New home, same healing mission

It was an emotional day on Thursday for the staff of North Valley Hospital, and with good reason. Early that morning, the new $30 million hospital campus in south Whitefish finally opened after five long years of planning and fundraising.

Closing down the 36-year-old facility near downtown Whitefish was bittersweet for some, but both the hospital staff and the public now agree that it was high time for a new hospital in the growing resort community.

The 82,352-square-foot building is the fourth hospital to serve Whitefish during the town's 102-year history. It's equipped to provide health care in the North Valley for a long, long time.

Let the healing begin, and congratulations Whitefish.

Virginia and Charlie Crawford also had an emotional day when the adoption of their five great-grandchildren was finalized a week ago. This story of selfless love has drawn national attention. When unfortunate family circumstances forced the children into foster care, the Crawfords stepped up and agreed to adopt all five siblings, ages 3 to 7.

Virginia, who raised her own children and helped her son, a widower, raise his children, said her Christian faith will help with the challenges of raising her third family. Living quarters in their 1963 trailer with an add-on are tight, "but I'm not complaining, she said. "I'm happy to have it."

In our self-absorbed society, this kind of love and generosity is not only heart-warming, but extraordinary.

It's always a relief to report good news, but especially when it involves a happy outcome to a seemingly hopeless case.

It was certainly starting to look hopeless last week when a North Carolina boy wandered away from his Boy Scout troop during a campout and was missing for four days.

But Michael Auberry was finally found after an intensive search.

Two important lessons come to mind. First of all, Boy Scout training helped the 12-year-old boy to keep his wits about him and to give him the best chance to survive. He found water, created makeshift shelter for himself during the cold nights, and stayed alert. Good for him, and good for the Scouts.

Secondly, "dumb animals" aren't so dumb - they just don't talk. Gandalf, the search dog who helped locate Auberry, is just one of many search and rescue dogs in the country which help authorities on a number of missions. We may not see him on "Oprah," but Gandalf is a hero just the same.