In today's Too-Late-for-The-Outpost edition is this unedited op-ed from Donald G. Mortenson, a retired electrician. It's longish but a good take on the Lockwood sewer bond, which is admittedly an unsexy topic (Molly Ivins tells the story of a colleague who began a sewer bond story with this - unpublished - lede: "Even a sewer plant can only take so much shit"). Here it is:

I have lived in Lockwood for over 40 years, after being born and raised in Forsyth, Montana. My wife, Sheryl, has lived in Lockwood for over 55 years. We have 4 children (3 of whom live in Lockwood), and 10 grandchildren. My 4 children, 7 of my grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews are attending, or have attended Lockwood School. My Grandparents lived and farmed in Lockwood from the mid 40's until 1963.

Having lived in Lockwood for most of my life, I have seen many changes. A good share of these changes were foreseeable as long as 50 or 60 years ago.
My Grandfather, one of the original founders of the Lockwood Water District, always said that in my lifetime, I would see Lockwood, especially the area around Johnson Lane, change into a residential metropolis with businesses and a High School. Most of the predictions made by him and other Old Timers have come to pass.

We have one of the best and largest school systems in the Northwest, a Domestic Water System, and a Fire District, complete with paramedics, and a growing number of businesses. ThQse assets, combined with the energetic and independent people of Lockwood, have made us the envy of numerous communities.

The only piece missing in our puzzle is a reliable sewer system. Water wells are being affected by the independent septic systems failing at a rising rate, and the water table is rising in some areas of Lockwood. A new sewer system has become of paramount importance. This is all reminiscent of some of the problems experienced in the Heights 20 or 30 years ago. Some people can remember the water that used to flow out of the rims above the Billings Sewer Plant and on down the river. The smell was so putrid that a person could hardly be around it.

It is my opinion that if we Lockwoodites, as a community, don't solve our own problems, some higher authority, such as the State of Federal Sanitation officials will. We will still pay for it, and probably lose our local control. I think it is time for Lockwood to stand and be counted with yes votes for our own sewer system.

We paid off the water bond earlier than expected, and the Lockwood Water Board has dropped our water bills $5.60 per month. By taking that $5.60, and another $10.00 per month for the average $100,000 home, we can implement our own sewer system and continue our progress into the future.

Hard work and diligence by the Lockwood Water Board has already procured grants to pay a little more than half of the initial cost, along with a signed up to 55 year renewable contract with the City of Billings to process and dispose of the sewage. This will save having to build and maintain a plant to process it ourselves. The contract also contains a clause that Lockwood will NOT be obligated to be annexed into the City of Billings, thereby insuring our continued independence.

All of this hinges on the passage of the bond issue, and the starting of the project in the very near future. We would then also become eligible for more State and Federal grants, and low interest loans to complete the system.

With a sewer system started and in place, more residential and business development would be sure to follow. This would increase Lockwood's tax base and decrease the cost to each individual homeowner and business.

Lockwood, stand and be counted with a "yes" vote on November 4, for our Sewer System. We need at least a 60% "yes" vote to make this happen.