Looking Back: Whitefish works to protect wetlands, lakeshore
Whitefish Pilot | UPDATED 1 month, 2 weeks AGO
Ground breaking ceremonies took place for the new Golden Agers Center on West Second Street. Roy Gronberg took the first shovel of mud while building contractor Robert W. Ross and John Boorman look on in 1976.
A look back at past Pilot articles by Julie Engler
50 Years Ago
June 3, 1976
“Property owners who are ‘understandably ecstatic’ over the reevaluation of their real property this year should be aware of the history of this reevaluation, what it means now, and what procedures to follow should they wish to appeal the value placed on their property,” Board of Appeals member Chuck Abell said. Abell explained that the use of real value as the basis for taxable values was directed by the Legislature on a statewide basis as the responsibility of the new Department of Revenue.
40 Years Ago
June 4, 1986
The city was rushing ahead with major reconstruction of Baker Avenue, determined to beat the July 4 holiday traffic, Mayor Carroll Amass and the city manager, Ralph Friedman assured Tom McCabe and Dottie Craven, owners of Whitefish Ski and Sports on that street that everything possible would be done to lessen impact on their business. The restructuring of the badly deteriorated two blocks of Baker included new water lines, curbs, gutters and sidewalks on some portions, new base and asphalt. “Most of us on that street can't afford any loss in sales,” McCabe told the council. “We had the worst winter ever and can't afford a decrease in our business.”
30 Years Ago
May 30, 1996
In a meeting lasting less than 10 minutes, the Flathead County Commissioners approved a comprehensive set of amendments to the Whitefish Lakeshore Protection Regulations. Steve Kountz from the Flathead Regional Development Office and Betty Nucci from the Lakeshore Protection Committee were the only non commissioners who attended the public hearing. Many of the changes in the regulations were made to clarify language or include issues which were previously ignored. The commissioners approved the regulations after the Whitefish City Council passed their regulations on first reading May 20. At the same time, the council added a new permit fee schedule as recommended by the County Administrative Board.
20 Years Ago
June 1, 2006
Ever since the public first heard about plans to build 167 condominiums in a Lakeshore lodge on 41 acres of land bordering Wisconsin Avenue, neighbors and others concerned about wetlands stood up to protest the plan. Now, opponents to the Boardwalk at Whitefish Project have organized into a group called Friends of Wisconsin Avenue Wetlands with the goal of protecting wetlands there and even across the city. Spokesperson Joe Malletta said about 20 to 30 people are affiliated with the group. He says the impetus to create the group originated with Mike Koppel at the Whitefish Lake Institute and from a comment made during a city Planning Board meeting last year.
10 Years Ago
June 1, 2016
The dirt is tilled, the fence up and irrigation in place. A free community garden at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Whitefish is ready to produce a bounty of vegetables this summer. Twenty boxed garden beds are available at the church on Wisconsin Avenue. There is no cost for a plot. All that is asked is that a donation of fresh produce or money be made to the North Valley Food Bank. Pastor Michael Flannery said the church's congregation developed the idea for “The Lord's Abundant Garden” as a simple way to give back to the community.