Letters to the editor Dec. 25

Spirit of giving

I was at the Kalispell main post office on Dec. 17, waiting in the line extending into the lobby. There was a lady and a man ahead of me.

The man had at least 12 Christmas cards to put stamps on to mail. The lady ahead of me said, “Hold my place,” went to her car and came back with enough Christmas stamps for the man to mail all his cards without any charge from the lady.

I want to thank the lady for her quiet demonstration of the true meaning of Christmas giving.

— Ken Miller, Kalispell

Winter lake level

Dear Santa,

All I want for Christmas is a Lower Lake Level.

Oh, to be a lake manager! Too high, too low, what will it take to get it right? There was ample warning from resource agencies that catastrophic winds, above average temps at high elevations and above average rainfall in mountainous areas would cause a rain on snow event that occurred Dec. 11-12. This resulted in dramatically increasing incoming stream flows and two to four times what was being released at the dam outlet by Energy Keepers, Inc.

The high stream flows have continued for weeks. Snow water equivalent is the amount of water contained in the snowpack. The current SWE for Flathead Lake is 108% of the median. The lake level is currently 0.5 feet from full pool and 3.5 feet above where it normally is for this time of year.  

Good thing I don’t live on the lake with a pier, dock or boat lift. The 3-5 feet waves probably caused tremendous damage and erosion. What’s a lake property owner to do? Buy extra insurance?

What would be really forthcoming is to see transparency on the SKI Flathead Lake data website, like they do well during the spring-summer period. If you can obtain a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license variance for higher summer levels, why not seek one for higher outflows if that what was holding them back?

I get the challenges in a changing climate to balance license requirements, drought, recreation, floods, erosion, fish habitat and downstream needs. Please let us know what the real reasons were that led to these unprecedented high lake levels in December.  

December is normally the start of the draw down period. It’s lucky we have three months to draw the lake down before start of the April fill.

— Bob Storer, Bigfork

Thinking of Ukraine

My friend sent this to me and I thought it was worth sharing.

Dear Santa,

I am but an old man who has seen many wonderful Christmases. I ask for nothing for myself. I am content.

I do ask that you help the people of Ukraine. For almost four years the country and its people have been at war with Russia. An evil despot, Vladimir Putin, is attempting to steal Ukraine’s land and subjugate its people. 

The leadership of my country has seen fit to take the side of Putin, the aggressor. The countries of Europe talk of help and support for Ukraine. Talk must be translated into action or it is just talk.

Hope is dimming for Ukraine’s future. They need a Christmas miracle. This is your area of expertise.

So, if your elves are ready for a challenge, let them build the weapons that can be used to defeat a tyrannical dictator.

Use your magic to make the good people of our earth understand what they must do.

Good must triumph over evil. We need your help!

— Susan Repa, Bigfork