Let the Games Begin
U.S. Senate Candidates Tester and Burns to Face Off in Whitefish
Montana U.S. Senate candidates Jon Tester, Democrat, and Republican incumbent Conrad Burns will square off in their first debate Sunday morning at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish. The debate begins and 9:00 A.M. and will last an hour. It's the first of two possible debates in the senate race that has captured national attention both because of Burns's ties to scandal-ridden lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Tester's honest (organic) farmer appeal.
The Whitefish Pilot reports that C-Span and Time magazine will both be there to cover the action. At the end of the debate, the floor will open to questions from the audience. The debate is not open to the public but will be shown on television across the state.
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New West Music Review
Review: New Heathens Debut Pulls Up a Bootful of Great Songs
Nate Schweber -- he's one of a kind, with a lot on his mind. The sprawling subject matter on the New Heathens' debut disc, "Heathens Like Me," will attest to that. From the autobiographical "141," to the topical "Kansas Romeo," to the wistful "Goodnight Paterson," he's all over the map with nine original tunes and one cover of a Yayhoos song.
The scarves-to-riches story of Missoula's Favorite Son is well known to a lot of us here in his hometown: Journalism school wünderkind embraces gonzo writing in the college paper, hijacks the airwaves of KBGA (winning Best of Missoula polls in the process), creates a bizarre spectacle at U of M Grizzly games by dancing, half-naked, in the stands while playing his tuba with the pep band, and fronting various rock bands with an outrageous, flamboyant, Bowiesque persona that has half the town buzzing.
And like Bowie, Nate has reinvented himself, emerging fully formed as a swaggering, sweaty alt-country rocker with an ass kicking band and a bootful of great songs.
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Internetting on Vacation
Tourist Season In My Mountain Town
By Heidi Borg
Guest Writer
When do you really know the tourist season has arrived in the Flathead Valley? Maybe it can be displayed by the multitude of brand new Subarus with tiny barcode stickers in the back window. Or maybe your favorite restaurant is backed wall to wall by 6:30 pm.
But in my small town of Columbia Falls, gateway to Glacier National Park, gauging the start of the summer tourist season just takes a trip to the local library.
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Rockin
Schweber Asks Schweitzer to Make Pyromania Song Official Ode for July 1
One of Missoula's favorite ex-patriots, Nate Schweber, is making his music career work in New York City. And, he's asking the governor to take notice.
Nate, the famous "gyrating," feather boa-ed, sequined University of Montana tuba player left Missoula amidst much fanfare several years ago (his farewell was actually covered by the Missoulian and a few local TV stations at the time). Today, he's working in the big city, stringing for the New York Times, writing home sporadically here on New West and of course, playing Rock and Roll. (Note capital R's) His band, the New Heathens, just released their first album and Track No. 8 is a touching tribute to teenage debauchery in the biggest state in Nate's heart: Montana.
It's such an ode, in fact, that Nate has sent Gov. Brian Schweitzer a letter asking that "July 1, Near Helena MT" be dedicated the "Song of the State of Montana" for July 1, 2006. (Click here to hear "July 1, Near Helena MT.")
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U.S. Senate Primary
Montana Democrats Barnstorm for Unity
After what could have turned into a divisive primary election, Montana Democrats rallied in four cities Friday to show that the party is united behind Jon Tester in what promises to be a no-holds-barred U.S. Senate race against Republican incumbent Conrad Burns this fall.
Sen. Max Baucus, Gov. Brian Schweitzer and State Auditor John Morrison hit Missoula in the afternoon to stump for Tester and U.S. House Canidate Monica Lindeen. Tester, who opened his speech with a 'thank you' to Missoula (where he won by one of his biggest margins), told the crowd that what was true in the primary will be true in November. "What's going to win this election ... is a good grassroots effort here and in the rest of Montana."
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Let the Debate Begin
PSC Candidates Toole and Taylor Face off on Deregulation
All together now: "I hate deregulation."
Both candidates in Montana's Public Service Commission race are claiming credentials as the anti-electric deregulation candidate. "We [legislators] were steamrollered," says Mike Taylor.
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Inside Missoula's Housing Market
Council Members Parse Hot Topic of Infill in Missoula
In the world of urban planning and public policy in Missoula, there always seems to be one issue that comes up over, and over and over again: Infill.
Whether and how to promote building within Missoula's urban core has produced a long-running debate between those who say it's our best tool for affordable houses and sprawl-prevention and those who say such developments can erode the character of our most-prized neighborhoods.
This week, we posed four questions about the hot topic to two city council members who often fall on opposite sides of the issue. But as you can see, it's not that black and white.
These conversations with Ward 1 Councilwoman Heidi Kendall and Ward 4 Councilman Jon Wilkins preview the discussion the two will have about infill on this week's edition the Live Missoula! radio program on KGVO 1290 AM. Tune in at 10:30 on Sunday, June 18 to listen in.
Right here, read what each has to say about infill and ask them your own questions below in comments.
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Final Stretch
Tester Rallies Last-Minute Support in Missoula
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jon Tester spoke to a crowd of about 50 Missoula residents at the Missoula County Courthouse Monday afternoon. Citizens showed up to rally for Tester before the primary election tomorrow. "Get out and vote tomorrow," Tester said. "I think this primary is going to make a lot of difference on who represents Montana's values in Washington, D.C." Tester said he is the best candidate to vote for because he "can go head to head with Conrad Burns on a number of issues but particularly ethics, and we can win... "I'll be representing Montanans and Montana interests when I'm back in Washington, D.C." Tester thanked the people of Missoula, saying, "It's because of you that I'm here today and it's because of you that we're going to win tomorrow."
Photo by Chris Lombardi
