Letter to the Editor - Thanks to all helping and caring

Dear editor,

It’s been a while since I’ve your “letter” section utilized to offer grateful reminders to all those deserving people in our community as we continue facing the onslaught of COVID-19. I realize social media allows the same opportunity, but I still place great value on the press and even an occasional handwritten note — just a bit more personal in my perhaps old school way of thinking.

My list of those to be thanked individually would fill columns; I’ll edit a bit. Obviously, every dedicated and courageous person working the health and safety job should be appreciated. This being fire prevention week it seems right to note that every fire or ambulance call exposes the responders and of course,  any supporting law officers to possible infections.

Anyone who has driven by the Northern MT Healthcare campus for months has seen a distanced testing location staffed by folks who were and yet are conceivably in jeopardy every time they approach a vehicle. By the way, I believe Havre’s flu clinics may have been a first in our state.

Thanks to every concerned business owner/operator and their respectful and caring employees, and to volunteers at all the organizations extending their help. Gratitude to all our education system folks faced with finding best plans to combine learning with safety, and to city and county officials who are trying to find answers to continually changing questions.

Clergy and counselors giving spiritual and mental support, pharmacists assuring our medicines are available, and our postal workers who deliver every day in the face of undeserved challenges, all should hear that they are so appreciated. 

Reality tells me I obviously can’t list every part of our area I’m grateful for; it was apparent my “thank you” messages would fill pages!

I do wish to add a couple more, though. Thanks to everyone remembering how to be neighborly, caring of the well-being of others and that different opinions don’t necessarily make someone totally wrong or the enemy. Thanks to all those taking masking seriously and distancing seriously. We’ve used some community catch phrases over the years, “Havre has it,” “Git’er done,” and recently, “Hindsight 2020.: Most of us, I think are hopeful and prayerful that when look at the remainder of this year our ‘what we have’ is a dedicated and focused effort to keep each other well and safe and we’ll indeed be able to say we “‘got ’er done!’”

And thanks, Editor Leeds, for your strong reminder of the serious threat we face. I’m certain a big part of our community agreed with your thoughts.

Hopefully,

Gary L. Springer

Havre