Vets entry improvement planned

With a little help from the community, officials at the Montana State Veterans Home in Columbia Falls plan to renovate the home's entry as the final step in "Lighting a Soldier's Way Home."

Paul Vendetti, central business manager at the veterans home, said the new entry will change the crumbling brick sandstone to brick that matches the veterans home itself. It will also include a flower bed and memorial wall.

The bronze plaques honoring veteran service groups will remain on the upgraded entry.

"They'll have a prominent place," Vendetti said. "They do so much to support us."

Based on an estimate from a contractor, Vendetti has priced the masonry and memorial work at $11,000.

"We're short about $3,300," he said.

Vendetti said he hasn't found any records of when the entry wall was built. But he knows it was before 1980, when he joined the staff, and many seasons of freezing and thawing have taken their toll on the masonry.

"All the sandstone is just crumbling," he said.

Vendetti said a person can actually pull pieces of sandstone off the weakening structure.

The entry upgrade marks the third phase of a larger project which placed lights down the road leading to the veterans home complex. Vendetti said the lighting phase made a huge difference on the long drive.

"They're beautiful," he said. "They just lit the place up.

Prior to this work, the quarter-mile long road had no lights at all.

"Even if the moon was out, you didn't get any light," Vendetti said. "Now it's like driving down a city street. It's much safer."

Many people in the Columbia Falls community make use of the drive and sidewalks. Vendetti said people jog, bike and walk their dogs down the tree-lined drive.

As a result of city upgrades, sidewalks and bike paths lead people directly to the entry of the drive.

"So the community uses all of it," Vendetti said. "You see ladies pushing baby strollers."

Vendetti said community and staff contributions made the lighting phase possible. It involved laying wiring and erecting five light poles by each of the outdoor benches lining the drive.

A diverse mix of individuals and groups supported the project - from Flathead Electric's Roundup for Safety to individuals in a Flathead Valley AA group.

With safety a top priority, Vendetti used the dollars available to get the lighting installed. Because of the building boom in the Flathead, he had a tough time getting a bid for the entry gate upgrade.

"We finally got a guy who gave us a rough estimate of $10,000," he said.

Vendetti added an extra $1,000 since it was a rough estimate. The $11,000 projection left a shortfall of $3,300, even after the Montana State Veterans Home Memorial Foundation diverted $5,000 from another project to help out.

The entire project, including the lighting, will cost between $18,000 and $19,000. With help from the community, the home has come within striking distance of finishing "Lighting a Soldier's Way Home."

People who wish to donate should make out a check to the Montana Veterans' Home and send it to: Montana Veterans' Home Foundation, P.O. Box 250, Columbia Falls MT 59912.

Vendetti said the public can also drop off contributions at the home if they wish. Contributors can earmark their check for the entry project or just leave it open for the general benefit of the residents.

Vendetti said he often gets asked how much money is an acceptable donation.

"We have quite a few people who just give a dollar or two," he said. "There's nothing wrong with that. It's all appreciated.

Everyone who donates will receive credit, without distinction on the amount given, with a listing on the donor's sign. It will face the road just inside the new entry.

According to Vendetti, one of the goals of "Lighting a Soldier's Way Home" was to reunite the home with the community. He said the project has succeeded in meeting that goal.

"Without the community, we're not much good," Vendetti said.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com