Page 15 - Flathead Beacon // 5.20.2015

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS MAY 20, 2015 | 15 Park Plows Reach Logan Pass
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community
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Additional snow removal and other tasks remain before entire Sun Road can open
By BEACON STAFF
Plow crews last week reached the top of Logan Pass and are hewing through the final obstacle on Glacier National Park’s iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road – the Big Drift.
Before all 50 miles of the road can open, the crews must clear the colos- sal snow drift and finish debris cleanup work, clear the parking lot and walk- ways at the visitor center, finish install- ing guardrails, remove snow from the vehicle pullout areas and assess any new snow conditions.
While crews have been making rapid progress this spring, dispatch- ing the below-average snowpack with aplomb, they’ve encountered normal high-elevation snowpack at the Conti- nental Divide, which Logan Pass strad- dles at 6,640 feet.
Park officials said rain and snow have also created poor visibility at the higher elevations and hindered progress.
Officials have been hesitant to say when automobiles may be able to reach the top. However, if everything goes ac-
banking
on our community..
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RoadcrewsinstallremovableguardrailsalongGoing-to-the-SunRoadnearHaystackCreek.
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
cording to plan, visitors would likely ac- cess Logan Pass from the west side much earlier than last year, when the road opened on July 2.
Park officials said that it usually takes about two weeks after the east and west side plow crews meet for them to open the higher reaches of the road. Among the many chores that have to be completed after the road is cleared is the installation of guardrails between The
Loop and Logan Pass.
Due to ongoing roadwork on the east
side of the road, the earliest visitors will be able to access the St. Mary to Logan Pass section of the road will be June 19.
While the road past Avalanche is still closed to vehicles, hikers and bikers are able to use it on weekends and evenings. For the latest on plowing and the road status, visit www.nps.gov/glac.
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Municipal Matters
A recap of recent city council and county commission meetings
FLATHEAD COUNTY
• The Flathead County Commission interviewed two candidates for the county planning director job on Monday, May 18.
• On Thursday, May 21, the commis- sion is scheduled to award the bid for the Blacktail Road paving proj- ect. That same day, the commission will consider multiple extension re- quests for lakeshore permits.
• The filing period is open for the November elections until July 2. Candidates seeking municipal of- fice must file with the county elec- tion department. In Kalispell, three candidates in Ward 3 had filed as of May 18: incumbent Rod Kuntz, Karlene Osorio-Khor and Christo- pher M.C. Cunningham. In Ward 4, incumbent Phil Guiffrida has filed for re-election. Ward 1 councilor Kari Gabriel’s term is up this year, along with Ward 2 councilor Wayne
Saverud. In Whitefish, Mayor John Muhlfeld has filed for re-election and incumbent councilors Frank Sweeney and Richard Hildner have filed for re-election, as of May 18. Fellow councilor John W. Ander- son’s term is also up this year. In Columbia Falls, no candidates have filed as of May 18. Councilors Da- rin Fisher, Doug Karper and Julie Plevel are in the final year of their respective terms. Councilors serve four-year terms. A person is not eligible for the office of city council unless the person is a resident for at least 60 days preceding the election to office of the ward electing the person or of an area that has been annexed by the city or town and placed in the ward.
KALISPELL
• An insurance company for the city of Kalispell reached a decision to settle ongoing litigation with Fred
Leistiko, the former airport man- ager, for $25,000. Leistiko’s wife, Connie, filed a complaint in Flat- head District Court in November 2013 claiming City Councilor Phil Guiffrida libeled Leistiko during the bitter lead-up to the election involving the proposed upgrades at the city airport. The issue sur- rounded email messages that Guif- frida sent to city staff, as well as statements made in public, that questioned Leistiko’s honesty when reporting the number of airplanes taking off and landing at the mu- nicipal airport. Guiffrida contin- ues to stand his ground, stating in an email to the Beacon last week, “I am confident that if the facts of this case had an opportunity to be presented to a jury I would have won.” Guiffrida said the settlement should not in any way stifle any public official from educating his or her constituents when any contest- ed issue is set for public vote.
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