EDITORIAL: Mayor Happ served with distinction

by Inter Lake editorial
| June 25, 2015 9:00 PM

We sadly note the passing of Norma Happ, a woman who once had the distinction of being voted Kalispell’s Lady of the Year and who lived up to that title every year of her long and distinguished life.

She was the first woman elected mayor of Kalispell, serving from the mid-1970s into the 1980s. Before that, she was the first woman elected to the Kalispell City Council.

During her time as mayor, she contributed a column to the Inter Lake entitled “From the mayor’s desk.” It was a generous gesture by Happ, and one that symbolized her openness and thoughtfulness — characteristics that help to explain her popularity with the voters.

Happ died Wednesday at the age of 88. She will be missed.

FVCC: An incubator of ideas

Two noteworthy stories came out of Flathead Valley Community College this week, one of which will be a boon to students and the other will be a huge plus for the economy.

— First of all, students and faculty are going to be the beneficiaries of a new “rental bike” program. Despite the name, the bikes will actually be free to use for those affiliated with the college.

Although a credit card will be required to check out the bikes, that is just an insurance policy in event of loss or damage to the bikes. In fact, the users will have carte blanche to ride to classes or elsewhere free of charge.

The program got its start with a donation of impounded bikes from the city of Kalispell. It was the brainchild of Karen Glasser, director of human resources for the college, and Genia Allen-Schmid, student engagement coordinator.

— The second big story out of FVCC concerned the founding of the Center for Manufacturing Advancement at the college.

This is an important resource both for allowing business-to-business relationships to develop but also in providing opportunities for professors and students to meet the growing need of industry for high-tech assistance and expertise.

Chris Parson, formerly second in command at the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, is the project director.