Letters to the editor April 30

There are two positions on the Flathead Community College Board of Trustees and three candidates who are running for them. All appear well qualified, and all are outspoken advocates of an effective system of public education. All believe in a vibrant and prosperous community supported by quality educational opportunities. In short, it would appear they support continuing the current excellence of FVCC of which we in the Flathead Valley are so proud.

One of the candidates who has definitely earned my support is Peter Akey. I’ve known him since he was wearing three-cornered seat covers. He was a quality kid, and he continues to be one of the best-liked and most respected citizens of Whitefish.

Akey is a member of the current Community College Board of Trustees. His “day job” is as a senior vice president at Glacier Bank. He has a broad and deep knowledge of our valley, its people and its economy. He is a well-qualified steward of FVCC budgets and assets.

Currently serving in the Montana National Guard, Akey has been deployed overseas several times including in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is a contributing volunteer in our community including current service as president of the Northwest Montana Big Brothers and Sisters.

Peter Akey is a true servant of the public at all levels including his current service on the Flathead Valley Community College Board of Trustees. I strongly recommend you join me in voting to re-elect him to the FVCC Board of Trustees.

—Bob Brown, Whitefish

Should faith-based businesses be held to a higher standard? I say, yes! It seems to me that the Rozells single-handedly sullied the reputation of Potter’s Field and or put the church’s reputation under suspicion. The Rozells’ attorney, Sharon DiMuro, put a huge exclamation mark on their bad conduct by saying the Rozell’s were being extorted by the Ericksens. There is something that is so offensive when you conflate secular legalese and piety. The unintended consequence of course, plays into to certain groups that hate Christians just for being Christians.

For anyone to blame the Ericksen family for not making better business decisions misses the point, don’t you think? I am old enough to remember Tammy Fay and Jim Bakker, Jim Swaggart scandals and the Catholic church monumental coverup of sexual predators hiding in plain sight. I personally know of lives that were destroyed while predators were never held accountable. Then to hear legal explanations about what the Ericksens should or shouldn’t have done, at the very least is arrogant and worse reeks.

I thought Montana was better than that. Since when is fronting your business disguised as a religious entity appropriate? To me it doesn’t past the smell test. It seems that it was always about the money, a veritable bait-and-switch operation. Additionally, I am left with more questions than answers. But I am seeing a pattern evolve. Rob McCoy, a reputable church person disentangles the Rozells from their financial obligations. Seemingly thwarting potential lawsuits, the Rozells disappear, lay low for a while, come back when things cool down and say King’s X; I want to reopen my businesses. Seems very well thought out, as if this was the plan all along.

I don’t know if there is a legal remedy for the Ericksens, but it should be considered. Remember this, “People that have nothing to hide, hide nothing.”

—Joanna King, Whitefish

I live in Lakeside and the RV park is starting to fill up with out-of-staters. My question is how are they controlling the spread of the coronavirus if they are allowing tourist from California, New York, etc., to come with their RVs. I’ll bet none of them are self-quarantining when they get here.

—Luke Meyer, Lakeside

I’ve just been to the post office to mail a package. One of only two times I have been out of my house this week. The governor has announced a phased reopening of coronavirus restrictions starting tomorrow, but already few people at the post office were wearing a face mask. The first phase of this reopening involves wearing face masks in public places where social distancing is more difficult. Like the post office and the grocery store.

As a reminder, when you wear a face mask, you aren’t so much protecting yourself as you are protecting others from the possibility you could be carrying the coronavirus. Covid can be spread to others even if you have no symptoms yourself; so when you wear a facemask, you are protecting me. I am considered an elder – I am well over 65 years of age even if I am healthy and have no other risk factors. I am making choices to protect myself as much as possible, but I can’t do it alone. If you refuse to wear a facemask when it is indicated, you are making choices for me that you have no right to make!

If the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we are all connected – part of one, widespread community. Please take your responsibilities within that community seriously – protect everyone else, even if you don’t think it is important to protect yourself. Wear your facemask!

—Maria Arrington, Bigfork

I certainly agree with Kip Smith’s letter (April 13) giving kudos to Governor Bullock for his handling of the coronavirus epidemic, but I would like to add to that kudos to President Trump and the wonderful team he assembled that gave to Montana the information and guidelines necessary for our governor to know when and how to react.

With his banning of flights from China, President Trump turned on the red light for danger, which our governor obviously studied carefully. Consequently, when the president’s team signaled it was time for a lockdown, he didn’t hesitate to give the order. But unlike some of his counterparts in other states, Governor Bullock left many businesses open, guaranteeing Montana citizens at least some degree of flexibility as we went through the process. He ably initiated the protocols given out by the president’s team (social distancing, face masks, etc.) while avoiding the draconian responses in some other states of spying on people with drones or arresting citizens for minor infractions. In addition, he left us enough space within the stay-at-home order that by the time in expired most citizens had already anticipated it and were out doing what they could.

And, thankfully now, following the directives and advice from the president’s team, and because of the very wise decision on part of the president to leave state governors the power, our governor has started the process of opening up our state according to the guidelines he has received. We may have some hiccups along the way, but our governor has taken the reasonable path and I applaud him for it.

But big kudos also to President Trump and all on his marvelous team for giving our governor the necessary warnings, medical information and equipment, guidelines and the timing for both the lockdown and now for our state’s reopening. It’s a perfect example of the proper coordination between our state and the federal government, and I am sure it will ultimately be successful.

—Mark Agather, Kalispell

An op-ed piece recently published in the Inter Lake expressed the opinion that the National Bison Range should be given to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The authors are four leaders of recognized conservation organizations. I would like to express my thoughts on why I do not agree with their reasoning. I believe I am qualified to pass judgment on their stance because my 30-year career managing rangeland encompassed the hands-on management of native rangelands in Lake County. I served on the board of directors of the professional Society for Range Management and also served on a National Academy of Sciences Committee dealing with range condition criteria. What real range management experience do the four authors have?

The authors are mistaken in their assertion that the CSKT established the Bison Range. It was created by the U.S. government with the purchase of the land in 1908 at the land price value at that time and the American Bison Society purchased the initial bison from a private herd. The range is often considered the crown jewel of the all the National Wildlife Refuges.

The primary goal of managing the Bison Range is to properly manage the health of the rangeland. Bison and other wildlife depend on healthy, robust rangeland. Based on my almost 60 years of living in Lake County and being involved in range management, it is my observation that the CSKT has not exhibited good stewardship on the rangelands that they manage, especially their grazing leases. They may have established wilderness areas, etc., but these areas do not require the annual, hands-on-management that rangelands require, like weed control, fencing, water development, rotation grazing and proper stocking rate.

Based on my observations of both Tribal rangelands management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife management of the Bison Range, I believe it would be in the best interest in the health of the land and of the American people that the range be retained under its current ownership status.

—Chuck Jarecki, Polson