Letters to the Editor

Stovalls thankful

The Stovall family would like to extend a special thank you to everyone who was involved in the success of recent fundraisers held to help defray costs for my wife’s rising medical costs. There are so many businesses and people who contributed time, donated items, and money to these events that we couldn’t possibly thank them all individually but wish to express our gratitude and sincere appreciation to all. We would also like to thank those who organized and gave their time to ensure the success of these fundraisers. My employer, George’s Distributing, has allowed me to work from home in order to be there for my wife during this difficult time and there are no words available to express my appreciation to them.

Todd and Sheryl Stovall & family

5300 Silver Creek Rd.

Gifts for soldiers

Montana Supporting Soldiers would like to thank everyone for a successful Stockings for Soldiers drive this fall.

We were able to send 150 boxes filled with Christmas stockings and gift bags to approximately 300 troops in the big shipment.

We are still receiving donations and cards that are being sent. The support for our military is so heart-warming. MSS is thrilled to be able to help Americans show their support.

Thank you to all the sponsors: Lehrkinds Coca-Cola, Southwestern Montana Radio Network, HCTV, Beartooth NBC, KXLH, KFBB, KMTX, Montana Outdoor Sports, Base Camp, Home Depot, Made in Montana Store, Capital Sports, Montana Book Company, Les Schwab Tires, Shopko, Kmart, Bob’s Valley Market, Van’s Thriftway, Grimes Motors, Lakeside Store, 747th FRG, Kevin Red Star, Montana Furniture Gallery, Candy Bouquet, MSU Bobcats, U of M Grizzlies, Helena College of Technology, Carroll College, Capital High School, Helena High School, Cobblestone Clothing, Grand Junction Mercantile, Leslie’s Hallmark, Windshield Doctor, Curves, Coffee Shack, Kim De La Hunt, Northrop Grumman, Department of Transportation, Tri-Co Credit Union, DA Davidson, Albertson’s, Neighbors Café, Espresso Nirvana, Lithia Dodge, Blockbuster Video, Center Stage Video, State of Montana employees, Sleeping Giant Lanes, and numerous individuals.

Liann Meyer

Montana Supporting Soldiers

Box 4964

Early Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving came early for over 200 clients of the Center for Mental Health-Helena, this year.

On Nov. 21, the dedicated staff served turkey and all the fixings-all baked the night before in their own ovens. I would like to extend a warm thank you to the following donors that made this event so successful:

Beth Ransier (my mother) from Betty Anna’s Cake Supplies; Beth contributed the supplies for 40 pies and baked them herself, Albertson’s donated paper goods, Rock Hand Hardware contributed the aluminum pans to bake the turkeys in, Sweetgrass Bakery baked 10 dozen rolls, Wheat Montana baked eight dozen rolls and Capital Laundry donated a discount on the rental of the linen table cloths. Also, donating to the annual feast: the National Alliance for the Mentally III, Wayne and Tami O’Brien of Downtown Properties, Laurie and Joe Lamson, Mike Wall of Power Townsend, Gordon Tichenor of Joslin’s Furniture, Rick Pyfer, John and MA Seliskar, and Alexander Coutts of Good Buddy Pawn, and KC Lesmeister of Hardees Restaurant.

I especially want to thank Paula Vann from Van’s Thriftway who donated 16 turkeys and three hams which valued over $300.

We could not have hosted this dinner without this generous donation.

Betty Routzahn

900 N. Jackson

Holidays with OASIS

If you’re single, the holidays can be lonely, but if you’re single and in the Helena area, OASIS can brighten the season and enrich your life throughout the coming year

OASIS — Organization of Adult Singles into Socializing — provides a safe, non-threatening environment for the singles 25 and over to meet, talk, plan common gatherings and outings. OASIS members are skiers, card players, hikers, coffee drinkers, dancers, book readers, river floaters and more!

We offer a wide variety of organized activities and individual friendships flourish. Need a buddy to call when the skiing is good, or you want to see a movie but don’t want to go alone? You can enjoy good times and make new friends through OASIS.

For more information, call Bob at 443-6313 or, better yet, pick up a free copy of our December calendar at our Holiday Ball which will be held Saturday, Dec. 16 from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Eagles, 801 N. Fee. You are always welcome at OASIS.

Vicki Rice

OASIS activities/Newsletter

124 Colter Loop

Natelson off base

Several days ago in these pages, Rob Natelson wrote a dishonest letter calling the governor “bigoted” and anti-Christian.

Mr. Natelson is bringing us politics at its worst by fabricating a story. The real story, as published in the Bozeman chronicle and which anybody who was in attendance will confirm, was this: Mr. Schweitzer was speaking to Bozeman school kids about the science of energy. He was talking to them about fossil fuels, and how Montana’s coal formations were formed over millions of years. This discussion had nothing to do with religion. Mr. Koopman gave his own opinion that fossil fuels could not have developed over millions of years because the earth is only 4,000 years old. He later said that his own “scientific investigation,” and not his religion, led him to this belief. The governor, who is a soils scientist, simply disputes this science. That seems pretty reasonable to me. During the entire assembly, he never mentioned faith, religion or even Mr. Koopman.

The governor is a catholic school-educated and highly tolerant man. Everybody that knows him knows that he would not criticize anybody’s Christian or other religious beliefs. Mr. Natelson is being blatantly dishonest for saying that he did.

Dennis McDonald

Melville