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Thoughts for Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day. I hope all you dads out there have a wonderful day. I would like to spend a moment, reflecting on what it really means to be a dad.

There is no greater vocation than being a dad. If we really dwell on the responsibilities, it is truly daunting. We must wear many hats and make many sacrifices and decisions to lead our families. It can be very difficult but the rewards are great. God put honoring our parents even above murder in the Ten Commandments. So I would submit that we dads must be worthy of honor, to be honored. Lord knows I haven’t always been.

To be worthy of being honored, we must put ourselves last and our families first. The best way to do this is to be loving at all times. We are teachers — what our children see they copy. If you are loving to your wife, so will your sons be to theirs. If you hug, encourage and demonstrate love to your children, so will they, to your grandchildren.

I have been told that it is not “manly” to tell your wife and children that you love them. I assert, that you are not “manly” if you don’t tell them every day, when it is easy, but especially when it is not.

May God bless and keep you this Father’s Day, remembering that we are dads every day. —Jay Trepanier, Kalispell

Where do we find an HOA that REQUIRES flagpoles?

We are new to Montana and have discovered that some Home Owners Associations prohibit flagpoles (wish I knew why).

If they can PROHIBIT flagpoles, I am looking for an HOA that REQUIRES flagpoles. You cannot lower a flag half staff on an angle pole mounted to your house. This past Memorial Day, I was disappointed to see so few flags, on a pole or mounted on the house. Raising and lowering the flag on a flagpole should be a part of American life. We are proud to raise and lower the flag every day, and not just on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Veterans Day, or Flag Day. —Dee Armstrong, Bigfork

You won’t believe what people throw out on roads!

I am continually appalled at the amount of trash the citizens of this valley throw out the windows of their vehicles.

Being responsible for keeping one section of our roadways picked up, I see more trash than I could have ever believed possible. Some days, after cleaning everything up and going into town to run errands for a couple of hours, I’ll drive home past the section I just cleaned and there will already be trash out there. Out of curiosity I have kept track of the variety of items I have found. Here is a partial list:

Beer cans and bottles, whiskey/bourbon/schnapps/vodka bottles, wine bottles (the sheer number of alcoholic containers is frightening), fast-food containers of all kinds, cash, an Apple iPad, ammunition, compressed air canisters, gloves, toys, pop cans and bottles, screws, nails, come-along, pocket knives, balls, CDs, makeshift pipe bombs, driver license, license plate, lug nuts, hub caps, cigarette packs, chewing tobacco containers, full water bottles, bread knife, underarm deodorant, bag of phone books, styrofoam peanuts, tea bags, hypodermic needles, gas caps, women’s makeup, used condoms/used tampons (Really? What possible scenario?), meth/marijuana pipes, socks, dust mask, human excrement/toilet paper, bank statement, metal measuring tape, car stereo head unit, fishing stringer, shock absorber, windshield wipers, bed frame, toothbrushes, flossing picks, hooded sweatshirt, tire, men’s sock, Blue Cross medical card, fuel treatment bottles, drinking glass, and surgical gloves.

There you have it. Bewildering, I know. I just can’t imagine what goes through people’s minds that makes them think it is OK to just throw their garbage out the window. Is it really that hard to wait until they get home? Please, folks, keep a trash bag in your car and use it. When you get somewhere appropriate — empty it! Don’t destroy the beauty of our precious Flathead Valley! Nobody wants to see your trash laying in the ditch and I certainly have better things to do.

Let’s keep our valley looking nice so that residents and visitors alike can enjoy it. I’d love to be out of a job! —Paul Fifield, Kalispell

Wounded Warriors group says thanks for support

Montana Wounded Warriors would like to thank the Flathead Valley Clay Target Club for the great fundraiser that they put on this past weekend. This is the fifth year that all proceeds from their trap shoot have benefited our organization. Wounded veterans and their families from around our state look forward each year to coming to the Flathead to participate in this event where they are made to feel very welcome.

The Clay Target is one of our oldest and most generous supporters and we would like the board of directors to know how much we appreciate all of their efforts.

Our wounded vets and their families participate in a “cast and blast” weekend where they shoot trap at the club and then get a chance to fish on Flathead Lake. This provides them the opportunity to get together with other vets and enjoy a stress-free environment where our community lets then know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice.

The funds that are raised help us to provided all expense paid hunting and fishing trips to our Montana vets who were wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We would also like to thank Mike Howe and his staff at A Able and Mo Fisch Charters for the great time they provide our vets out on the lake. —Neil Baumann, Columbia Falls