Hi-Line darts and laurels

Dart — Neighbors in Highland Park are upset for good reason. Vandals a couple of weeks ago started several fires in the community, endangering property and possibly humans. Now, vehicles have been damaged ans big-time graffiti has been spray-painted on cars and homes in the area. This kind of activity has area residents sitting on the edge of their seats ...

Laurel — But rather than sitting around complaining about the situation, Highland Park residents are uniting to form a Neighborhood Watch program. People are beginning to talk to their neighbors. They are working together to put the kibosh on these vandals.

Laurel — Last month, the Havre Daily News wrote a series of stories on longtime teachers who were retiring from the Havre School District. "Are the good teachers are going," one commenter lamented. Well, not even close to being true. For example, Carol Pleninger, a Havre chemistry teacher, has been named one of 97 outstanding math and science teachers in the nation. She will be going to Washington to receive the award. The 97 teachers may be getting a special visit from President Barack Obama himself. Congratulations to Carol Pleninger. She has made Havre proud.

Laurel — The H. Earl Clack Museum will hold a grand re-opening this weekend. The new facility at Holiday Village Mall is ready to show off to the public. Ceremonies start at 3 p.m. Saturday. Havre and Hill County have a fascinating history, full of stories of heroes and villains. Unfortunately, for many people, the rich history has been under wraps during the move. Much of the history is on display at the museum. The museum board and staff have done a great job of freshening up the exhibits and displaying them well. If you have been there before, get out there Saturday and see the improvements. If you haven't been there before, get out there Saturday and see what you have missed.

Dart — Name-calling is not all that unusual in the rough-and-tumble world of Montana politics. But Sen. Jon Tester and his challenger in the Nov. 6 general election Rep. Denny Rehberg have taken name-calling to a new level: They are calling each other by their real names. Tester calls Rehberg by his given name "Dennis," knowing that it annoys Rehberg. In turn, Rehberg's folks are referring to Tester as "Raymond Jon Tester," which is the senator's full name as it appears on his birth certificate. Come on Jon and Denny, let's get on to the real issues.