Making sure every vote counts

The power of one vote wasn't underestimated last week at the Flathead County Election Department. When Sandra Janney moved to the Flathead two years ago, she registered to vote, as many do, at the Department of Motor Vehicles when applying for her Montana driver's license.

But when Janney went to election headquarters to vote absentee the Friday before the election, she was told that there was no record of her voter registration. Department clerk Judy Stack checked for her registration by name and by birth date, and then called the DMV but nothing surfaced.

Unfortunately, Janney was turned away and left the headquarters disappointed. Stack continued to research the issue after Janney left and called the Helena DMV to see if they had any information. The Helena office was able to confirm Janney had registered to vote, but the Election Department hadn't received the required form notifying the department.

After the confirmation, Janney received a call two hours later from Flathead County Election Headquarters informing her she would be able to vote after all.

In a letter to the Inter Lake Janney wrote, "Thanks to everyone at the Kalispell headquarters for your thoroughness. I am confident that here in Flathead County every vote counts."

And when Stack heard that Janney had indeed voted she said, "Great! I'm just so pleased we could help her."

A few more local kids got their "wheels" lately thanks to the Kalispell Kiwanis Noon Club and the Flathead County health department. The club recently bought 15 abandoned or unclaimed bicycles from the Kalispell Police Department.

Members then saw to it they were repaired and reconditioned from the reflectors down to the tires, using plenty of their own elbow grease and hiring Wheaton's for the bigger jobs, says vice president Mark Munsinger, who also gives a nod to Wal-Mart for donating some of the needed bike parts to the project.

Dan Dickman, public health nurse who is also a Kiwanis member and a Big Brother, was instrumental in getting kids hooked up with their own bikes. Big Brothers Big Sisters identified some families in need, and the bikes were delivered.

Lynette Van Aken who works for the Helmet Safety Program at the health department, then properly fitted everyone for a helmet who needed one, and the Kiwanis bought those as well.

"The Kiwanis mission is to help children," says club president Rick Cunningham. "And that what's makes living in a community special. We can help."

The Kiwanis hope to make the program ongoing, said Dickman, who said the project was a lot of fun and that seeing how pleased the children were with their bikes made it all the more worthwhile. To generate funding, the club is raffling off a mountain bike. Look for it at Norm's News in the near future and buy a raffle ticket so kids can keep putting power to the pedal.

For more information about the Kiwanis Club, call Mark Munsinger at 756-7470 or Rick Cunningham at 261-2767.