Opinion
The August 4th Valley Journal published an article related to the collection of irrigation fees by the Lake County Treasurer’s Office. For decades the treasurer has collected those fees and distributed them to the districts upon demand. The Lake County Commissioners are considering ending this service due to the recent passage of the Montana Water Rights Protection Act. The article included numerous comments made by Janette Rosman, a member of the Flathead Irrigation District Board of Directors, and it is those comments that I feel need to be addressed. A common thread of Rosman’s comments is that the Resolution of Intent, adopted by the commissioners, caught her and the irri...
I have a question for you: When was the last time you sat down and watched a movie? The last time you watched an episode of a show? I don’t know about you, but the frequency I indulge in one is very different from the other. More broadly, I have noticed a similar trend amongst my peers with an overwhel...
Editor, I’m writing this letter to let Walmart in Polson know that what they did by opening their store at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 1, to the many residents who had evacuate their homes and property due to the Boulder 2700 fire up on Finley Point was awesome. Donating stuff to the evacuated peop...
Editor, As we approach the beginning of a new school year, many school districts in Montana are ignoring the recommendations of their local public health departments and local physicians regarding a mask mandate. I strongly believe that public schools should follow public health guidance. M...
Montanans used to joke that we had two distinct seasons: winter and road construction. Now we have three seasons: winter, road construction and fire season, and the latter is punctuated by searing temperatures and long dry spells brought on by a never-ending high-pressure system that stokes smoky weather and...
Our annual Summer Reading Program is nearing the end. Join us for our final program on Thursday, Aug. 5, at 10 a.m. in Sacajawea Park with Karen Duty of Hellroaring Kennels and the Mission Valley Animal Shelter. There will be adorable puppies and kittens to cuddle while you learn about how to properly care f...
In Montana private land elk hunting is moving toward 11 weeks for people who can pay thousands of dollars for trophy bulls, while others are left to hunt cows in deep snows and bitter cold when they’re struggling to survive the winter. That’s the proposal of the Gianforte administration,...
To the Mission and Jocko irrigators: this spring, water users were sent a note about the history of homesteading the Mission, Jocko, Camas Valleys, which is also a historic record about the Mission, Jocko, and Flathead irrigation districts involvement in securing liens on land that formed the districts and g...
Editor, Kudos to Gov. Gianforte for dedicating $31 million in ARPA funds to increasing availability of child care for working parents. These funds will be directed to grants to increase capacity and hours of service for existing day care businesses. The issue of child care is personal for us, as ...
As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, there’s a sense of relief and optimism that things will return to normal. Long-awaited family gatherings, birthday parties and graduation ceremonies are finally happening in person. Sporting events have fans in the stands, airports are busy, and we all ...
