Finally. Heavy equipment is on the ground and real cleanup work is well under way at the so-called KRY Superfund site in Evergreen.

To say that the work is well overdue is an understatement, considering that there’s been an awareness of contamination at the 57-acre site for decades, and the extent of it has been studied and re-studied for years.

But getting to the cleanup was no simple matter — it involved legal proceedings to determine what entities would be financially responsible for contamination that was mostly created by three long-gone companies — Kalispell Post and Timber Co., the Reliance Refinery, and Yale Oil. In the end, BNSF was held responsible for the lion’s share of the project, which is estimated to cost $32.5 million. The railroad company is to be commended for hiring a contractor and getting after a cleanup that is expected to be mostly finished by next year.

THE ENTREPRENEURIAL spirit is alive and well at Camas Creek Yarn in downtown Kalispell, where owner Melanie Cross has gotten the national licensing needed to sell collegiate knitting kits on a wholesale basis for 100 colleges across the country. The kits allow knitters to create scarves and hats featuring their favorite college sports teams.

It’s quite a feat and has great potential for the popular yarn shop. Cross and her husband and business partner Andy Hurst have poured hundreds of hours of time and have invested a sizable amount of money in the enterprising project, all in an effort to sustain and grow their small business. The Inter Lake tips its hat to this enterprising young couple.

THE GOOD NEWS keeps rolling in for the Flathead Valley’s economic recovery.

Last week’s news was that three local businesses had been awarded nearly $1 million in state grants to create at least 126 local jobs.

The grants to promote economic development are going to three growing enterprises: $625,000 for Nomad Global Communications, $217,500 for Smartlam and $67,350 for ZaneRay Group.

This appears to be money well spent to help propel cutting-edge companies to new heights.