Page 5 - Flathead Beacon // 5.13.15

FLATHEADBEACON.COM
NEWS
Construction continues on The Galleries building
in downtown Whitefish.
GREG LINDSTROM FLATHEAD BEACON
Grappling with Persistent Growth and Key Issues, Whitefish Forges Ahead
MAY 13, 2015 | 5
W•O•R•D•S of the Week
AN INDEX OF RECENT NEWSMAKERS
GRADUATION
Flathead Valley Community College will graduate its 47th class on Friday, May 15. Con- gratulations to all those who will be tossing their caps in the air.
EXOTIC MUSSELS
Inspectors in Browning intercepted a boat fouled with exotic mussels that was bound for Whitefish Lake, illustrating the ongoing battle to combat aquatic invasive species.
THE BEST
Outside Magazine has been showing a lot of love to the Flathead Valley recently. Whitefish is one of 64 towns in the U.S. nominated for “Best Town in America” in an online contest. In April, the magazine named Lars Haarr, a Flathead High graduate, the top river guide.
FIRE SEASON
While local fires continue to pop up amid warmer than usual temperatures, Montana as a whole is poised for an above-average fire season unless precipitation arrives in the next six weeks, according to experts.
Mayor addresses priorities in time of change, including increased budget proposal, new City Hall
By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Beacon
With an unrelenting docket of pivotal issues bloating its agenda for months, the Whitefish City Council has been conducting its business like a game of Whac-A-Mole – each time it dispatches one high-profile project or proposal, another rears its head.
755-3744
Open 7 days a week
Mon - Sat 8 - 6 ~ Sundays 10 - 4
1403 4th St West, Kalispell Mick Morin • Kevin Morin
And according to Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld, that’s not a bad problem.
Recent council sessions have had the tendency to drag on late into the night as city leaders grapple with a panoply of community-shaping measures, including the ongoing City Hall project, a massive citybudget,corridorplansthatwilldefine future land uses in a resort town wary of change, an uptick in commercial and residential building, a non-discrimination ordinance, and strained relations with their county government counterparts.
As the council’s agenda continues to gain depth on the heels of several recent watershed moments, Muhlfeld says he doesn’t plan on slowing down, either.
That much is clear in his decision earlier this month to run for re-election, announcing his candidacy and naming Lin Akey, president of Glacier Bank’s Whitefish branch, as his treasurer.
“Given the fact that a lot of major projects we have been working on are still in flux, I thought it would be in the greatest good of the city to have some continuity, which was the biggest impetus for me to run for re-election,” Muhlfeld said in a recent interview with the Beacon.
In a major step last month, Whitefish
“We are tackling some big issues right now, which is demanding a lot of time from the council and the planning staff,” Muhlfeld said. “But it’s paying off. We’re making progress, even if there’s no sign of it slowing down.”
See Whitefish PAGE 22
Spring Open House - May 16 & 17
Join us for BBQ Hot Dogs & Polish Dogs! 8am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 3pm Sunday
Bud and Bloom Roses
Blue Hydrangeas Fruit Trees Perennials Million Bell Baskets Shrubs Shade Trees
2ND ST. W
SCHOOL
3RD ST. W
4TH ST. W
WILD GEESE GARDENS
PETERSON ELEMENTARY
50¢
Tomatoes
$6.75 Geraniums!
WOW!