Dennison should do the right thing
Boy, was it nice to feel like I had a voice. While taking part in the University of Montana rally on April 16, I really enjoyed shouting and chanting with my fellow students in support of a positive and peaceful cause.It didn’t even matter that UM President George Dennison wasn’t there. UM Vice President Jim Foley could sign the letter of intent for UM to join the Designated Suppliers Program, we reasoned.
And wasn’t it cool that a group of students were sitting in? Warming Dennison’s office chairs hardly seemed like any kind of offense, but it certainly made our message all the more forceful, which only makes the events that unfolded all the more depressing.
So here’s from me to Dennison: Get over it. Drop the charges. The students of your university voiced their will that day. They may have forced an issue that wasn’t on your weekly planner, but, in the end, they were simply asking you to recognize that we can keep taking steps toward a better world. Be the better man.
Joe Loviska, Missoula
Deal would only benefit private company
A real estate deal between Plum Creek Timber Co. and the Forest Service could prove lucrative for the private corporation at county taxpayer’s expense. This deal deserves careful consideration. Plum Creek says that “everyone who needed to be involved was involved” in the backroom negotiations that would give away residential access rights on old Forest Service logging roads. That’s a convenient statement, since Plum Creek was one of only two parties at the table.Kim Davitt, Missoula
Parties should respect process
On, April 25 I was astounded by two things.First, waking up to a headline about a gleeful blogger named Hammond. Then finding out that Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., thinks that a paper trail for voting machines is too costly. We are sending our men and women to fight for the rights of Iraqi citizens to have a voice, but we won’t pay for it here? That doesn’t make any sense. This is not a partisan issue, it’s a fundamental right. You can’t put a price tag on one voice, one vote. Whatever the cost, it is our duty to protect that right, and make sure that all votes are counted.
Speaking of protecting votes, Hammond is going to head up Operation Chaos in Montana. He says that it’ll be hard to vote for Hillary Clinton, but he’ll do it and it might even be fun to mess with the Democratic primary. I wonder if people like Rush Limbaugh and Hammond consider themselves patriotic. How can you even consider yourself a good American if you do this?
My father and many men and women like him fought for the right of all citizens in this country to have a voice. If you feel your candidate has a better message, you need to go out and tell as many people as you can why you believe this. Then vote your conscience. If you go into a voting booth to mess with anything, you have no respect for this country and the due process of elections. Shame on Hammond or anyone who would even consider this - it is un-American.
Sandra Williamson, Missoula
Children, vulgar T-shirts shouldn’t mix
I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual Garden City Brewfest at Caras Park. As a new Missoulian, I found the event to be very enjoyable and everyone seemed to be very much enjoying themselves.However, one thing caught my attention and was quite disturbing. There were a large number of young children in attendance who were obviously having a great time. At the same time, I noticed at least three adults who were wearing vulgar T-shirts. As an example, one shirt read, “Will F--- for Beer.”
As adults, we have a responsibility to protect our children from such obscenities. I feel it would be in the best interest of our children if the organizers of the Brewfest took one of two courses of action: screen festival-goers at admission points for inappropriate attire or don’t allow children to attend.
In my opinion, the first option is preferable as a small number of immature, non-thinking individuals should not preclude children from attending the Brewfest and enjoying themselves.
Robert Adams, Missoula
Skiing trails would destroy area
There is entrepreneurial momentum in the Carlton Ridge/Lolo Peak area again. This time, Jim Gill applied as the applicant, being listed as the authorized agent for Bitterroot Trails LLC. Why the switch?The request for glade, Nordic and alpine skiing on national forest land covers a substantial area. Glade skiing requires significant tree removal on about 212 acres of national forest land. Nordic skiing projects to create 19.4 miles of new trails and roads including through the slide area. Guided alpine skiing is slated for the Carlton Lake and Lolo Peak area.
To service these three plans requires snow coaches operating extensively in backcountry areas - which is not permitted under the present forest plan. Almost all of Trail 1311 including Carlton Ridge would be compromised by snow coach traffic from November to April 15, from above the existing yurt once on national forest land and then to the proposed yurt by the Mormon Peak Trailhead. This proposal represents a significant loss of access and profound potential impact on the surrounding backcountry areas.
Perhaps most of all, the Lolo Peak, Carlton Ridge, and Research Natural Area are “one of a kind” in Montana and beyond. Anyone who has ever been up to these areas or just admired Lolo Peak from afar should realize that motorized snow coaches and future plans for industrialized hardware - ski lifts, for one - all over the Lolo Peak area will not enhance or improve its natural beauty.
We have said no to commercial development on the public lands here, and we must say it again. Let Lolo Peak be as it is.
Fred and Eileen Schwanemann, Missoula
Don’t mar treasure with development
In 2006, the Missoulian ran an advertisement for Tom Maclay’s proposed Bitterroot Resort that touted “the new Tamarack Resort in McCall, Idaho” as “conducting $52 million in construction projects, employing 450 people.”The Lewiston (Idaho) Tribune reported on April 3 that the Tamarack Resort layed off Rory Veal, vice president for real estate sales, last December. In February, Tamarack Resort filed for bankruptcy “to protect assets from global financial services Credit Suisse, which is owed more than $262 million from resort construction loans.” French bank Societe Generale withdrew a $118 million construction loan. Veal sued Tamarack Resort for more than $1 million. Credit Suisse asked a judge to allow it to foreclose on the resort.
Montana Department of Transportation counts 4,000 vehicles an hour on Highway 93 between mile posts 74 and 91, near Maclay’s ranch and Lolo’s Tamarack Construction. The proposed Bitterroot Resort, Aspen Springs and other far-flung, overlapping Missoula-Ravalli subdivisions perilously affect already over-burdened infrastructure for emergency services, roads, bridges, etc.
Resort investors have applied to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation for groundwater rights of 1,400 gallons per minute and 870 acre feet of water per year. They seek water for 850 homes within a 156-acre area, in addition to using agricultural water for “making snow.” In comparison, the town of Darby has 471 living units. Resort investors are requesting public lands despite the efforts of Friends of Lolo Peak, which hand-gathered over 4,000 signatures so we can picnic, ride horses, hike, camp or cross-country ski.
Moreover, the Missoula Chamber of Commerce, Missoula Area Economic Development Corp., EcoNorthwest and investors detail Maclay’s proposed resort without these critical facts.
The exceptional protection - by Missoula and Ravalli counties, DNRC, U.S. Department of Agriculture and others - of our cherished, signature wildlife, air, water and land is truly appreciated.
Cheryl Holden Rice, Stevensville
Homemade artillery is irresponsible
I have been associated with black powder cannons for over 40 years. As president of Battery A, First Montana Light Artillery, a historical re-enacting group, and associated with the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, I am appalled that the article about a man building a wooden cannon (Missoulian, May 5) would be printed.I doubt that seemingly simple but dangerous ideas need to be given to our local “mailbox bombers” prior to the Fourth of July, or circulated at all. Plenty of historical ideas such as this have long been abandoned for good reason.
A picture of the completely unsafe practice with the loading of loose black power was shown, along with the picture of Rick Sween looking down the barrel of the wooden “death trap.” The firing of projectiles is dangerous in itself. The loading of a 20-ounce, frozen bottle of water into a wooden cannon is without question very unwise. Bore pressures can reach 20,000 pounds per square inch when projectiles are used. The cracking of the log should have been a wake-up call.
Few issues of Artillery Magazine, a quarterly, are printed that do not contain one or more articles on individuals losing life and limbs because of the failure to follow the safe firing of muzzle-loading cannons. Safety regulations are available for free from the Artilleryman. Just one ember in that barrel will cause the premature ignition of loose powder.
While I do not fault Sween’s passion for history or the excitement of a big “boom,” I do believe that devices such as these are an accident waiting to happen. Sween should immediately saw that so-called cannon into firewood before he or someone else is seriously injured or killed. After firing it eight times he has used up most of his luck.
Bruce Fowler, Missoula
CIA collaborates with dubious agencies
The “war on terror” gets more and more curious.One of the biggest head scratchers is the riddle of how Pakistan’s ISI intelligence service could be a valuable U.S. ally in that war, given its chummy relationship with various Muslim terrorists that goes back nearly three decades. The Jan. 6 issue of Parade, in its cover story about the late Benazir Bhutto, gives a pretty good summary of that relationship. After noting that Osama bin Laden “sent $10 million to the ISI” in 1989, the article goes on to say, “The ISI has close ties to radical Islamists and was responsible for the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan. America’s CIA, which also supported the Afghan holy warriors ... continues to work with the ISI today - theoretically in suppressing the very terrorist legions it helped create.”
What is one to make of this? Isn’t there something fishy about “our” CIA working with a Muslim intelligence agency that has long had a mutually supportive relationship with Muslim terrorists and, even today, “has close ties” to radical Islamists?
Never mind. Probably best not to think about such things. Let’s just place absolute trust in our leaders and not let doubts deter us from following wherever they decide to lead. Heck. If they decide it’s necessary, let’s even follow them into war with Iran.
Richard Miller, Hot Springs
Program tries to match host families
I was disappointed to read Dixie Riddle’s April 21 Represent article about foreign exchanges, because I was left with a negative feeling about those exchanges.Two of my daughters went on AFS exchanges, one to Japan and one to Venezuela. One of them worked in the AFS office in New York City for three years after graduating from the University of Montana with a Spanish degree. Both girls had a marvelous experience, have maintained a close relationship with their host family, make their living speaking the language of the country where they stayed, and both are better citizens for their experience.
I am well aware that all exchanges are not as good as theirs was. Nonetheless, I firmly believe that AFS makes every effort to select appropriate students to go abroad and appropriate families to host students. Mistakes do happen, but considering cultural and religious differences, language barriers and the age of the students, it is quite remarkable that any exchanges work. If ever it was important to understand and respect different cultures, it is now.
I am, indeed, sorry for both student and family when the exchange doesn’t work. However, I hope that your readers aren’t left thinking that exchanges often don’t work or that AFS doesn’t do a good job matching students with host families, or keeping in touch with students during their stay. During my daughter’s stay in Japan, we had a serious family crisis, and I honestly believe that without AFS she would have been an emotional wreck.
It takes a very special student, and host family, to make these exchanges work. They work more often than not, and both entities are truly better for the experience.
Jean Bowman, Missoula
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