Our View: Grateful for Bessette's service

Things were a little different at the Hill County Courthouse on Wednesday.

For the first business day in 22 years, Kathy Bessette was not one of the three county commissioners.

For more than two decades, she has been the voice and face of Hill County government to many people. She has been active in most progressive-thinking programs that the county has undertaken.

A Democrat, she has reached across the aisle to work with Republicans to make improvements in county programs.

A resident of the rural part of the county, she has been a calming force in often contentious relations between the county government and the city of Havre.

During a time when state and federal government has declined, she has been successful in seeing that the cuts had as little an impact of the average county taxpayer as possible.

Her impact will be felt at the courthouse for a long time.

A lifelong farmer, she has been an advocate for those who share her profession.

She will be turning her attention to other things in coming years, but her friends suspect she will still be active in public life.

We can't imagine her dropping her interest in government or her strong support in the Democratic party. Hill County will be fortunate if she does stay active in public affairs.

A county grateful for her work thanks her for her service.