Animal shelter faces challenges

Inter Lake editorial

Sweeping improvements have been made at the county animal shelter since the City-County Health Department assumed management of the facility last year. We're pleased to see the shelter staff is working to maintain a low-kill policy and understands the challenges that involves.

What's most encouraging is the shelter director's desire to work with the public on how to develop more space and better efficiency at the facility, with a goal of finding homes for all healthy cats and dogs.

We can't stress enough the need to educate pet owners about the benefits of spaying and neutering pets, and making sure they have up-to-date vaccinations.

If you're passionate about pets, the shelter is always in need of volunteers. It's a worthwhile way to spend spare time.

These weren't bridges to nowhere that were installed last week over Ashley Creek west of Kalispell.

Two new fiberglass bridges were lowered into place to become key links in the Rails to Trails project that connects Kalispell with Kila via a walking/biking path.

The bridges represent a major achievement in the nearly two-decade-long process to build a pathway to the west.

The many dedicated volunteers who have worked so hard for years certainly should be elated with the bridge work that helps complete the dream of a bike path. These volunteers also deserve acclaim for their efforts in making Rails to Trails a reality.

Everyone knows that "reading is fundamental" to a good education, so when the Huntley Project High School burned down in September, it looked like a long, hard school year for dozens of students who would not have a library to count on.

But School District 5 in Kalispell, along with other districts around the state, proved once again that Montana is just a small town with lots of room to roam. Glacier High School librarian John York helped coordinate a project to send surplus books to Huntley Project to help the new library get off the ground. In all, the district shipped 31 boxes of books. Kalispell Middle School students collected another five or six boxes as well, and UPS donated the shipping costs.

Now, that's a story with a happy ending.