Veterans 'wall' is a striking tribute

Their names stand out for all to see on polished, black granite slabs at Marantette Park in Columbia Falls.

The 94 names of veterans alive and dead span six different wars and are a testament to service in defense of the country.

The new veterans wall was dedicated on Memorial Day in Columbia Falls - an apt place considering not only the proximity of the Montana Veterans Home but also because of the many people from Columbia Falls who have done their duty in the armed forces over the years.

It's a striking monument that pays deserved tribute not just to fallen soldiers but also to living veterans.

The veterans - and the community - can thank Vietnam veteran Bill Schulte for spearheading the effort to construct the monument. His efforts, as well as those of the volunteers who helped him, have been rewarded with the gleaming reminder of the sacrifices of those in uniform.

Thank goodness! The Forest Service has come to its senses and will allow air tankers back into service to fight wildfires this summer.

The old fixed-wing aircraft such as P2Vs and P-3 Orions are the warhorses of the campaign to drop fire retardant on blazes to either control their growth or even to help stamp them out before they really get started.

Of course, there is some risk in flying the aircraft, but the companies that own them and the pilots who fly them already know that. They also know they are putting themselves in danger just by flying above the raging firestorms.

But they do so because they know just how important the job is. We are glad the Forest Service now agrees.

Of course, these tankers will be inspected regularly to make sure they remain air-worthy. That would have been done in any case. No one wants the air crews to take unnecessary risks, but we also need to realize that when forest fires are burning we are all in harm's way.

Congratulations to the Flathead High School Bravettes track team, which returned to the top of Class AA ranks with a state championship on Saturday.

The Bravettes, propelled by individual championships by several seniors, took back the championship trophy after a couple of seasons of second-place finishes.

And kudos are due in a different sport - tennis - to Danni Paulson of Whitefish, who continued her dominance on the court with her second straight Class A individual championship. Paulson's title capped another undefeated season for the Whitefish junior, who has yet to lose a high school match.