Not spring, but not bad
The Kingfisher Flyshop’s Five-River Fishing ReportThings have been heating up on a couple of the local rivers recently but winter's a long way from over. This time of year, you don't have the luxury of waiting, so the moral of the story is to get it while it's good! [more]
Does Post-Fire Logging Make Ecological or Economic Sense?
Betting on BiscuitIt’s rare to find two diametrically opposed sides using the same exact posterchild to support their views. However, that’s essentially what’s developed over the past few years as the logging industry and their supporters have locked horns with conservation groups and scientists in a battle over so-called “healthy forests� policy and the future of America’s public lands following wildfires. [more]
Redevelopment
Pave Paradise, Put Up a Parking Lot?The Missoulian has the scoop this morning on the redevelopment of the old Fox Theater site by the Clark Fork River. Passersby may have noticed after an extensive clean-up of what was once a dumping ground for garbage, the city has decided to build a parking lot on some choice riverfront real estate. The lot is apparently only temporary, and city officials are hoping the area just west of Orange Street will attract proposals from private developers.
The site was once an impromptu public dump, as was much of the Clark Fork River, until a massive clean-up and redevelopment effort spearheaded by the public and the Missoula Redevelopment Agency several decades ago. Incidentally, some longtime Missoulians may be heartened to know that the last remenants of the Fox Theater sits rather dormantly on US Highway 93 on Evaro Hill. The theater's huge sign can be seen on the right hand side of the road near the bottom of the hill. Perhaps it should become part of the public art project originally sought after for the site? A sort of rememberance to the days when kids like me used to line up outside the Fox awaiting tickets and gawking at diners through the picture windows of the Mustard Seed Cafe next door.
Land Use & Development
Don’t Fear the Blight: Fear Montana State Laws
The topic of eminent domain has been all over the local Bozeman papers (Daily Chronicle and the Tributary) in the last two months because people are concerned how it might be used in two new Urban Renewal Districts. Local concern with the “blight� designation in our Northeast Neighborhood, in particular, dovetailed with a visit to Bozeman by Chip Mellor, president and counsel of the Institute of Justice, which represented the homeowners in Kelo v. New London before the Supreme Court. Mellor and the homeowners may have lost the landmark decision (ref NW article), but he has rebounded with what appears to be a crusade to educate the public about the use and misuse of eminent domain, and to warn us about the dangers of blight. What he should have also warned us about was Montana State Law, which currently does not provide a whole lot of protection for private property owners. [more]
Celebrity Montana
Letterman Eyes Property in Ruby River Valley
CBS late night talk show host David Letterman is apparently interested in property in the Ruby River Valley in Montana's Madison County.
We had heard some rumblings, so I dug into records at the County Clerk and Recorder's office and while no property has been deeded to Letterman's ranching entity, records show at least one survey was done for his corporation in July on two parcels of the Maloney Ranch bordering the southern tip of the Ruby Reservoir.
According to the State's records, the parcels are all total just less than 500 acres with a five-bedroom farmstead and a whole lot of grazing land. The pieces put together, including the buildings, were appraised in 2003 at about $147,000.
[more]
culture clash
Bulldozing Billionaires?Bloomberg news is reporting today that billionaires are bulldozing the Big Sky State. It's a good piece, but nothing we didn't already know: Whitefish is booming with out-of-state money.
Inside the Network
New Things at New WestYou've probably noticed some changes this week here at New West, mostly on the city pages. Here's the rundown:
Let us know what you think -- either by leaving comments here or by dropping us a line at info@newwest.net
Sex, Money and Meth Addiction
Dasen Sentenced to Two Years in Prison
Flathead businessman Richard A. "Dick" Dasen, the man convicted last spring of luring numerous women -- many of them methamphetamine addicts -- into a ring of sex-for-money agreements, will spend 20 months in the Montana State Prison for the crimes.
Dasen was sentenced today in Kalispell to two years in Deer Lodge without paroll, but with credit given for the 117 days he's already spent in the local jail. He was also sentenced to 18 years to the Department of Corrections but all of that sentence was suspended.
Last May, a jury convicted Dasen on one misdemeanor and five felony charges, including promotion of prostitution and sexual abuse of children. He was acquitted of seven other charges, including two of the most serious -- sexual intercourse without consent and aggravated promotion of prostitution. The sexual abuse conviction alone carried with it a 100-year maximum sentence but no minimum.
The Race for Missoula's Mayor Job
Are You Ready for Some Mayoral Elections?The countdown is on to see who will emerge as the last two candidates vying for Missoula's top spot. There will be six Missoulians on the mayoral ballot Tuesday in the primary election. By now, you should recognize their faces and their platforms but in case you don't, here's a quick roundup:
They've been stumping on the airwaves, smiling pretty (and answering some interesting questions) in the Independent and gushing on the pages of the Missoulian all week. They also sat down this summer with me to give New West readers a taste of what each of them might look like at the center of City Hall.
[more]
Planning Problems
Growing Pains in Gallatin CountyOur city neighbors to the east are struggling with growth (not that we aren't too, but... ) says a new survey reported in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle today. The survey found out that Gallatin County residents are happy with a lot, but are not pleased with the way growth has been handled there (surprise, surprise). The bottom line here is, planning isn't something just enviros and policy wonks care about. Planning means solid communities and that is something we all want. And, it can't be esoteric and willy nilly -- it has to be set in stone. A majority of Gallatin residents said the county has no means of dealing with growth. Sure, it does, but either it's not using the plans it has or there are too much flexibility with what it is using.
