Is Flathead waste deep in people?

Are there more of us here in the valley than we think?

A novel population estimate approach says there might be.

By looking at garbage production and electrical hookups, Myrt Webb has concluded that the real population of Flathead County is close to 113,000, compared to the Census Bureau's "official" estimate of 81,217.

That's quite a disparity, although anyone who has to navigate our increasingly busy valley may not doubt that there are many more of us than there used to be.

The waste-production numbers are particularly interesting. Webb found that per-capita waste production (based on Census Bureau population and landfill records) here jumped 36 percent from 1998 to 2004.

Crunching the numbers on that garbage growth leads to the conclusion that the actual population is almost 113,000.

So if you believe Webb's figures, those crowds on the roads and in the stores may be explained by a bigger-than-expected population here.

Either that or we are just outdoing ourselves in producing trash.

Few things brighten a child's demeanor as much as a toy at Christmas - particularly a child without much else waiting for him or her under the tree.

Locally, as many as 1,200 children may benefit from Christmas generosity through the Toys for Tots program.

Members of the Flathead Valley Detachment and Auxiliary of the Marine Corps League are involved in their annual enterprise of bringing Christmas cheer to children.

You can help out by dropping off toys at a variety of sites across the Flathead Valley or donating cash to boost the toy drive.

To help out, call coordinator John Olsen at 257-4043.

On a more somber note, we turn to the recently completed civil trial against Dick Dasen Sr.

Dasen was found liable for assault and battery against a girl who was just 16 years old when Dasen paid her to engage in sexual activity.

Jurors said Dasen should pay the girl $200,000 in compensatory damages for the trauma and injuries she suffered. It also awarded her $2 million in punitive damages, meaning they wanted to send a message to Dasen and other would-be predators: "This is unacceptable behavior; stay away from our children."

The judge may later decide to lessen the damages, but the message has already been sent. We hope it gets heard by the right people.