Carol Newbury stopped by the Pilot office this week to show us a photograph she took of a robin in her yard on Eighth Street West in Whitefish. This was no ordinary robin, though. It had the telltale red breast, but it also had a small white head. Other robins flying around had black heads, she reported. Seems she's uncovered some kind of fowl play.

Support for the Hirsch family

Ken Lyons called to say how impressed he was with the community support shown to the Hirsch family concerning the recent death of 17-year-old Derek Hirsch in an automobile accident. Many local businesses donated items for a memorial reception, including Great Northern Bar & Grill, Grouse Mountain Lodge, MacKenzie River Pizza, Alpine Market, Safeway, McDonald's, Bulldog, Pizza Hut, Coffee Traders and Iron Horse.

Such an outpouring of support is comforting in times of sorrow and need, and it's so typical of the small-town empathy Whitefish still feels toward its neighbors and friends.

It seems there have been so many tragic and sad events affecting Whitefish families over the past few months, including last week's plane crash on Mount Leibig that claimed three lives, including two Whitefish residents. The love for those killed was certainly evident at Sunday's memorial service.

Through good times and bad, Whitefish residents have always been there for each other, and we should be proud to call each other friends and neighbors.

That's debatable

Tonight's presidential debate pitting John Kerry against incumbent George W. Bush on national television should fire up the election season. And our own Whitefish boys, gubernatorial candidates Brian Schweitzer and Bob Brown, went head to head in a debate on Tuesday.

Local candidates will get their own chance to do battle over the issues at a debate scheduled Oct. 19 by the Whitefish Pilot and Whitefish Chamber of Commerce. This will differ from the candidate forums of the past, allowing a modified Lincoln-Douglas debate. Will it be more confrontational? Maybe. Will it be more informative? Hopefully.

It's our civic duty to know what the issues are facing candidates for local and state offices. It's worth your time to attend.