor to debates
To Mike Taylor,
Twins AA team places second
For the Hungry Horse News
Thanks for pizza
Thanks to the couple who treated us to our dinner at the Pizza Hut Wednesday.
Wilderness in good shape, Spotted Bear, South Fork rivers are actually fishable
Hungry Horse News
Whitefish Lake Run scheduled for Saturday
It's time to lace up the running shoes.
Guest opinion
Don't kill the goose that laid the housing egg
A, um, (un) balanced life
So at any rate I was wandering around the other day on the edge of this wet meadow and there were two deer laying out there watching me.
Letters to the Editor
Team work
Cecil Rhodes
Cecil M. "Dusty" Rhodes passed away at home on June 6, 2006. The oldest of four children, he was born in Havre on June 7, 1919, to Leroy E. and Jeanne Maris Rhodes.
Trails Day success
On behalf of the Whitefish Bike and Pedestrian Committee, we would like to convey our sincere appreciation and gratitude to everyone for attending National Trails Day and the dedication of the Burlington Northern Loop section of the trail. It could not have happened without the help of many people who share our belief that our trail system is an important part of our community.
Paul Kent
Paul Dickson Kent passed away June 8, 2006, at Kalispell Regional Medical Center of head injuries sustained in a bicycle accident. His wife Sheri (Rosie) and her sister Mary Hartman, daughter Alice, grandson Shane and son-in-law Bill Madsen were at his side.
To serve and be protected
The theft of 26.5 million veterans' personal data from the Department of Veterans' Affairs is extremely serious, and I urge all Montana veterans to personally protect themselves. The immediate action is to notify any of the three national credit reporting agencies-Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion- and report an "Initial Fraud Alert." This places a "flag" on your credit file, and alerts credit grantors to verify your identity before establishing new credit in your name. The "flag" is automatically reported to the other two credit reporting agencies.
Twins A team wins doubleheader
For the Hungry Horse News
'Exploring' the wetlands
Local news just before the Memorial Day weekend is that a group called "Friends of Wisconsin Avenue Wetlands" proposes to raise money to buy and save the swamp that's proposed as part of the Lake Cabins and Boardwalk development.
Dreaming sounds
There was a mountain near my grandma's ranch where we kids used to ride our saddle horses. The Northern Pacific ran through the deep canyons of the Clark Fork and Flathead rivers to the south, so if the wind was right we could hear the haunting whistles of the big steam engines pulling their winding loads of passengers and freight to mysterious and faraway places like Chicago or Seattle. I often daydreamed about the magic lands beyond our mountains…where those trains went; but to a kid of the depression 1930s, that seemed a dream with out much chance of coming true.
Golden Agers help needed
The Whitefish Golden Agers, your senior center, needs help. As our membership continues to become grayer, we need the volunteers of any age to continue to provide needed services to the senior community.
Park flooding slows Sun Road opening
Heavy rains last week forced Glacier National Park crews to delay road work on the west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road so they could concentrate on flood damage elsewhere in the Park.
Wednesday, June 14
Walter Day
Walter Day, 87 of Bigfork, died May 27, 2006.
From Tee to Green
Tournament of champions
Part-timers
Regarding the Whitefish Pilot article "Growth is inevitable, but major change is not."
Audubon trip
Join Flathead Audubon on Saturday, June 17, on a trip through a wide variety of bird habitats on the road to Tally Lake. Meet at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks building on 490 N. Meridian at 7 a.m. and return by 1 p.m. Bring binoculars. For more information, contact trip leader Bruce Tannehill at 862-4548. Everyone is welcome.
Stepping forward
I would like to express my appreciation to all of the Flathead County officials and employees who had the courage to step forward over the last 15 months to request my assistance in attempting to arrest the myriad of financial and managerial crises facing county government.
Columbia Falls gears up for swim season
This week the Columbia Falls swim team began practicing for this summer's meets.
Guest opinion
Congressional support critical for Glacier, local economy
Juanita Logan
Juanita Haney Logan, 98, passed away at Heritage Place in Kalispell the morning of June 5, 2006.
Miriam Murdock
Miriam Lee Murdock, 75, of Polson, passed away June 6, 2006, from natural causes at Evergreen Health and Rehabilitation Center.
Athletes report from California track meet
Taylor Ferda, Chris Hicks and the Whitefish High School track program would like to deeply thank the city of Whitefish and the businesses that so generously donated money to enable them to embark on such a special trip down to Sacramento, Calif.
DEQ recycling event successful
Thank you to the 127 Flathead Valley businesses, schools and individuals who dropped off used electronics at the CollEctronics Event in Whitefish on May 26-27 at The Wave.
Gary Morin
Gary Alan Morin, 61, devoted father, partner and friend, passed away June 9, 2006, surrounded by his loved ones after a long and courageous battle with colon cancer. Throughout this journey, his hope and character remained steadfast and strong.
Velma Muhleman
Velma Muhleman, 88, of Bigfork passed away in peace at her home Monday, May 29, 2006, after a very long illness. She was surrounded by her daughters and husband.
Four Columbia Falls athletes qualify for state rodeo
Hungry Horse News
Tourist season
National Park Service officials today confirmed reports of the shooting of two tourists in Yellowstone Park early this season. The shootings were authorized under a newly implemented policy to protect bears.
Getting involved
We want to thank the neighbors around Soroptimist Park for their enthusiasm and interest in helping to create a pesticide-free park in their neighborhood. Several residents, of a variety of ages, recently attended an informal gathering in the park to hear a vision of what could happen.
Letters to the Editor
Have a seat
Paul Kent
Paul Dickson Kent, 77, of Whitefish, died June 8, 2006 at Kalispell Regional Medical Center due to head injuries from a bicycle accident.
Congressional support critical for Glacier,
local economy
Thanks for votes
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me in the primary for House District 6.
Roger Frampton
Roger Milton Frampton, 60, passed away at Kalispell Regional Medical Center on June 5, 2006, due to complications from surgery.
Wednesday, June 7
A grad night to remember
On behalf of the Whitefish High School Class of 2006, a huge thank you to our community, including Whitefish, Kalispell and Columbia Falls, your generosity was overwhelming.
Good year for PTA
On behalf of the Whitefish PTA board of directors, we want to thank all our volunteers for their countless hours of dedication to the PTA this year.
Robert "Bob" Ross Gordon
Robert "Bob" Ross Gordon, "our wonderful Dad, Papa, Brother and Uncle," passed away at Evergreen Hospice in Kirkland, Wash., on May 21, 2006, after a short battle with brain cancer. He joins his beloved wife, Donna, who preceded him in death in October 2000.
Chandler Melton / Whitefish Pilot
During the 110-pound bout, Columbia Falls sophomore Clayton Patterson, right, bloodies Whitefish's Phillip Murphy. Patterson won the three-round fight. Whitefish won the event, beating Columbia Falls 7-4.
Football camp June 20-22
Wildcat Football Camp is scheduled for June 20-22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. The camp is designed for all students entering first through eighth grade in the fall of 2006.
Bigfork Eagle editorial
Wake up
From tee to green
Has the game of golf improved since the days of wooden clubs, hickory shafts and feather filled balls? The answer depends on whom you talk to about the changes.
Park plows nearing the end of the line
Glacier Park plowing crews have made it through the Big Drift on the Going-to-the-Sun Highway and are now down to bare pavement, said Dave Dahlen, Park Chief of Interpretation on Tuesday.
Wilbur Lee
Wilbur "Bill" Lee, 82, passed away May 31, 2006, at Brendan House in Kalispell.
Muldown thanks
Every year, Muldown Elementary students benefit from tremendous community support for our Health Enhancement program. This winter, the Big Mountain Ski Club again made a large donation to cover the transportation costs for our third- and fourth-grade ski and snowboard lesson day on The Big Mountain.
Geri L. Crosswhite
Geri L. Crosswhite, 68, entered into eternal rest on Saturday, May 27, 2006, at Brendan House in Kalispell, after a long, courageous battle with Lupus and most recently cancer.
Patrick Dryden named head football coach
Patrick Dryden wears many hats — and now he has one more to put on.
Mr. Mom
So on a perfectly beautiful evening there I was watching this woodpecker feed its young while a horde of mosquitoes fed on me.
High school inducts six into Hall of Fame
Columbia Falls High School recently announced that six graduating athletes have been inducted into the high school's Hall of Fame.
Food drive success
The Flathead Food Bank's five countywide pantries — in Kalispell, Evergreen, Columbia Falls, Martin City and Bigfork — received about 14,400 pounds of food during the May 13 Letter Carriers Food Drive.
Letters to the Editor
So many to thank
Bear Spray for turkeys
This is the wild turkey mating season. At least that is what it seemed like last week along Whitefish Stage where I saw four gobblers strutting their stuff. Don't forget that earlier this year we had several reports of local people being threatened by the male gobblers. One man from Columbia Falls told me about being chased around his pickup on Hilltop Road by a "really mean one."
Geri Crosswhite
Geri L. Crosswhite, 68, entered into eternal rest on May 27, 2006, at Brendan House in Kalispell, after a long, courageous battle with lupus and most recently cancer.
Molly Strong
Molly Strong, beloved mother, grandmother, daughter, friend and unforgettable Flathead Valley character, left this dimension on May 30, 2006, after suffering respiratory failure.
Dogs edge Cats in smoker
The Whitefish Bulldogs edged the Columbia Falls Wildcats in the annual Cat/Dog Smoker Monday night. The boxing matches raise money each year for the Glacier Twins.
Bill Gress
A memorial service will be held for Bill Gress on June 9, 2006, beginning at 6 p.m. Call 881-2222 for directions.
Meehan posts resounding win
With 17,051 ballots cast, Flat-head County voters picked a new sheriff on Tuesday. Undersheriff Mike Meehan easily defeated his two opponents, taking more than 55 percent of the votes in the Republican primary.
