Bigfork church off to good start

Pope John Paul II had a special place in the hearts of Catholics and non-Catholics across the world - and now he will have a special place in Bigfork named for him.

Bigfork's new church will be named Pope John Paul II Church, making it one of the first in the world to be named for the popular prelate who died a month ago.

The new church will serve a combination of St. Anne's and St. Catherine's parishes in Somers and Bigfork, respectively.

Let's hope the late pope's legacy of bringing people together will be a good harbinger for the new combined parish.

Tuesday's school election in the Flathead Valley was a very low-key affair since there were only a handful of levy or trustee issues to be decided.

It's a credit to many school district leaders that they did not seek more money from the taxpayers so soon after receiving an increase in state funding.

It was particularly noteworthy that Kalispell trustees - mindful of the $51 million in bonds approved by voters last year - withdrew more than $400,000 in levy requests.

Col. David Hackworth, a former Whitefish resident, died this week at age 74 and the nation will sorely miss his blunt honesty and his creative analysis of American foreign and military policy.

Hackworth was one of the most decorated soldiers of the Vietnam War, and his vast experience there gave him huge credibility when he became a war critic in the early 1970s.

After a successful career in Australia following his retirement from the Army, Hackworth returned to the United States and became a respected author and an advocate for the soldiers in the field.

His legacy of fighting, writing, dissent and leadership makes him a one-of-a-kind American hero worthy of one last salute.

So what do you say about Jennifer Wilbanks that she hasn't already heard from every stand-up comedian in the country?

The so-called "Runaway Bride" has some 'splaining to do. That's for sure. Her escapade not only cost searchers as much as $60,000, it also cost her parents and fiance immeasurable emotional grief as they pictured her dead and worried about their own futures.

No one is going to cry if this 32-year-old woman has to pay the piper, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that any money she expends on restitution will be a drop in the bucket compared to the book deals, movie deals and endless publicity she will have for years to come.

We'd complain about the injustice of it all, but frankly, we don't give a damn.