Our View: Hi-Line darts and laurels

Laurel — Jim Spangelo has been named the manager of the H. Earl Clack Museum. The retired attorney has a wealth of knowledge about local history, being a fourth-generation Hill County resident himself. He has a way of making history come alive and is a great addition to the staff.

Laurel — GEAR UP is a tremendous program aimed at letting young people, especially Native Americans, learn what life and educational options they have. A group of students under GEAR UP auspices attended a special camp at Montana State University-Northern this week to learn about welding and diesel technology. The program opened some doors for the young people. We hope that if the students liked what they saw this week, they will come back to Northern as students.

Dart — Missoula County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg protests a bit too much. The federal Justice Department has been looking into the reporting practices and investigation of rape and sexual abuse complaints in Missoula and Missoula County and at the University of Montana. The city and the university have come to agreement with the feds on how they can best improve their practices. But the county is balking, and Van Valkenburg threw a fit this week during an address at City Club Missoula. He blamed all the problems on the federal authorities and, of course, the newspapers, which, he said, forced the Justice Department to take action. Apparently he hasn’t read that the Justice Department and reporters are barely on speaking terms these days. Instead of whining, we hope the county attorney will sit down with federal lawyers and come up with a plan to improve the way rape allegations are handled. That would be better for everyone involved.

Laurel — To all the Hi-Line fathers who will be honored this Sunday, it has always been a tough job being a father, and it’s tougher these days with all the pressures on family life. And we offer special praise to all those fathers who have adopted children and those who have foster children. Adopting a child or becoming a foster parent is the greatest gift a man can give a child in need.