The question “Does Wilderness Have Value?” was explored by students from four Sanders County schools, who submitted essays for a contest sponsored by the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness.
Project coordinator Ernie Scherzer had high praise for the essays, saying he could think of few examples of student writing that could equal some of the winners. He has been a teacher, and now a school volunteer, for over 50 years, as well as advisor to a student literary magazine.
Scherzer noted that younger authors did extremely well. The contest is open to middle and high school students.
McKenna Krueger, a seventh grader from Noxon, won the overall prize of a $100 savings bond and a Scotchmans cap, with a beautiful and very moving essay .
Kaylie Cox, an eighth grader from Thompson Falls, took the second prize of a Scotchmans sweashirt, with another exceptional entry.
Other winners were Mitchell Carpenter, a twelfth grader from Plains, and Holly Carlsmith, a fifth grader from Trout Creek.
Ernie Scherzer awards McKenna Krueger the prize