Path to success: Rails to trails

Inter Lake editorial

It has been a long time in the making, but a wonderful bike/pedestrian trail now links Kalispell and Kila.

The 10-mile route that parallels U.S. 2 has been completed after decades of work. A celebration of the completed path will be Saturday afternoon.

The finished bike path is a testament to the hard work and dogged determination of people who kept momentum going year after year to build the trail.

The first stretch was started way back in 1975, then in 1989 Rails to Trails was established as a nonprofit organization to build the path. Along the way there were more than a few detours, ranging from funding obstacles to the challenge of spanning Ashley Creek in two places.

Eventually, all those challenges were overcome, however, and today there's a smooth route to follow to the west of Kalispell.

Kudos to all the trail backers who labored so long to make the path a reality. Volunteer efforts, fundraising, business donations, grant acquisition and sheer perseverance have paid off in what is truly a great community asset.

ANOTHER GREAT community asset that was written about this week was the Chrysalis School in Eureka.

For more than 10 years, the boarding school has been working with troubled girls to get them to experience life in a stable environment where they are challenged to become more responsible.

Kenny Pannell and his wife, Mary Alexine, founded the school in 1998. The two licensed clinical professional counselors work with girls who have experienced depression, anxiety, or trauma from rape or assault, but who want to get their lives back on track.

In addition to counseling, the program involves lots of outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, swimming, rock climbing, skiing and kayaking.

This is an excellent example of how people who got a rough start in life can turn things around if they are given a chance. It's an important reminder for all of us.