The other night (actually just over a week ago) the snow was so beautiful as it fell so fluffily (is that even a word?) from the vast Montana sky that we knew the Christmas spirit was in the air and we just had to go downtown to attend the “Downtown Kalispell Holiday Stroll”.
We heartily scooped up our granddaughter and whisked on down to Main Street after parking our car a block away and to our surprise and joy we say on a corner downtown some wonderful festive holiday singers…and then we turned the corner and proceeded north on Main Street to ‘stroll’ in front of the businesses. We knew Santa was nearby and would be at Depot Park soon to the tree lighting event, so we were excited.
What we experienced next was frightening. It wasn’t an actual ‘stroll’ we were literally hanging on for dear life.
As we attempted to look into windows of various shops and stores, as we headed north toward Depot Park we were sidetracked by how unbelievably snow packed and icy and slick and slippery it was in front of each store (unless they had an overhang which most did not). The portion of the sidewalk closest to the actual storefront was fine but it was only a foot or so in depth maybe 18 inches and the rest of the sidewalk was sheer terror. We were horrified to say the least.
It appeared that NO ONE (from what we could tell) no shop owners or shop workers had even attempted to shovel their store front sidewalk (we did find out the responsibility is of the actual building owner) but at any rate we saw no one even attempt to shovel their store front as young children and elderly were walking (or attempting to walk) along those treacherous pathways.
We did later find out that the owner of the cookie business “Mary’s Mountain Cookies” did in fact shovel their sidewalk and then went over and shoveled the sidewalk to the KM Building (so kudos to them) and to Norm’s News who we witnessed tossing out some melting salt even though they have an overhang and their sidewalk was more slight slush then actual ice, but yes, it was so slick that night that even attempting to round the corner by Sweet Peaks ice cream was death defying.
We usually love the downtown “Holiday Stroll” but the joy was so downtrodden by the sheer level of danger that we were appalled.
These business owners are so wanting our business and don’t want us shopping the “box stores” up north of Kalispell and to “shop small” (meaning shop the smaller local businesses) but at what ‘price’? Anyone that evening could have easily fallen and sprained an ankle or wrist or broken a bone. Now keep in mind we never heard of anyone breaking or straining/spraining anything, but it was a very real possibility.
Easily.
We asked a few people if we were over exaggerating when we mentioned the danger level and they all agreed it needed to be called out. So were calling it out. These downtown businesses need to be called out. Not once have we been up to Target, Walmart, or Best Buy etc. and been exposed to such danger and that’s because their workers shovel it and fast.
There’s been a big hubbub about whether or not the downtown “Main Street” should be turned into a two lane from as a four lane (of course the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce can’t wait for it to change to a two lane if that were even possible) so as to procure (or so they anticipate) even more business and subsequently that would mean widening the sidewalks.
Well, here’s a spoiler alert. These downtown businesses can’t even handle or attend to the sidewalks they have now.
Furthermore, when we did get to Depot Park to greet Santa it was equally as treacherous and dangerous in that vicinity as well!
So, kudos to those who set up this great event meaning the actual singers and meeting Santa etc. (who by the way was very kind and gentle) and all and to the very few who DID shovel their sidewalks but the danger level in general left us feeling insecure, unsafe, and uneasy as we attempted to “Stroll”.
