EDITORIAL: A gift that will keep giving for years
Inter Lake editorial | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 years, 7 months AGO
We were pleasantly surprised to hear the name of our old friend Bill Kamps this week, several years after his death in 2011.
Kamps, who wrote a fishing and hunting column in the Inter Lake that was sponsored by his employer, Sportsman & Ski Haus, made one last gesture of his love for the outdoors by leaving a bequest intended to benefit the “Hooked on Fishing” program.
Kamps donated oil and gas rights on land in North Dakota to be used to raise money for the youth fishing program. That gift was accepted by the Fish and Wildlife Commission in Helena on Thursday. Kamps also donated money to help build a fishing pier at Pine Grove Pond north of Kalispell, a favored spot for young anglers to learn the sport.
Those thoughtful gifts are typical of the generosity of outdoors enthusiasts in Montana. Thanks, Bill.
Scout’s project is ‘for the bats’
Glacier National Park is getting condominiums, but the new abodes will be housing bats, not people.
Columbia Falls Boy Scout Todd Ervin has constructed a deluxe bat condo to house up to 4,000 bats as part of his Eagle Scout project, and built four other smaller bat houses for the park.
Bats are kind of creepy to many people, and they aren’t always welcome guests in buildings inhabited by people, but we need to remember they’re a crucial part of the ecosystem here. They feed on insects, pollinate plants, disseminate seeds and are a food source for predators.
The problem is, many of Glacier’s historic structures, with their nooks and crannies and loose spaces in roofs and siding, have offered the perfect space for bats. But as buildings are remodeled and upgraded, many of the bats’ entrances have been sealed off.
Kudos to Todd for stepping up to provide alternative habitat for these little creatures of the night. Even bats need a decent place to live.
Brave couple is in our prayers
Our thoughts and prayers are with Starla and Shannon Barnes as they recover from injuries suffered in a car accident this week in Denver. Starla was left paralyzed by a 2009 hit-and-run accident in Kalispell, but has made great strides in her recovery. Along the way she’s become an inspiration to others challenged by paralysis. She and her husband founded Moving Forward a year ago to provide opportunities for differently abled athletes.
The couple and their young daughter had traveled to Denver so Starla could begin a long-awaited rehabilitation program and promote the opening of a new paralysis recovery center there. To suffer this kind of setback and further injury seems like an unusually cruel twist of fate. But knowing the positive attitude and undying spirit that both Starla and Shannon display, they’ll find a way to overcome this challenge, too. We wish the very best for them.
ARTICLES BY INTER LAKE EDITORIAL
Montana Strong: Fire relief support flows
While this summer’s historic fire season is finally beginning to wane, residents across Montana are still reeling.
Montana Strong: Fire relief support flows
While this summer’s historic fire season is finally beginning to wane, residents across Montana are still reeling.
EDITORIAL: Shepherd's Hand has been a blessing
We hope you read the front page story in Sunday’s Inter Lake about the remarkable Shepherd’s Hand ministry. It was truly inspirational.