'Monster' publicity for Flathead

The Flathead Lake Monster remains elusive to monster watchers wanting a glimpse of the legendary lake creature, but its cartoon likeness is about to draw national attention to the Flathead. It's the namesake and logo for a line of gourmet soft drinks being marketed nationally by North American Beverage Co.

Marketers expect the mystique of the monster to generate soft-drink sales. While it's difficult to say how much spin-off the Flathead Valley will get from the new line of drinks, there's something to be said about name recognition, and the Flathead Lake Monster is about to get a lot it.

The idea that there may be some kind of prehistoric monster lurking in the lake is intriguing. The creature was reportedly first sighted by a steamboat captain in 1889, and numerous sightings have been documented since then.

Five years ago a Web site (www.monsterwatch.itgo.com) was set up to track monster sightings, and some of the tales are pretty compelling. Retired Army Maj. George Cote spotted the monster in 1985 and described it as "long as a telephone pole and twice as large in diameter. The skin of the creature was smooth and coal black; it had the perfect head of a serpent. There were from four to six humps sticking out of the water."

Fact or fiction? You decide, and enjoy a bottle of the new Flathead Lake Monster soda while you're at it.

Fathers get their annual tribute on Sunday. Steaks will sizzle on the barbecue grill, and dads will be doted on. There will be gifts - new neckties, power tools, fishing and camping gear, the usual father fare.

Lucky dads get a day off from household chores and may even sneak in an uninterrupted afternoon snooze.

Father's Day is a holiday of simple traditions aimed at giving Dad his due. But it's also an opportunity to go beyond the time-honored message of "Thanks, Dad," and share some meaningful moments with your father, stepfather or others who helped shape your life. Tell them why they mean so much to you. Tell them they're loved unconditionally. Those are the gifts that last a lifetime.

Last year Libby got some bad news when the Environmental Protection Agency put it on a pollution list for having too much microscopic soot in the air.

This week there was good news on the air-quality front, with $1 million in wood-burning stoves, chimneys and service to be given away in Libby.

A cooperative effort by state and federal agencies and the stove industry will help install clean-burning stoves for hundreds of low-income Libby households.

That should help clear the air.