EDITORIAL: Student shows app-etite for excellence

A young lady with an appetite for civic involvement earned a spot next to Gov. Steve Bullock Tuesday thanks to her development of an app to fight hunger across Montana.

Sophia Skwarchuk, a student at Flathead High School, taught herself to write computer code and used that skill to write an Android app called MontanaEats.

According to Skwarchuk, the app makes it “easier for people to find hunger resources and resources related to low-income aid on their phones.”

Bullock was on hand for the launch of the app in part because Skwarchuk is a member of the Governor and First Lady Youth Leadership Council, which includes 20 middle- and high-school students from across the state.

April 11-17 marks the second annual statewide Fight Childhood Hunger Week.

Perhaps Skwarchuk will be back next year. She already has plans to improve the app with maps and other features, and may even try to develop a nationwide version. With her talent and passion, we are confident that she will not bite off more than she can chew.

Map is valuable resource

Another welcome online service debuted this week when the Kalispell Police Department rolled out a computer map of crimes in the city.

The crime mapping represents a nimble response by police. Just a month ago, citizens at the inaugural Coffee with the Chief session asked for more detailed accounting of crime in Kalispell. And on Tuesday it became a reality.

You can’t ask for a much better response from our police to a public request. It shows not only the value of the coffee chats but also the importance of listening and acting on what’s brought up.

To view the Kalispell map, go to www.kalispell.com/police and click on “Crime Statistics Map.”