Performing a Melita Island miracle

Last-minute generosity might push the Melita Island purchase project to success.

With just nine days left before a deal-ending deadline, an anonymous couple has contributed $1 million toward the purchase of the Flathead Lake island as a Boy Scout camp.

The campaign is now $200,000 shy of its goal of $1.5 million that will make the island a permanent place for Scouts.

Hundreds of smaller donations, too, have helped the Melita Island campaign that seemed hopeless recently.

Volunteers now hope the $1 million donation will prompt further generosity.

If you want to help push the fund-raiser over the top, contact Doug Anderson at (406) 721-7911.

The demand for rail services has led to a fairly sizable boost for Northwest Montana's economy.

It's certainly welcome news that Burlington Northern Santa Fe has boosted its work force: 200 new employees in Montana, 40 of them in Flathead County.

And these jobs are big economic boosters (the average railroad job pays $60,000 industrywide).

The railroad hiring is a solid indication of the health of the economy and the growing demand for rail service, since more than 40 trains a day are now rolling through Whitefish.

Speaking of Whitefish transportation, it's interesting (and somewhat surprising) to see some progress at last on revamping Big Mountain Road.

A project with soaring costs that has often been given up for dead, the road reconstruction has received new life with most of the right-of-way purchases completed.

Helped by increased land appraisals from the state, once-reluctant landowners now appear to have had changes of heart and will sell the land needed to improve the upper 1.7 miles of the road.

If all goes as planned, the $8.7 million project may go out to bid in 2007.

Three Western Montanans were appointed to top state jobs last week by Gov.-elect Brian Schweitzer.

Congratulations are in order for Jim Lynch of Kalispell, picked as director of the Montana Department of Transportation; and Bruce Measure of Kalispell and Rhonda Whiting of St. Ignatius, who were chosen as Montana's representatives on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

We have confidence these three will help represent our interests (and those of a wider constituency) in their new positions.