Let's build neighborhoods

This evening, I was lucky enough to hear Mark Crowley, Democratic candidate for Flathead County commissioner, speak. His grasp of the growth issues facing our valley is unmatched.

Mark studied city planning in college and earned his degree from the College of Engineering at Ohio State University. He served as senior planner for not only Flathead County but also Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Whitefish.

Mark is one of only a few certified floodplain managers in Montana and is active at the state level through the Association of Montana Floodplain Managers. He is a director of Rails to Trails of Northwest Montana and has been instrumental in building public access trails around the Flathead Valley.

Mark has served with the Smith Valley Volunteer Fire Department and has firsthand knowledge of the dangers that poor planning can have on our neighborhoods.

As the construction manager for the City of Kalispell, he is used to going toe-to-toe with the development community to get things done right. Mark wants to challenge developers to do better.

He caught my attention when he said, "Let's build neighborhoods that get better with age, not soulless roads whose best days are in the dust behind them."

Join me in voting for Mark on Nov. 7. Let's bring respect and foresight back to the county commissioners office.

Dianne Grove

Whitefish