As I close out my mayoral term, I express my sincere appreciation to the residents and taxpayers in the City of Kalispell for your support over the past four years. With your support we accomplished one of the largest fiscal and ideological turnarounds this city has ever seen. With your help we: brought our reserve […]

It’s a new year. Montanans are hopeful, believing that the state is on the right track. Gov. Steve Bullock had a great first year leading Montana. Bullock proved as good at managing money as former Gov. Brian Schweitzer. Schweitzer maintained eight years of the state’s biggest budget surpluses, while keeping statewide unemployment low during a […]

What if you could leap tall buildings, throw balls of fire or swing from webbing that shoots out of your wrist? If you could, lots of people would think you were some sort of superhero. Thing is, a fair number of people probably feel that way already. Maybe you can’t do any of those things, […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is wasting $10 million dollars trying to apply a crop-based biomass utilization model to our rugged and remote national forests! While Cool Planet Energy Systems’ turning of farm waste into gasoline and biochar may have merit, it does not apply well to dead trees on remote public lands. In a […]

Great article on Brock Osweiler and players in the NFL (Dec. 25 Beacon: “Land of Oz”). As a long time NFL fan, I noticed one key player missing from your list of Montanans in the NFL: Sam McCullum. He was a 1970 graduate of Flathead High School who played on the Flathead basketball state champion […]

It’s easier to look back than forward. It’s at least much more clear. We can reflect on the accomplishments and failures of the last year. We can measure them against what we had hoped to do, then keep the yardstick out to set benchmarks for 2014. That’s how my New Year’s resolutions work. I write […]

By Tim Baldwin Karl Rove released his forecast about 2014 elections, stating, “Every Republican senator and virtually every representative challenged in a primary as insufficiently conservative will win.” But some Tea Partiers have expressed their disdain for Rove’s comment. Why? Rove simply states a reality of our political condition after Obamacare’s implementation. Plus, even Tea […]

Wildsight has been engaged with grizzly bear population surveys as well as efforts to assure healthy grizzly bear populations in the region for several decades. While it is true that grizzly bear numbers are recovering in this region, it is a simplistic misrepresentation to suggest that recovery is complete and that a hunt is necessary […]

I should love Obamacare. I had Hodgkin’s disease when I was 16, the cure paid for by Uncle Sam’s Air Force. Normal life resumed, and I picked up two bad vices, skiing and motorcycles. Since I’m not real graceful, off to the friendly insurance agency I went. And the next. This was in the prehistoric […]

Professional development mentors remind us that we must take care of ourselves first. They advise that we improve ourselves mentally, physically and emotionally – in other words, attend first to our overall health – so that we’re better prepared to perform well in our roles at work, at home and in our community. Personal finance […]

I have been attending meetings and following the Whitefish City Hall and Parking Garage project for the past few years as the issue has been at the forefront of council business. This project will be important for the business and character of downtown Whitefish and deserves the attention it has received. As we all know, […]

The American people are becoming increasingly disenchanted with their government. Recent polls indicate the greatest dissatisfaction rate ever. Stupid laws, excessive regulation, exorbitant taxes, wasteful spending, immoral behavior by our leaders and corruption at all levels suggest to me either a high level of incompetence or else our elected officials are under the control of […]

By Joe Carbonari If the average American is strapped for cash — and we are — the demand for goods and services is too light to support the robust economy that is necessary to provide the standard of living that our society has come to expect. Our population continues to grow. Our economy must do […]

My uncle will call this week. More likely he’ll Skype as Wi-Fi now allows much better video quality around the world. My Mormon bishop uncle calls on Christmas Eve. I cherish these visits. We’ll talk about his traditional Christmas foods like beet salads, turnip casseroles, hams with mustard, liver casseroles, sweet breads and rice pudding […]

In politics timing is everything and that certainly appears to be the case with Lt. Governor John Walsh and Congressman Steve Daines. A year from now one of them will likely be a U.S. Senator, something unimaginable a year ago. Back then no one imagined Sen. Max Baucus would announce his retirement, let alone that […]