Take precautions when building home

We recently had another story about folks who were apparently victimized by a contractor.

This is a story that is all too familiar, and merits some follow-up advice:

-Hire a local contractor with local references. There are many reputable builders in the Flathead who would be happy for the work, and you can be sure they will do the job they advertise.

-Don't give your contractor a blank check. There are plenty of builders who can be trusted with your money, but there are also plenty of folks who have been corrupted by easy access to money. Better to be safe than sorry.

-Remember that you can't trust everyone who seems like a fine fellow. The reason they call them con men is because they bring you into their confidence and then gain yours - only to betray you.

Building a home is the culmination of a lifetime dream for many, and is often the biggest investment they will ever make. Thus, it should be done thoughtfully and cautiously. And considering how nearly every aspect of modern life is regulated, it might be reasonable for the Legislature to impose some kind of requirements on the building industry to help protect consumers in the future.

Teams in Class A basketball ought to have learned by now what happens when playing Columbia Falls in a tight championship game: The Wildcats win.

On Saturday night - for the third time in four years - the Class A title tilt came down to frantic final seconds.

And once again, Columbia Falls prevailed.

On Saturday a free throw with .9 seconds left gave the Wildcats a 51-50 championship-game win over Frenchtown.

This echoes recent history: Last year Columbia Falls hit a basket with 2.7 seconds left to defeat Butte Central 52-50 for the trophy. And in 2003 the Wildcats hit four free throws in the final 27 seconds of overtime to take a 53-47 triumph over Billings Central and win it all in Class A.

All those close calls and frantic finishes add up to an impressive collection of top trophies for Columbia Falls. Congratulations to the Wildcat players, coaches and supporters.

CONRAD MANSION has a good friend in the Kalispell Noon Rotary Club. Rotarians have embraced the museum and historical site as an ongoing project and are now helping raise money to maintain the expansive gardens at the mansion.

Club members also are involved in an effort to create an endowment fund to ensure the gardens remain cared for in perpetuity.

And to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Rotary International a year ago, the Noon Club spent more than $7,000 repairing the original drystack rock wall surrounding the mansion's gardens.

The late Sam Bibler, a Rotarian who led the effort to renovate the mansion's overgrown gardens in the mid-1970s, would be proud to see his fellow Rotarians carrying on what he began.

Kalispell should be proud, too, of the Rotary Club's dedication to what is a crown jewel in the community.