Use surplus for CASA

Tucked away in that huge state budget proposal is a request that would make over $370,000 dollars available to help fund the operations of our states’ 15 local CASA organizations serving nearly a thousand endangered kids who have been victims of abuse and/or neglect.

CASA? What the heck is that? Do they build houses for the abused? No, definitely not— in this case CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. There are more than 400 such volunteers handling cases right now in this state. These CASAs are indeed the child’s advocate. They are assigned to guide this endangered and usually quite traumatized child through a maze of sudden assaults on his or her psyche. They try to befriend and assist the child to cope as his or her parents are given the opportunity to change their behavior and become loving, safe and secure home providers, or, if they do not, insure that the child finds a secure and loving home elsewhere.

CASAs make an enormous difference; they are unpaid volunteers, trained and guided by professionals and doing a job that would otherwise cost the state far more. That $370,000 will enable us to continue the good work CASAs are now doing for these vulnerable children, which of course is certainly better than the status quo before CASA organizations came on the scene. But sadly that level of funding only enables CASAs to work with about half of the children who so desperately need such services in our state.

I think we can and should do better than that. My personal goal and that of every CASA volunteer is to provide a trained CASA for every child in this state who enters the system within the next five years. Studies show that kids who enter the system are fifty percent more likely to avoid welfare or the penal system in the future if they have a CASA helping them along the way. So why not double the figure and cover them all? You and I, all of us working together with our legislatures can make that happen. It would amount to a mere $740,000 over two years, a bargain by any measurement. Why that doesn’t even amount to a buck a citizen per year.

The CASA office phone number in this county is 755-7208 and the number for statewide info is 866 863 2272. Call if you have any questions or wish to become a volunteer or make a private donation. But most of all contact your legislator and tell him you not only support the proposal in the budget but would prefer to see it doubled for our endangered children.

Don Clark

CASA Volunteer

Bigfork

Thanks for supporting speech

On Saturday, January 13th Bigfork High School hosted its first Speech, Debate, and Drama meet in three years.

Many people do not know what goes into hosting this type of event, nor did I when I set out as the head coach to do so. I will abstain from writing about the paperwork, or logic problems, or organizational concerns with bringing nine schools together to compete in fifteen different events, not because I am humble and do not wish for credit but because the effort I put forth would have been useless without that of the kids, the school, and the community of Bigfork.

I was humbled to see the support that this event received. From past coaches helping to organize and judge, to teachers taking their Saturday to come back to the school to observe, evaluate, and write comments for kids they may not even know. I am from Detroit, Michigan originally, and while our school and our local community were significantly larger it was very difficult to obtain community support for our kids. This is not true for Bigfork. Over 60 people in the area generously donated their Saturday to come to our school and help make our meet a success.

It didn’t just make me look good, which was nice, it showed the kids and coaches from other schools all over Western Montana that the Village of Bigfork takes ownership of its school, and is fully behind the education of its children. Thank you for your support.

Charlie Appleby

Bigfork

Potoczny an ideal spot for library

As someone who helped set up the first (I think) library in downtown Bigfork, I would like to comment on the location for a new library. In my opinion Potoczny Park would make an ideal location.A library with an adjacent playground and some open space for picnics or outdoor education programs sounds like a wonderful way to use that park. The property isn’t being used by much of the community now. Also,the day when kids could walk easily and safely to a library in Bigfork is long gone. If the park is used for this purpose, why not name the new library after Joe. After all Mr. Potoczny was an educator.

Marcia Peck