Letters to the editor Jan. 2

Guardian angels

Taking my daughter to airport; the sky was still dark and snow swirling across the highway on Dec. 30. I dropped her off and immediately headed back to Kalispell. The conditions had worsened and I realized I could not see the road and barely in distance saw traffic lights and a coffee stand parking lot. I turned off and put on my yellow warning lights.

A car pulled behind me and a young woman got out, a jaunty teal knit hat on her head, said she was taking her brother to airport and she would be back. I hoped, as it would be hours before first light, she would return.

She did. She put my address in her cellphone and said, “My name is Becca. Can you follow my tail lights? What speed should I go?”

So at 20 mph we headed toward Kalispell in the swirling blowing snow. It wasn’t easy. When we were finally on Main Street, I took the lead and she followed me right until I turned into my driveway and then she drove off! I didn’t even get to thank her.

I thought it’s still the season for guardian angels and Becca surely was mine. She also is proof positive Montanans are still good at heart to perfect strangers in need.

— Karlene Khor, Kalispell

Wildlife under attack

I love living on the edge of Glacier National Park. Every time that I see a grizzly bear or a lynx and every time that I hear wolves howling or elk bugling, I feel like I am the luckiest person in the world to be able to live here. Wildlife is what makes Montana a very special place.

So, it was with a great deal of dismay that I read that Governor Gianforte is asking the federal government to end the protection of grizzly bears and return the management to the state.

As a result of the draconian anti-wildlife bills that passed in the 2021 Montana Legislature which were signed into law by Gianforte, it is obvious that the state of Montana is not capable of managing grizzly bears responsibly. Wildlife management decisions should be made by professional wildlife experts based on science rather than by politicians who have no experience in management issues.

Breaking with our long Montana tradition of bipartisan wildlife protection, Republican lawmakers voted to harm many wild species like wolves, grizzly bears, black bears, and bison in the last legislative session. Montanans have always valued “fair chase” rules in hunting, but using snares, baiting, lights at night, and hounds violates these values and taints the sport. People who care about Montana’s wildlife need to stop voting Republican without considering the dire consequences for the wildlife that we cherish.

— Debo Powers, Polebridge