New stores send right signal

The Daily Inter Lake

At a time when many communities are seeing main-street businesses shut their doors, both Whitefish and Kalispell are lucky to see two big stores opening.

Safeway reopened in Whitefish after a months-long absence, and the new grocery store is better than ever, with a fancy design, several new additions and 125 employees.

In Kalispell, Super 1 completely remodeled and renovated the old Tidyman's store and has now opened a modern, sparkling new grocery store that will benefit the entire downtown and also adds 115 jobs.

Yes, there still have been weaknesses in the economy, especially in natural resources industries such as timber and aluminum, and in construction. But the good news is that service industries and retailers continue to show confidence in the Flathead.

Employment has shown a notch or two of improvement in the last couple of months, and the addition of more than 200 jobs will certainly help greatly to solidify that growth.

EFFORTS TO restore the unique and deeply endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon population are a worthy cause that the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, in particular, deserves much credit.

The tiny tribe, with just 110 members, has been the leading light for an ancient species that has diminished to an estimated population of just 1,000 adults. Considering that it takes at least 30 years for sturgeon to grow to reproductive maturity, the Kootenai population would be on the brink of "winking out" if not for the tribe's state-of-the-art hatchery program.

Relying on wild sturgeon for brood stock, the hatchery has been augmenting the river's population for more than 15 years. Without that effort, a distinct species certainly would disappear.