In memory of Allison: Safety first

Inter Lake editorial

It was a fitting tribute bestowed on Monday when the roundabout at the intersection of West Reserve Drive and Stillwater Road was dedicated in memory of Allison Fifield.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Montana Director of Transportation Jim Lynch plus family and friends were on hand for the unusual dedication.

It was at that intersection - back when it was governed only by a pair of stop signs - that Allison died at age 16 when her car was hit by a loaded dump truck.

Her death three years ago spawned a fervent safety campaign for that intersection, a campaign vigorously pursued by Allison's parents, Paul and Marlene Fifield.

That effort led to the current roundabout, the first completed by the state Department of Transportation.

Since the roundabout was completed, there have been no serious accidents at the junction of the two busy roads. That is a legacy for the Fifields to be proud of, although their personal loss will always remain.

The shutdown of Meadow Gold Dairy's production capacity is a sad reminder that times are changing in the Flathead Valley.

Where once there were 90 dairy farms, today there are just two. Even in this decade, there were as many as seven dairy farms operating locally, but the changing demographics of the Flathead along with shifts in the agribusiness industry have made it hard for farmers to stick with tradition.

The local Meadow Gold plant dates back to the early 1940s when it was the independent Skyline Dairy. And although 43 workers lost their jobs last week, the facility will remain open as a distribution center with a skeleton crew.

For those of us who remember the Flathead Valley when it was young and green, there is a bit of nostalgia in saying goodbye to one more part of our shared history, but it's also important to remember that new traditions are created every year, and so are new jobs.

Who would have thought golf could be so exciting?

Even many people who pay little attention to professional golf were drawn to the final rounds of the U.S. Open earlier this week.

First there was Tiger Woods' pressure-packed putt on the final hole Sunday that vaulted him into a playoff with the gritty Rocco Mediate the next day.

Then there was the daylong drama of the 18-hole playoff Monday that wasn't clinched until the first hole of a sudden death tiebreaker (by Tiger, of course).

And Woods' exploits were the more notable because he did it while limping along on an injured knee for 91 holes and five days of golf.

Now on Wednesday it was announced that Tiger is done for the year because he has a torn ligament in his knee (plus a double stress fracture in his tibia). The legend grows.