EDITORIAL: Rebuilding bleachers a community effort

It was a devastating loss for a community-minded group when the bleachers were burned down at the Sapa-Johnsrud Babe Ruth Fields on June 27.

The fire apparently was started by someone foolishly setting off fireworks in a garbage can under the bleachers, and we certainly hope it sent a lesson to some of our fellow citizens about responsible use of fireworks.

But that is another story.

What matters now is helping the community of Columbia Falls restore the bleachers, which are part of a memorial to two young ballplayers who died tragically in a train accident many years ago.

Unfortunately, getting the bleachers back up will be no small task. When the bleachers were built in 1989, the work was valued at $30,000. Today, it is estimated that replacement bleachers will cost more like $100,000.

Local businesses and concerned community members had already pledged $30,000 to the project by last week, but there is plenty more to be done.

If you can help, you can make a direct donation to a Glacier Bank checking account called Columbia Falls Grandstands or visit www.glacierbaberuth.org for more information and other donation options.

A benefit for firefighters

Another act of vandalism hit the Smith Valley Fire Hall on Foy’s Lake Road on the weekend of July 2-3 when firefighters discovered that an arsonist had lit a fire that destroyed their rescue truck and did hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage.

In today’s paper, it is being announced that a Firefighter Walk-a-Mile fundraising event will be held at Legends Stadium in Kalispell on July 31. Participants will get pledges of support and then walk a mile or more in firefighter gear. Show up between 3 and 9 p.m. that day to show your support for the firefighters and to make a donation.

To register for the Firefighter Walk-a-Mile or for more information about fundraising efforts, contact Jim Roets at 406-854-2555 or by email at james.roets@yahoo.com.