Letters to the Editor

Sponsors thanked

The Helena Bighorn Peewee A Team would like to thank Bulkley Electric, American Chemet and Columbia Paint for sponsoring our team this year. Our team was able to participate in hockey tournaments in Butte, Spokane and Idaho Falls thanks to your generosity.

A great big "Thank You" from the parents and Peewee A players: Matt Mohar, CJ Holland, Craig Palmer, Logan Kruse, Troy Arntson, Miles Miller, Ryan Beck, Jerico Crouse, Myles O'Reilly, Spencer Avelsgard, Kaleb Greenwood, Nick Moser, Benjamin Sullivan, Ethan Wellenstein, Dylan Voeller, Terry Gustafson, Johnathan Mahoney and Coaches Larry Urban, Jeremy Crouse and Dennis O'Reilly.

Please support Bulkley Electric, American Chemet and Columbia Paint!

JoAnn Mohar

Peewee A Team Manager

2655 Casper Drive

East Helena

Bee thanks

Thank you to all the students and their parents who participated in the 2005 Lewis and Clark County Spelling Bee held at Capital High School March 5th. Special appreciation is extended to Phil Rose who did a terrific job as pronouncer! Other individuals who gave of their time and talents included Doretta Hofland, Linda Kindrick, and Jacquie Gibson, judges; Ellen Cox and Jim Greene, registrars; and Roger Stone, roundskeeper. Many thanks to the IR for advertising for volunteers and providing the trophies; Helena School District for providing the facility and Mike and Randy for setting up the sound equipment. The state geography bee, held the same weekend, prohibits Hannah Goodman, first place and her alternate, Joshua Kaltenbach, third place, from attending the state spelling bee. Best wishes to Ellie Hodges (Central) and Eddie Johnson (Warren) as they represent the county at the state bee in Missoula on April 2, 2005.

Marsha Davis, Ed. D

Lewis and Clark County

Superintendent of Schools

316 N. Park

Welfare drug checks

I understand that many people have to agree to random urine tests before they can work for many companies. The other day my son, who lives over in Seattle, told me that he had to pass a urine test before he could receive his paycheck. Now I don't have a problem with that, I realize the need for a drug free work-force.

What I do have a problem with is that a portion of the money he, you and I earn goes to people who don't have to pass a urine test in order to receive a welfare check.

Please understand, I have no problem with helping people that really deserve help, but I do have a big problem with people using the monies given them for necessities to purchase dope.

It's way past time to rectify this inequity. If people can be forced to submit to such tests in order to gain employment, all people receiving public assistance should have to do so too, in order to receive any portion of our taxes.

Alan Rainey

2212 Black Alder Gulch

Educating hunters vital

Hunting Without Hunters Ed call to arms, for Montana sportsmen. Out of state interest are again attempting to kill our wildlife with the use of "DADDY" tags.

HB 613 reads, "any resident nine years of age can harvest big game without taking hunter education." Ever hear of pending out-of-state non-resident lawsuits?

Fifty years ago headlines read, "Hunting deaths rise again." Hunter education has drastically reduced hunting injuries and deaths thus keeping antihunters at bay.

HB 613 will repeal one hundred years of progress. Call 444-48011 for Joe Tropila, Kieth Bales, Joe Balyeat, Gregory Barkus, Steve Gallus, Ken Hansen, Larry Gent, Lane Larson, Bill Tash and say "NO" to HB 613.

Rally on Capitol steps, we need one thousand sportsmen, 2:00 p.m. March 15, Committee Room 422, Defeat HB 613, wear hunter orange or camo.

Michael Sherrard

923 Turner Ave

Shelby

Lost purse returned

This afternoon (March 8), an anonymous angel delivered to my back door the purse I had lost. I wish I could personally thank that person.

Earlier this week, a member of my family had an angel deliver her lost cell phone to her home.

We truly blessed to live in a community where such acts of kindness occur.

Virginia van Hook

1401 Hollins

No surplus

I am not sure if our governor and current legislators are fully aware of the looming deficits Montana faces, but it seems obvious to me that we do not have a budget surplus. Instead, Montana has two massive unfunded liabilities.

Rather than give any money back to us, please exercise some prudence by taking any or all of the excess money that this year's budget does not require and pay off or pay down the debt that we taxpayers must deal with some day in the near future.

George Day

2116 Wingate Lane

Billings

Progressive hypocrisy

I read with great amusement of the group forming the "Progressive Democrats of Montana". I thought they had already formed... on street corners protesting the War or marching on Main Street for "lifestyle" diversity. They might try a sit-in; those were popular in the sixties as well.

What really stood out was the out reach for inclusion and diversity as demonstrated by the fact that two-thirds of their board must approve of your membership. What would the Human Rights Network say about that? Oh, wait, it looks like the Human Rights Network Hierarchy are members too. Hypocrisy? You make the call. I can't wait to see what these folks have in store for the "People's Republic of Montana."

Steve Netschert

665 S. Davis St.