Our View: Great decision by town council

A recent decision by the Whitehall governing body should make a significant difference in the town’s appearance.

The town council recently voted to approve a resolution to create a program that will bring residents and business owners together to tackle issues dealing with weeds. This was a great decision by our local leaders and one that will not only be enjoyed by locals, but will also make Whitehall more appealing to those visiting or driving through the area.

Earlier this year, Whitehall had a huge turnout for Frontier Days and most of the feedback on the event was very positive. The popular annual event is not only a great way to bring friends and families together, it is also an amazing way to showcase Whitehall to southwest Montana. While covering the event, I ran into many people from out-of-town who had stopped by for the day. While pleased with the amount of out-of-town traffic, it was pretty sad for event organizers to try and showcase the community when there were so many visible weeds on Legion Avenue. It was an eyesore that did not shine a positive light on Whitehall. No matter how great of a time people have, if they go home talking about how many weeds they saw, then the damage is already done.

The same goes for all the residents who drive through town or people traveling through, it is not good to see weeds all over the place – not a main street, alley, lot or yard.

The recent decision by the council is huge. They are stepping up and going to find ways to address the issue. It should not just be up to the town to figure this problem out and hopefully this program can bring the community together to address this issue.