School and city issues do matter

The latest school district to take steps to keep up with the phenomenal growth in our area is Somers.

A mail election under way now asks voters to approve $7.125 million in bonds to finance construction of a new middle-school building.

If approved, the facility would house students in grades six through eight. The existing building on campus would be retained to house fourth- and fifth-graders, thus freeing up space in the strained Lakeside Elementary School.

Of course, all this comes with a cost to taxpayers. A home valued at $250,000 would see taxes increase by $273 each year during the life of the 20-year bonds. We can't tell voters whether they can afford the extra tax payment, but we would encourage everyone to ask whether the community can allow its schools to grow crowded at a time when education is more and more competitive.

GROWTH IS a central theme in this year's city elections, too.

It's a pivotal time in the valley, and contested races are on in Kalispell and Whitefish. Residents in those communities have a civic duty to study the candidates and determine who will work for the common good.

Whitefish is in the midst of its first mail-ballot election for mayor and three City Council seats. Kalispell and Columbia Falls voters also head to the polls on Tuesday, though Columbia Falls is poised to elect a slate of uncontested incumbents.

Please, don't forget to vote.

Whether kicking or striding, Whitefish athletes have shown they are the class of the state.

In the past two weeks, the Whitefish boys won the Class A state soccer championship and the Whitefish girls won the Class A state cross-country trophy.

The soccer Bulldogs, after defeating Libby in the title game, ran their undefeated streak to 30 games and chalked up their second-straight unblemished season and state championship (Meanwhile the Lady Bulldogs earned a second-place finish in girls soccer).

The Whitefish girls were just as dominant on the cross-country course, putting five girls in the top 17 for a whopping 96-point advantage over second-place Hamilton.

These are heady times for Whitefish High School sports - and the success streak may not be over, since the Lady Bulldogs volleyball team enters tournament play this week as the three-time defending state champion.