Starla's an inspiration for all of us
What a great example of the resilience of the human spirit we were given on the front page of the Inter Lake on Christmas morning!
The story of Starla Hilliard Barnes, a young Kalispell woman who was paralyzed in a hit-and-run automobile accident while she was riding her motorcycle in 2009, was truly inspiring.
Despite her crippling injuries, Barnes has fought back for every inch of her normal life that she can grab. After rehabilitation, she went back to work for her employer, Matt Downing State Farm Insurance. She also got married and delivered a beautiful baby daughter named Elissiah.
Her next goal is to regain feeling in and then use of her legs. A fundraising campaign hopes to raise $100,000 to help her pay for the special equipment and care she needs. You can contribute at www.gofundme.com/5pwu9g
You can also read updates on Starla’s progress and the fundraising efforts at https://www.facebook.com/standupforstarla
We don’t know if Starla will ever walk again, but we wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out that her positive attitude and great strength helped her to do just that.
Preserving the story of radio
It’s nice to see three local people with broad legacies in the radio business being remembered for posterity.
Video interviews with longtime radio broadcasters Dan Snyder, G. George Ostrom and former Gov. Stan Stephens, all of Kalispell, are featured in a statewide project chronicling some of Montana’s best-known radio personalities.
With careers going back to the 1950s, the trio has had a great impact on listeners in Montana — Snyder in Missoula, Great Falls and Kalispell, Stephens in Havre and Ostrom on Kalispell airwaves.
They are among 15 people profiled for the Legacy Broadcasters Initiative.
The interviews are available for viewing on the Greater Montana Foundation website at greatermontana.org and on the Montana Historical Society website at www.montanahistoricalsociety.org.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.