Letters to the editor June 7

Public transit

I started using the Mountain Climber after my son passed. He or My Glacier Village always gave me rides. 

I was able to buy 30 trips for $25. A miracle with gas prices as high as they are now. 

I call the Mountain Climber and let them know where i need to go, a time, and a return time. The dispatcher sets up my ride to and from home. The Mountan Climber is a wonderful service, and their drivers are polite and helpful. 

We are so blessed to have this service in the Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Whitefish communities.

— Grace Larson, Kalispell

Mentor and friend

Montana and the world lost a rare and beautiful soul when Philip Aaberg passed away. As a musician, composer and artist, he gave us more than notes and performances; he gave us a way of listening. His music carried the wide, open breath of the great Montana plains and brought listeners closer to the magnificent landscapes of our state; the rolling horizons, the hush of big skies and the quiet beauty of the Hi-Line. Through his work we could feel the place itself, and in feeling it we found ourselves.

I count myself among those he inspired. Philip didn’t just teach me how to play a piece; he taught me how to inhabit it, how to let a melody breathe and become part of my own story. His generosity of spirit offstage; the gentle humor, the willingness to share what he knew mattered as much as the music he made. That combination of artistry and kindness changed the way I approach music and, more importantly, the way I feel it.

Our Montana communities have lost a mentor to many, a kind soul and great friend, but his influence lives on in every pianist who listens with their whole heart, in every listener who finds solace in a quiet phrase and in the countless small acts of generosity he modeled. I hope readers will take a moment to revisit his recordings, to share his music with someone who needs it, and to remember that great artists leave us not only with work to admire but with ways of being to carry forward.

— Heather (Glee) Gray, Kalispell

Ready to earn your vote

I am truly honored to be your Republican nominee for House District 4.

But before anything else, I want to say something from the heart: this moment does not belong to me. It belongs to you. It belongs to the trades men and women who are on the jobsite before sunrise. To the server who’s been on her feet for six hours and is still smiling. It belongs to the teachers and para educators who pour themselves into our kids every single day. The millworker. The bus driver. The officer who doesn’t stop caring when the shift ends. The checkout clerk, the bank teller, the gas station worker who all know half the town by name. It belongs to the seniors who live on a fixed income and are being taxed out of their homes. It belongs to the small businesses owners that struggle under the burden of tax increases that hinder their ability to create jobs and raise wages.

You are District 4, it belongs to you. You show up. You do the work. You take care of your families and still find time to take care of your neighbors. Your ask is clear. A government that sees you, respects you, and works as hard as you do. I am honored and humbled that you have nominated me to work for you.

I also want to take a moment to recognize Lyn Bennett for her service to this district. Public service is a sacrifice, and I respect the commitment she gave to this community. I wish her all the best.

I am listening, your voice is clear. Your taxes are too high, you don’t want shifts, you want relief. The state budget keeps growing. I see the people doing the hardest work in this district have been the last ones anyone in Helena thinks about. That changes in November.

To those who voted for me, I thank you. I will carry your trust with me every single day, and I will never take it for granted.

To those who did not, I respect that completely. Come November, I’m not asking for a favor. I’m asking for a chance to earn it. My door is open.

To my supporters, volunteers and every neighbor who gave their time when they already had so little to spare: thank you for believing in this before most people did. I won’t forget that.

Finally to my wife Trish and our family. You have been there on this road with me. You believed in me, you sacrificed more than anyone will ever know. This is yours as much as it is mine. I love you.

District 4 you deserve a rep who works as hard as you do. That’s the job. I am ready for such a time as this.

God bless you, God bless the hard-working families of District 4 and God bless Montana.

— Shaun Pandina, House District 4 Republican nominee