Letters to the editor June 25

Paving problem

I stopped riding the Kila section of the Rails to Trails a couple of years ago as the kathunk, kthunk, kthunk of the concrete was too hard to take. So I applaud the decision to resurface it.

But I really have to question who made the moronic decision to resurface it using black top? This has essentially now made this trail unusable two to three months of the year. The temperature difference between concrete and blacktop can be up to 20 degrees. 

In the heat of the summer, dog’s paws will burn, running shoes will stick, and even today, when it was only in the mid 70s, I could feel my bike tires being sucked into the tar in the hot sun. This was an incredibly bad decision.

— Monica Martin, Whitefish

First world plight

Thank for the informative article about the Lake County Commissioners letter to President Joe Biden. I would like to thank the Lake County Commissioners for reaching out to our President with concerns about water levels on Flathead Lake. 

I’m exceptionally thankful for the way you went about it, meeting with the Tribal Council the same day you sent the letter, but never mentioning one word about it. Thank you for giving us a fine example of MINO (Montanan in Name Only) behavior. With behavior like that one has to wonder, are all of you related to Hunter Biden, Bill Clinton or Gov. Greg Gianforte?

I’m so thankful for all of this I am putting forth a standing offer; to fly all of the Lake County  Commissioners round trip first class to any city in Gaza or any city on the front line in the Ukraine. Once there, you’ll be able to tell the citizens of said places your woeful tale of not being able to put your boat in the water in Flathead Lake last summer. 

No doubt they’ll be lining up by the thousands to offer you condolences and a shoulder to cry on with your first world plight. To make sure your plight does not go unheard, I will personally be there to film it, and put it up on YouTube and Facebook so everyone in the world will know about your trauma. 

I also wish to extend this offer to all Flathead Lake boat owners, and every Montana elected official who continues to complain about the lack of water in Flathead Lake last summer.

— John Marshall, Hot Springs

Witch hunt

I’m writing on behalf of the Flathead Warming Center.  Amid all of the controversy of whether the Warming Center should continue to have a conditional use permit, I haven’t seen adequate attention paid to the problems our community has been facing for a number of years.  These problems include: the budget cuts of 2017 that reduced services to those struggling with disabilities, mental illness and substance abuse; Covid-19 and the resulting reduction of necessary services to our community; the phenomenal increase of real estate costs, rental costs and the influx of people relocating to the Flathead Valley during and after Covid; and the the closing of the Outlaw Inn and Blue and White Motel which greatly reduced housing for long-term residents leaving many people homeless.  

Are the Kalispell mayor and Kalispell City Council willing to address how these powerful life changing events have affected the increase of our community’s homeless population or will there continue to be a witch hunt directed at the Flathead Warming Center?  

It seems to me it is time for the Kalispell City Council and other Flathead Valley city councils, the Flathead County commissioners, agencies providing services to the homeless and concerned citizens to come together to develop a solid strategic plan in addressing the homeless issue in Flathead County.  

— Cindie Jobe, Kalispell